Career growth often goes hand in hand with being able to deliver great presentations. It’s an essential skill that will help you stand out within the company and share your innovative ideas. However, for some people, presentation skills don’t always come naturally, and even the most comfortable presenter likely still has room for improvement.
Whether you’re a complete presentation newbie or a seasoned pro looking to refine your skills, we’ve gathered some tips from presentation experts to help you put your best foot forward.
Begin with a Quality Template
Alan Goeman, the CEO of eSlide.comRedirects to external site. says it’s essential to start with a good outline when creating a presentation from scratch. Choose a template that fits your needs in terms of font, font color, size, object and chart styles and theme. By getting the template out of the way at the beginning, you can focus on what’s really important: the content.
Be Conversational
Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence,Redirects to external site. recommends aiming for your content to speak to the average audience member rather than focusing on the people you most want to impress. Though an executive from your company might be in the front row, don’t focus on them. Aim for your content to speak to the mid-level employee a few rows back and keep your eyes focused in that area to help avoid feeling pressured.
Identify Three Main Points
Jacqueline Whitmore from EntrepreneurRedirects to external site. suggests structuring your content around three main points. Pick the key points that tell your story and make those the main pillars of your presentation. Begin by introducing your three points, elaborate on each, and then conclude by going over them once again to makes your presentation more memorable and easier to understand.
Tackle Your Slides Last
TedTalk UX Lead and presentation pro Aaron Weyenberg says a good approach is to save your slides for last. He suggests to not even think about the slides until you already have a vision of what your presentation is going to accomplish. Slides should not take center stage; you want your visuals to support a presentation that is already strong on its own. Outline your structure, build up an argument with supporting points, and thenpractice your presentation. Once you’ve done all of those, then it’s time to tackle your slides.
Say it With Images
It may be a cliché, but according to Andrew Scivally from eLearningBrothers.comOpens in new window and redirects to external site., when it comes to presentations, an image really is worth a thousand words. Because many people are visual learners, conveying your message with graphics and images can make a big impact. Focus instead on choosing informational images, like infographics or graphics, that teach your audience and support your text.
Above all, giving a quality presentation is about delivering your message in a clear and engaging manner. Try these expert tips the next time you’re tasked with giving a presentation to help sell your message and keep the audience interested and be sure to use effective software to deliver your message, especially if any attendees are dialing in remotely. [link to GlobalMeet page on your website]
Good luck!
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