Compelling and engaging business presentations can be crucial to the future of your company. From a business plan to a sales pitch and from a partnership proposal to a staff meeting, you really want to make your company shine with every presentation you deliver. Business presentations are often associated with tedious attempts at conveying information that audiences would rather learn about through other means. For effective presentations that really speak to audiences, you should keep the following recommendations in mind:
Choosing a Storytelling Approach
The best presentation you can give should tell a story. Think about the meaning and context of the information you need to present; try to build a story around it using characters that are faced with situations for which they must find resolutions. You may want to start off with an anecdote or with a famous quotation that your audience can identify with; for example, if your company sells office supplies, you may want to include a success story about how one of your clients was able to solve a problem with the products you sell.
Keeping Reading to a Minimum
Refrain from reading from slides and limit the times you glance at your script. You really want to rehearse what you need to say, and it must sound slightly as if you are having a conversation with the audience. Even if the content of your presentation is technical, you want to keep jargon to a minimum.
If you’re not confident in your ability to effectively plan your presentation you can consider working with a professional like elearning, Inc or a similar firm to help improve your presentation planning abilities. If you work in a corporate position, working on those skills would be a worthwhile investment.
Eliminating Fear of Failure
Most of the research related to the nervousness many of us feel when giving presentations tracks down the problem to fear of failure, which is not an irrational emotion. You can effectively eliminate fear of failure by means of preparation; the first step is to think about your audience without dwelling on their potential reaction or expectations.
It is more important for you to consider your audience in sympathetic terms, which means thinking about the main points of the presentation that they will be assimilating and how you may like to learn them. From this point on, you should choose a delivery style, formulate an outline, organize the event, and practice with your coworkers. You will not be nervous as long as you are well prepared.
Using Simple Visuals
All audiences react positively to visuals, but only if they are not complicated. To this effect, you should stick to colorful bar charts and meaningful stock photography or graphics when delivering a PowerPoint presentation. If you must include a flowchart, try to condense the processes and do not fill the graphic with too many connectors. Backgrounds should consist of solid colors that provide strong contrast, and the branding of your company should be limited to one small logo per slide.
In the end, you must keep in mind that perfection is attainable with practice. Always stay positive when you rehearse your presentation and focus on establishing a good rapport with the audience.
