Most of us deliver presentations as part of our daily work and we often use PowerPoint slideshows to support this.
By the end of this presentation, you will be able to describe the characteristics of powerful presentations and take practical steps to improve the effectiveness of future presentations.
Most of us deliver presentations as part of our daily work and we often use PowerPoint slideshows to support this By the end of this presentation , you will be able to describe the characteristics of powerful presentations and take practical steps to improve the effectiveness of future presentations
It's not the subject - it's how you present it a. A powerful presentation can be about any subject, no matter how mundane. It's not the subject that makes a presentation powerful; it's how you present it. b. Passion and enthusiasm make for powerful presentations c. The ability to present well is not a gift - it's a skill that can be developed by training.
Start with outcomes - know what you want to achieve a. The purpose of your presentation is to get results; to help people make changes and think or act differently. b. What do you want people to do as a result of your presentation? E.g. learn how to make a cake, understand a concept, understand and be able to implement regulations, learn about safety etc. c. What do they need to know to do this? Is any specialist knowledge required? E.g. technical instructions, regulatory knowledge, subject expertise etc. d. What do they need to feel to do this? How can you motivate people to behave in a certain way?
Know your audience a. Who are they? b. What are they interested in? c. How long is their attention span? d. What motivates them? e. What is their level of knowledge about the subject? f. Will they be expecting you to teach or entertain?
Know what you want to say a. Write down the main points of your presentation b. Less equals more, especially when attempting to reach people. c. Most people only remember one or two concepts – so provide your best one or two ideas that will have the most significance to that particular audience.
Structure a. Structure the audience expectations by outlining the key areas of your talk and by letting them know how long you'll speak for. b. Convey your key points and use stories and anecdotes to illustrate them c. Let the audience know that you're coming to the end of your presentation, offer a summary of the key messages
Illustrate your points a. To illustrate main points of your presentation and create an emotional connection between ideas for the audience … stories, images, video, graphs etc b. Will your stories and analogies work with the audience?
C … lean up a. Get rid of any elements on each slide that detracts from your central message b. Your slides should compliment and emphasise what you say, not reiterate it. c. 1 point on each slide - provoke a thought, ask a question or make a statement
Tips for an engaging style You will be more confident if you know what you want to talk about Body language is important. Try to maintain eye contact with your audience and include everybody Think about the pace and rhythm of your delivery. Try pausing for effect. Try to include an element of fun to create a connection with the audience and help to break the ice Encourage audience participation. You could allow Q&A throughout rather than just at the end.
Body language is important but so is language The humour is massively reduced as soon the words 'actually used' are removed from above the door
Practice, practice and practice again Rehearse your presentation out loud. Ask for feedback from a critical friend Find the points in the presentation where emphasis is important to reinforce your key messages