Infographics Archives

3 Ways to Overcome Presentation Failures [Infographic]

overcome failures

presentation anxiety

presentation tips

SlideGenius

May 14, 2024

Nobody wants to make decisions that’ll endanger not only their lives but also others’. Similarly, no presenter wants to come short of an audience’s expectations. Still, we’ve all made poor choices in the past, encountered unexpected stumbling blocks, or messed up our performances. These incidents may be humiliating, but nevertheless, the journey continues.

When faced with a difficult and life-altering decision, how do you respond? Will you look backward, or will you choose to move forward?

Presentation trainer Ellen Finklestein identifies decision-making as an important factor in presentations. You won’t be able to achieve your objectives and reach a conclusive decision without assessing the situation. So before you act, you need to analyze the current circumstances to figure out your next move.

Picture the Problem

Failures are like zombies that eat up your courage, draining your energy, and sapping away all hope. They may end up killing you from the inside out, but you shouldn’t give in to panic. You should view danger from a different perspective and overcome your nerves.

If your previous pitch has left you disappointed, it’s for you to decide whether you want to look at it positively or negatively. Problems may continue to arise if you let panic and anxiety take over. This is why you need to identify these possible challenges before you set out. With preparation, you’ll devise a solution that’ll lead you to fulfilling your goals decisively.

Once you’ve made the decision to continue, don’t get distracted by your surroundings and start focusing on what lies ahead. Drive out the negative emotions and motivate yourself with these three tips: Start psyching yourself up for your pitch minutes before you start. Do some breathing exercises and other warm-ups that will calm you down and let you collect your thoughts.

1. Gather Your Courage

Thinking or speaking negatively about yourself isn’t helpful. This sabotages not only your own self-esteem but also your audience’s perception of you. Positive self-talk reveals your worth and boosts your confidence. A positive outlook gives you the strength to come up with the best results despite all of the challenges you’re facing. Boost your self-esteem through positive self-talk and awareness. Redirect your attention from internal fears to your outer responsibilities. Doing so will distract you from presentation anxiety.

Remind yourself constantly that you can do all things you set your mind on.

2. Keep Moving

There will always be some audience members that won’t agree with your sales presentation. However, this shouldn’t discourage you from going out there and gutting it out with grit and determination. Remember, once you’re in, there’s no turning back.

Instead of thinking about where you would go wrong, focus on organizing your content’s points from the most to the least important. Then convince yourself that you can pull off a better pitch this time around. Also consider the possibility that even if you present your ideas well, disagreement between you and some of your audience will happen. Don’t shut out your critics entirely and deflect feedback that goes against your own opinions. Encourage comments, whether good or bad, to identify what areas you’re doing well in and what you need to work on. Answer any inappropriate remarks calmly without losing your cool. Ask them to expound and clarify their questions so you can come up with a better response. As the speaker, it’s your job to keep a professional and credible image throughout your presentation.

As a professional speaker, you need to stay focused to survive your pitch and avoid delaying your success. Drop what’s holding you back and face everything with courage.

3. Focus on Your Goal

Shake off any doubt you may still have and start concentrating on what you want to achieve. Plan ahead to avoid distracting the crowd with unnecessary and unrelated ideas during your pitch. Aside from prompting audience feedback, establish your credibility by sticking to your main points. Avoid telling unrelated anecdotes or elaborating on unnecessary information.

Failure isn’t an option. When you stumble, stand up and keep moving forward. Exert even more effort to improve your chances and excel at what you do best. Concentrate on the key reasons why you went onstage in the first place to stay on topic.

Never Give Up!

These points explain why it’s important to prepare before your presentation. Finish your deck and content a few days early so you can practice how you’ll be presenting them.

A presentation mishap can take a toll on your confidence, but don’t let it eat you up forever. Bounce back from past errors and handle yourself gracefully when facing a new pitch. Mistakes are there to help you grow, so don’t be too bent on being perfect. Even the best speakers had their slip-ups.

Your future as a presenter depends on the seed of decisions that you choose to plant now. Make a decisive effort to gather your courage, keep moving, and focus on your goal to guide you along the way.

When failures haunt you, overpower them with positive thoughts, telling them that you’re a great and professional presenter.

Failure is a frame of mind. Don’t let it get the best of you. Check out our infographic to overcome and combat these presentation failures.

Check out and share our infographic about moving on from presentation failures!

https://www.slideshare.net/SlideGenius/no-turning-back-3-ways-to-overcome-presentation-failures

References

Finkelstein, Ellen. “Using Presentations for Decision-Making.” Ellen Finkelstein, www.ellenfinkelstein.com/pptblog/using-presentations-for-decision-making
“The Four Keys to Overcoming Negative Thinking…For Good.” Mrs. Mindfulness. www.mrsmindfulness.com/the-four-keys-to-overcoming-negative-thinkingfor-good

8 Ways Eye Contact Can Make or Break Your Presentation

presentation

public speaking

public speaking tips

Feb 12, 2018

“When you are first introduced to people, looking them in the eye or avoiding their gaze will send an instant message,” says an article published in Research Digest titled. Initiating eye connection is a universal premise in public speaking—it ignites a connection between the speaker and the audience. It is the key to coalescing your core message and excellent delivery.
As a presenter, your main goal is to clearly convey a message to your spectators. Whether your presentation tackles business proposals, client projects, or branding strategies, your sole purpose is to turn spectators into customers and engage clients for investments. To do this, you must delve deep into details and begin with an indispensable speaking mantra: eye contact.

Eye Contact During a Presentation

The eyes are the windows to one’s soul. It bears the integrity of your intentions and the authenticity of the subliminal messages you cascade. In hindsight, eye contact establishes an invitation to mentally connect with another person. As a speaker, you must meet your audience’s gaze to show a need to engage while presenting.
Furthermore, establishing eye contact helps you retain your composure while speaking. As you roam your eyes erratically, more visual signals are sent to your brain, which slows it down. Keep in mind that your stance substantiates your authority as a speaker. Stuttering, being lost in thought, and stopping mid-sentence are major no-no’s. These cases devalue your identity as a presenter.

Strengthening the Connection

Calling it “eye contact” can just mean “meeting of the eye” rather than having a genuine connection. To appear warmer, avoid making a superficial look, and initiate an “eye connection” instead. Eye connection means spending more time enthralling each person in the room as if you’re personally talking to them.
By establishing a brief but engaging connection, your spectators would perceive intentionality as you speak. You’d also avoid sounding too technical thus creating a conversational and engaging atmosphere.
Check the infographic below to learn the other pros and cons of eye contact during presentations.

8 Ways Eye Contact Can Make or Break Your Presentation from SlideGenius, Inc.

Resources:

Wyeth, Sims. “10 Reasons Eye Contact Is Everything in Public Speaking.” Inc. June 18, 2014. www.inc.com/sims-wyeth/10-reasons-why-eye-contact-can-change-peoples-perception-of-you.html
Jarett, Christian. “The Psychology of Eye Contact, Digested.” Research Digest. November 28, 2016. digest.bps.org.uk/2016/11/28/the-psychology-of-eye-contact-digested
“Eye Contact During a Presentation.” Syntaxis. n.d. www.syntaxis.com/eye-contact-during-a-presentation

Boosting Productivity with the Help of Nature

productivity

productivity tips

Dec 05, 2017

Do you find a certain monotony in your professional life wherein you feel cooped up in a little concrete square during work hours? Are you distracted by the many different sights, sounds, and miscellaneous goings-on in the office? Is this dip, if not crash, in productivity immensely affecting your performance? Then perhaps you need a bit—or a lot—of nature.
It’s a known fact that spending time outdoors can be beneficial to your health. Not only can you soak up vitamin D from the sun, but nature also regulates your mood and ultimately makes you feel freer. Thus, you become less susceptible to anemia, growing happier and more positive in general.
How does that fare for an entrepreneur? The general health benefits of taking a few hours of rest in nature’s glory far outweigh the pros of staying in an indoor office. You may want to consider setting aside time to step outside and enjoy the greenery before returning to work on your output.

Correlation of Productivity and Nature

Years of research back up how the environment affects productivity. In fact, a team of German researchers reported that even just seeing green rectangles for two seconds is enough to improve creativity. Talk about extreme.
On the other hand, however, it may not be feasible for you to work outside the office. Perhaps it’s because you have sensitive data you must keep secure. In that case, how about bringing the outdoors indoors? Investing in the general look and atmosphere of your work environment can be just as beneficial. Small adjustments like adding potted plants in the office can do wonders to your productivity. The same goes with the repainting of your walls. It’s a good thing the Pantone color of 2017 is Greenery because it can help boost creativity in the workplace.
There are other ways to let nature help you. Check the following infographic from SlideGenius to maximize your office efforts with nature’s guiding hand.

Boosting Productivity with the Help of Nature from SlideGenius, Inc.

Resources:

Burkeman, Oliver. “Nature and Nurture.” The Guardian. March 16, 2013. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/mar/16/this-column-change-life-nature-nurture
Wise, Abigail. “Here’s Proof Going Outside Makes You Healthier.” Huffington Post. June 22, 2014. www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/22/how-the-outdoors-make-you_n_5508964.html

Product Demo 101: Learning the Basics

custom powerpoint

pitch deck

presentation tips

product demo

Rick Enrico

Sales Demo

SlideGenius

Jul 17, 2017

What’s one of the best ways to convert potential clients into paying customers? Aside from presentations where you get to wow your audience, there’s another scenario where you can achieve the same results. Imagine it: You already have a prototype of the product you’re trying to market, and you’re looking for people who will gladly take your offer; you think an amazing deck won’t be enough, so you decide to take things up a notch and do a demo.

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However, you don’t know the first thing about product demos. Sure, you’re a rock star when it comes to presentations and public speaking, but demonstrations can be different. For one, instead of handling two important elements—yourself and your deck—you add one more: your product. And balancing that act can be stressful, especially when you’ve got hundreds of eyes staring at you and you know that a lot is at stake. Another is that there’s a new dynamic in audience engagement, a level that places you closer to them—and them to you and your product.

Look at the bright side, though. If you do remarkably well, then you’re sure that your audience will take a good, long, hard look at your product. And when they like what they see, they might just want to have your offer. Then, you’re on your way to closing deals left and right. But that is if you do remarkably well.

So, how do you go from A to Z of a product demo? What can you expect from showing off your product in front of a live audience? Are there even benefits to doing so? How do you even begin preparing and how do you start off a demo? Let the following infographic tutor you on the basics of a product demo, and the dos and don’ts during the proverbial curveballs during your time onstage.

Resources:

Kokemuller, Neil. “The Purpose & Benefits of a Product Demonstration.” Chron. n.d. www.smallbusiness.chron.com/purpose-benefits-product-demonstration-55113.html

20 Habits That Will Fuel Your Creativity

creativity

Habits

Self-Improvement

Jul 12, 2017

Writers know the feeling of a writer’s block: forced imageries, that slight and awkward change in style, words being eked out just to say that something is written. Along a similar vein, visual artists suffer the same. There’s no inspiration. No guiding hand on the canvas. No mind’s eye seeing what a piece could look like or even a little imagination for a pitch. The worst part is that a creativity block can afflict anyone, even those not particularly creative.
It’s a tough spot to get out of. You need that huge mental boost to overcome it, but maintaining it is a different matter. Even in the other end of the spectrum, people who say they aren’t creative find it hard to jumpstart their mind juices to produce something.
How do people get mentally stuck anyway? Is it because the proverbial “muse” that artists of yore wrote, painted, and sculpted about is absent? Modern science has a different answer. In a radio interview with Public Radio International, Dr. Heather Berlin, a cognitive neuroscientist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, says, “[T]here tends to be a pattern of activation when [people] have decreased activation in a part of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. And [it] has to do with your sense of self, … making sure that your behavior conforms to social norms.”
In short, when creativity sets in, people “lose [their] sense of self.” The moment they become conscious that they are without the normal bounds of work rules, they slip back in, and the former mindset is gone.
Have you ever stopped to think about the rut you’re in? In this article, business coach and trainer Mark McGuiness posits that there are seven types of creative block, and it involves more than just your mentality.
Lucky for you, there are tons of articles that give ideas on how to overcome that pesky block. The following infographic lists down habits you could start doing now to get your creative juices flowing.

Resources:

McGuinness, Mark. “7 Types of Creative Block (and What to Do About Them).” 99U. n.d. www.99u.com/articles/7088/7-types-of-creative-block-and-what-to-do-about-them
Perry, Susan K. “10 Creative Block Breakers That Actually Work.” Psychology Today. September 14, 2012. www.psychologytoday.com/blog/creating-in-flow/201209/10-creative-block-breakers-actually-work
Shockman, Elizabeth. “Creative Block? Here the Neuroscience of How to Fix That.” Public Radio International. April 5, 2016. www.pri.org/stories/2016-04-05/creative-block-here-s-neuroscience-how-fix

The Attributes of a Great Public Speaker

presentation tips

public speakers

public speaking

public speaking tips

Jun 28, 2017

Since time immemorial, humans have taken to the stage so that they could be seen and speak their hearts out. With each word, they captivate and mesmerize people. With every breath, these speakers commanded the language like no other, making crowds stay and listen, and even wanting for more.
It’s not like history has a shortage of outstanding public speakers. Those who have rhetoric skills, who have etched their names in eternity, along with the long list of heroes, villains, sinners, and saints, are remembered long after their time, immortalized by their craft in history books and the Internet. From legendary Roman spokesperson Cicero and Greek general Pericles to author Susan Cain and former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the world has seen its fair share of public speakers who can dominate the stage and fascinate their audiences with their piece or with whatever they present.
But what a public speaker so endearing? How do they command the charisma that inspires listeners to their cause? Is there a trick to their success? Are they magic? Through simple inspection, the most obvious commonality among them all is their ability to move the emotions and opinions of their audiences.
Today’s age doesn’t have much of the oratory events that the ancient times had; the closest in modernity, and arguably the biggest, is the annual TED Talks. Apart from the leap in technological levels and different preparatory techniques, though, is there any other difference between then and now in terms of oration?
If anything, what’s most intriguing are the speakers. From then up to now, time has tried and successfully proven that the very attributes that made names like Cicero, Pericles, and Demosthenes legendary are the very same benchmarks of a great public speaker today. In short, when you exhibit and emulate the following traits, then you can be one of the greats of this era. What are those characteristics? The following infographic will fill you in.

Resource:

Inzunza, Victor. “History’s Greatest Speakers and Their Greatest Speeches.” Pencils.com. December 3, 2012. www.pencils.com/historys-greatest-speeches

The Real Cost of a Poor Presentation

business

custom powerpoint

infographics

pitch deck

Powerpoint

presentation tips

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Jun 19, 2017

The real cost of a poor presentation can be substantial, impacting both individual and organizational success. Here’s an in-depth look at how a subpar presentation can hurt in various areas:

1. Loss of Credibility and Professional Reputation

Why it matters: A poorly executed presentation can damage your personal brand or the reputation of your company. If the content is unclear, disorganized, or unengaging, you risk losing the trust and confidence of your audience, whether they are colleagues, clients, or investors.
Impact: This can lead to missed business opportunities or career advancement, as your audience may question your competence and preparedness.
- Example: A poorly presented sales pitch could make potential clients hesitant to do business with you, perceiving your brand as unprofessional or untrustworthy.

2. Financial Loss

Why it matters: Presentations often play a critical role in securing deals, investments, or partnerships. A poor presentation can result in failed deals, lost revenue, or wasted resources.
Impact: This is particularly true in sales, fundraising, and investor relations. A confusing or dull presentation may fail to convey the value of your product or service, resulting in lost sales or missed funding opportunities.
- Example: A startup pitch to investors that fails to clearly communicate the business model, market potential, or revenue strategy can lead to investors declining to fund the company, which might limit future growth or lead to business failure.

3. Missed Learning and Engagement Opportunities

Why it matters: If a presentation fails to engage or communicate effectively, the audience may leave without absorbing key information. This is especially damaging in educational or training settings.
Impact: Poor communication of vital information can lead to misunderstanding, confusion, or even mistakes in implementing processes, which can cost time and resources to correct.
- Example: An internal company presentation meant to explain new policies or procedures that is overly complicated or boring may result in employees misunderstanding important steps, leading to inefficiencies or errors in workflow.

4. Damaged Client and Stakeholder Relationships

Why it matters: When presenting to clients, partners, or stakeholders, the goal is to build relationships and trust. A poorly executed presentation may cause your audience to feel undervalued or neglected.
Impact: This can lead to strained relationships, reduced confidence in your abilities, and possibly loss of clients or stakeholders.
- Example: A poorly planned project update meeting with a key client may result in the client feeling dissatisfied, leading to project delays or contract termination.

5. Loss of Time and Productivity

Why it matters: Time is a valuable resource, and a poor presentation wastes both the presenter’s and the audience’s time. If the presentation lacks clarity or structure, it may lead to follow-up meetings or additional clarification sessions, resulting in lost productivity.
Impact: For organizations, this means less efficient operations, as employees may need to spend extra time reworking or interpreting information that should have been communicated clearly from the start.
- Example: A project kickoff meeting that fails to define clear objectives and deliverables could lead to confusion, forcing team members to hold additional meetings to clarify roles, wasting time, and delaying the project.

6. Lower Employee Morale and Engagement

Why it matters: Poor presentations in internal meetings or training sessions can demotivate employees and reduce engagement. If employees feel that meetings are consistently unproductive or boring, they may disengage, impacting workplace culture and performance.
Impact: This can lead to reduced productivity, higher turnover rates, and a less collaborative environment.
- Example: Regularly delivering confusing or monotonous team updates can lead employees to lose interest and feel disconnected from company goals, impacting overall job satisfaction and performance.

7. Reputational Damage to the Organization

Why it matters: The quality of external presentations, such as those given to clients, partners, or investors, reflects on the organization as a whole. A poorly delivered presentation can damage the company’s reputation in the marketplace.
Impact: This can affect customer loyalty, business development, and the ability to attract top talent or partnerships.
- Example: A weak keynote presentation at a major industry event can damage your brand’s reputation, making your company seem less innovative or competent compared to competitors.

In Conclusion

The real cost of a poor presentation can be significant, from damaging professional relationships and missing financial opportunities to lowering employee morale and reducing productivity. Focusing on preparation, clarity, engagement, and structure can help ensure your presentations deliver value and avoid these costly pitfalls.

To ensure success, invest in presentation training, leverage professional PowerPoint design services, such as SlideGenius, or use templates from SlideStore to enhance both visual and content quality.

5 Ways PowerPoint Presentations Can Improve Business Leads

business

Business Tips

presentation design

May 24, 2017

When someone says the word “marketing,” the initial thoughts that come to people’s minds are sales talking, customer service, advertising, and/or social media and blog posts, or any combination thereof. It may not be wrong, but surely the concept has deeper roots than just getting a “come on” for people to trade their hard-earned cash for a product or a service.
For the better business-minded people out there, the focus of the game has shifted to customer experience, the concept that looks at consumer interactions and how your potential leads form a relationship with your brand. Extending that logic, forking cash over doesn’t terminate the connection; sure, it may be the end of the transaction, but it’s just the beginning of the experience. There’s still the post-sales service (via customer service), trust and loyalty maintenance, etc. It’s kind of an “It’s not about the destination but about the journey” thing.
True enough, the most memorable relationships continue after you receive the customer’s money.
But how do you start getting those people to show even a bit of interest in your company? It’s not like you can do so much after traditional marketing, right? Right?
As it turns out, there’s one avenue you may not have thought of but works because of its uniqueness: PowerPoint. It’s one of those functions that the software wasn’t intended for but still amazingly works given its nature.
You know where this is going: a public speaking arrangement where you can use your deck as a tool for your sales pitch. But what benefits would that bring? Won’t it be just like how you started your whole enterprise, only your audience are executives instead of potential customers?
There are a few more things you can do besides showing off your products and offering crazy sales. Conversations, arguably the best sales pitch ever, become more than just pitches. Check the following infographic to learn all about the advantages you can get from using PowerPoint presentations when it comes to gaining more leads.

Resources:

Barr, Corbett. “The Best Sales Pitch Ever.” Fizzle. November 16, 2016. www.fizzle.co/sparkline/the-best-sales-pitch-ever
Zwilling, Martin. “‘Customer Experience’ Is Today’s Business Benchmark.” Forbes. March 10, 2014. www.forbes.com/sites/martinzwilling/2014/03/10/customer-experience-is-todays-business-benchmark/#50113f125011

Infographic Dissection: Parts that Make Up a Good Infographic

design

design tips

infographics

May 10, 2017

A quick look at multiple blogs will reveal an amazing truth: infographics are all the rage for the past few years. Why wouldn’t they? They make complex concepts easily understandable and, generally speaking, make life simpler. On a lighter side, they’re quirky and fun—almost entertaining—to read.
Infographics, a portmanteau of the term “information graphics,” is not a new concept. From the late 18th century onward, information graphics have made data more visual and more appealing for study. As such, the tedious task of studying countless tables to compare numbers and figures became as simple as looking at graphs and/or charts (which, by all rights, are methods of data visualization). Today, most infographics are intended mainly for information dissemination, shareability, and traffic management.
This is not bad though; in fact, the statistics back it up. Infographics are liked and shared thrice more than any other visual material online. The very nature of the medium and the fact that they make tons of information easily understood (without wasting a good chunk of your time) make them likable, which adds to their popularity. Added to that is that humans are visual creatures, and you’re looking at one of the two most effective and most efficient methods edutaining; the other is video (think documentaries and the like).
In that surge of popularity, many people tried their hand at making infographics. Some came out great, while others aren’t. It’s unavoidable: Mass production usually results in poorer quality. While there are still some that stand out among the sea of mediocrity, it’s better to be reminded every now and then of what makes for a good infographic.
Although it’s not that difficult in theory, in practice, it can be very different. You need skills and excellent planning to pull it off. But if you’re confident that you can create an amazing infographic, remind yourself of what you need to put in your piece. Let the infographic below be your checklist on the what and the why.

Resources:

Taylor, Marcus. “The Anatomy of Creating a Great Infographic.” Venture Harbour. n.d. www.ventureharbour.com/the-anatomy-of-creating-a-great-infographic
“10 Types of Visual Content to Use in Your Content Marketing.” Mass Planner. October 21, 2015. www.massplanner.com/10-types-of-visual-content-to-use-in-your-content-marketing

Pointers for Planning a Successful Webinar

custom powerpoint

pitch deck

presentation tips

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

webinar

Webinar Presentation

Webinar Tips

Apr 17, 2017

Preparation is a critical step in any type of campaign, including hosting webinars. To produce a successful one, you need to lay out all the steps leading to the actual event. It might be tempting to jump straight to the promotion stage, especially if you have a winning topic and a celebrated speaker, but no excuse can justify skipping the planning part. Without a solid plan in place, you may run the risk of delivering a lackluster presentation that will only prove to be a waste of time, effort, and money.

Planning a webinar may seem like a daunting task, but it’s necessary if you want a worthwhile output. Part of the process is creating a checklist that will solidify your strategy. You don’t have to worry about the technicality of it all. With the abundance of tools you have at your disposal, you can plan an online seminar even with limited technological expertise. And besides, every bit of effort you make will be worth the rewards you’ll reap in the end.

Can a Webinar Help Reach Your Business Goals?

You’d think the answer to that question is an unwavering yes, but it actually depends on the goals you aim to achieve. While it’s true that webinars are an effective marketing tool, they only work in certain contexts. So, before planning one, make sure it will leave a positive impact on your business.

What exactly are webinars for? For one, they’re a good training and outreach tool. You can use them to share your expertise to your target audience. Webinars are also effective for getting the word out to your customers when rolling out a new product. When done right, it can help you move customers further down the sales funnel and reposition yourself as an industry thought leader.

Resources:

Berdeal-Skelly, Michelle. “6 Tips to Planning a Successful Webinar.” Find and Convert. October 14, 2014. www.findandconvert.com/2014/10/6-tips-to-planning-a-successful-webinar

Gilbert-Knight, Ariel. “10 Steps for Planning a Successful Webinar.” TechSoup. September 2, 2016. www.techsoup.org/support/articles-and-how-tos/10-steps-for-planning-a-successful-webinar

Sibley, Amanda. “10 Things That Take a Webinar From Good to Great.” HubSpot. January 3, 2014. blog.hubspot.com/marketing/webinar-planning-list#sm.0000w6nx4vstbcwkqnc12umt2kzcx

“15 Tips for a Successful Webinar.” MegaMeeting. n.d. www.megameeting.com/15_Successful_Webinar_Tips_Part1.html

Category: Infographics