For most professionals, typical business presentations include having to sit through monotonous discussion while trying to decipher the small text projected in front them.
While these scenarios are common, bland business presentations shouldn’t be the norm.
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For your big presentation, turn the situation around and deliver something memorable that will leave a lasting impact on your audience. That’s why we decided to review the different things you can change and emphasize for your business presentations.
Take note of these essential characteristics and learn to apply them to your work:
Authenticity
The problem with most business presentations is that they often lack emotional impact.
Because they’re delivered in formal settings, presenters think that business presentations need to focus on the hard facts.
While data is obviously important to help build the credibility of your presentation, you still need to add a human element in order to create a connection with the audience. What better way to capture their attention and keep them engaged than by building this important rapport?
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to try and move your colleagues to tears or leave them rolling on the floor with laughter. Your goal is to build an authentic experience for them. Instead of presenting overwhelming amounts of charts and data, try to integrate a story to your presentation.
Thorough
Following our previous point, you’ll know that business presentations commonly suffer from information overload.
Without setting a clear goal, presenters tend to add too much to their content and end up prolonging the discussion with repetitive details. That’s why business presentations need to be thoroughly prepared. Solve the dilemma of an unorganized discussion by defining a clear objective.
From there, meticulously curate your content to make sure everything is aligned with your goals. Cut back on the data you present and include only the numbers that are most important to help drive home your key takeaways.
Compelling
To make an impact with your business presentations, you also have to focus on how well you face the audience and deliver your speech. If you want the audience to sit up and listen, focus on creating a compelling and engaging atmosphere.
As you start your presentation, catch their attention through nonverbal cues. It’s not enough to speak with confidence, you also have to exude the same amount of credibility in the way you dress and carry yourself. Avoid slouching or gestures that make you seem closed off or aloof.
Don’t be too stiff—try to strike a balance between both feeling comfortable and commanding authority in front of an audience.
Visually Stimulating
Finally, business presentations also need to break out of the “Death by PowerPoint” mold.
Instead of undecipherable PowerPoint slides, you need to come up with a presentation deck that is visually stimulating and interesting.
This will elevate the message presented in a presentation. That said, it shouldn’t overshadow the core message with walls of text and misused bullet points.
Appeal to the visual sense of the audience. Apart from carefully curating your content to make sure you don’t end up with too much text, choose high-quality images to visualize your points.
Don’t forget to pick out a striking color palette and a few interesting fonts as well.
Looking for inspiration from design experts? Take a look at our design portfolio or contact us for a free quote today!
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Your business presentations do not have to lull the audience to sleep. Keep your colleagues engaged by making an impact they won’t soon forget. Take note of these 4 essential tips and deliver the best business presentations they’ll ever see.
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References:
“3 Lessons on Choosing Fonts for Your PowerPoint Design.” SlideGenius, Inc.. January 14, 2015. Accessed February 26, 2015.
“Hook, Line, and Sinker: What Makes a Great Presentation Story.” SlideGenius, Inc. December 11, 2014. Accessed February 26, 2015.
“Non-Verbal Communication.” Skills You Need. Accessed February 26, 2015.
“Understanding Information Overload.” Infogineering. Accessed February 26, 2015.
“Where to Find Unique Images for Your Presentation Design.” SlideGenius, Inc. December 18, 2014. Accessed February 26, 2015.
Featured Image: Startup Stock Photos