Secrets on how to succeed in a business presentation.
An important presentation is coming up and you’re still not sure of yourself? Do you want to become a professional in successful business presentations? Then these tips are for you.
Table of contents:
- A successful presentation isn’t just about beautiful slides
- Preparing for a presentation
- In the place before everyone else
- There is nothing worse than a boring presentation
- Clear speech
- Interaction with the audience
- State the goals of the presentation
- Final thoughts
A Successful Presentation Isn’t Just About Beautiful Slides
Presentations have now reached a new level. Nobody is limited to PowerPoint, you can create effective presentations even from your mobile phone. If you didn’t know about it yet, then here is the best slideshow app for android to try.
However, a successful business presentation is about more than just creating beautiful slides.
The way you speak, interact and present is also important. No matter who you are speaking to, a business presentation needs to impress.
Admittedly, few people enjoy speaking in front of an audience, although, everyone knows that presentation skills are critical for a successful career. Here are some tips you can follow to make your presentation a success.
Preparing for a Presentation
Before giving a business presentation, make sure you know the business inside and out.
A set of slides, even a professional design, can go a long way to support your speech. Certainly, your speech should match the slides being presented.
Speaking experts advise that you spend up to 10 times the amount of time you would spend on giving the speech itself on the preparation of your speech. This proportion, in their opinion, guarantees high-quality training.
Another important point is your preparation for questions.
Proofread your presentation and think about what questions you might receive. Try to answer these questions yourself to prepare as much as possible. Besides, data visualization is crucial in a business presentation.
It is important you know how to visually present a lot of data. If you have ever seen a business presentation, you will understand that complex data can be presented in the form of graphs and diagrams.
However, often people are wrong in their numbers. Double-check all statistics, because all numbers must be realistic and reasonable. Be sure that you can explain how these indicators were formed.
In the Place before Everyone Else
Arrive in advance at the presentation site and set up all of the necessary equipment. Make sure to be ready before the audience arrives.
It is not a good idea to fine-tune the equipment in their presence. Something can always go wrong.
For example, your hardware might not be compatible. In this case, always store copies of your content in the cloud. Give yourself time to solve any potential problems.
If technical problems are resolved during the scheduled presentation, it gives a negative impression on your capabilities. Also, check that you can be heard well and that the slides are clearly visible.
You can pre-set the lighting and microphone so that even in the farthest corners your presentation is understandable.
When you arrive early, you have the opportunity to repeat your presentation at the actual venue. You can also meet future viewers and talk to them and this will give you added confidence.
There Is nothing Worse than a Boring Presentation
Imagine yourself as a listener; will you be interested in a boring presentation?
If the speaker is bored and tired, then the audience will not be interested in the speech either.
You must be 100% passionate about the topic you are talking about. Convey passion in the presentation, and the audience will listen to you with keen interest.
If you lack confidence or motivation before performing, listen to your favorite energetic music. Furthermore, a great tip is to read a couple of motivational quotes for speakers, or watch great and impactful presentations.
Clear Speech
The presentation is just the visual part of your performance. It is a fact that 50% of success lies in clear and coherent speech.
Before speaking, make sure your speech is grammatically correct. You should pronounce all of the words correctly, especially if you speak a foreign language (so practice is key).
The skill of public speaking is not as simple as some people may consider. However, the speech should be without unnecessary interjections, stutters and pauses. Such speech is easier to understand and will make for a pleasant impression.
Be confident when speaking and pronouncing words clearly. Many insecure speakers mumble unintelligible words under their breath. Avoid these situations and speak loudly and clearly. For training, you can try oral presentation simulators.
Interaction with the Audience
Communicating with the audience is another trick for keeping their attention. A sudden question to the listener will awaken not only their involvement but the rest of the audience as well. Another method is to ask the audience to raise their hands if they agree with your statement or not.
Make your presentation more dynamic and engaging.
Also, note the situations that everyone has probably gone through. For example, ‘we have all faced this problem’ or ‘we all have this experience when’. Show that you understand and share the listener’s concerns. Thus, you can endear them to yourself even more.
Moreover, do not forget about eye contact. Do not look to the wall at the other end of the auditorium or at the floor. You are talking to people, so direct your conversation to them or look into their eyes.
State the Goals of the Presentation
At the beginning of the talk, tell the audience about the goals you plan to achieve during the presentation. Many people use this trick as an outline. However, the point of goal setting is also to give the listener a sense of achieving these goals with you.
For example, your goal is to understand how a particular process works, but your listeners do not know about this, yet, it is very important to them. In the course of your story, they acquire the necessary knowledge and information. As a result, they feel satisfaction from the achieved goal together.
When you set goals for a presentation and then achieve them, the audience has a sense of completeness from the speech.
Final thoughts
These are the basic tricks and secrets of a successful business presentation.
However, there is something else that we did not tell you about. The most important thing is to put your soul into your story. Be as passionate about your presentation as you possibly can and show belief in your cause or yourself.
Overall, this will ensure that you are more confident and the audience will be more engaged too.
