Very few people enjoy making presentations but equally very few of us get through our professional lives without talking to groups of colleagues, customers or suppliers at some point. Meanwhile, all too many of us have had to sit through boring uninspiring presentations that have left us focussing more on what we’re going to have for dinner that night, or how Arsenal will do this season, rather than what the speaker is telling us.
Here are five changes that you can make to your presentation style to make your presentations more attention-grabbing, informative and generally more effective. You might do one or more of them already. If so, you’ll be glad to see that you’re on the right lines.
1. Put the audience at the centre of your presentation
Perhaps it’s the selfish gene but so often we think about what’s interesting and relevant to us rather than to the audience. So, put yourself in your audience’s shoes: how are they feeling? What do they want to hear? What will benefit them? What are their fears and hopes?
This also extends to language. It’s good to use the language people understand, of course, but it’s even better to use language people use. Flatter your audience. If you say something nice to them you build empathy and they’re more likely to listen to you and agree with you. Show them that you understand them, the challenges they face and the things that matter them to them.
2. Think about what you want the audience to do as a result of your presentation
All too often business leaders and senior managers give presentations that are professional, articulate and well crafted. The audience dutifully listens and is impressed with the speaker.
The problem is that they then go out of the room for coffee or to check their Blackberries and have no idea what they are supposed to do as a result of the presentation they’ve just heard. They’ve learnt some useful facts and perhaps even been moved emotionally but what are they supposed to do now?
Including a strong, clear call to action is essential in every speech. Tell your audience what you want them to do and then show them how easy it is to take that action.
3. Use a prop
Making a presentation memorable is one of the biggest challenges we all face these days. Language, stories and powerful delivery are all important but here’s another thought – why not add a prop?
In 2009 Bill Gates delivered a presentation about malaria in third world countries. “Malaria, of course, is transmitted by mosquitoes,” the Microsoft founder told his audience as he opened a glass jar. “I brought some here so you can experience this. I’ll let these roam around the auditorium. There’s no reason why only poor people should have the experience.” Cue, shocked, frightened and even indignant audience.
Gates then made it clear, of course, that these particular mosquitoes were not infected, but he certainly had the attention of his listeners.
Choose your prop carefully, but finding the right object can provide a powerful visual stimulation that will help the audience remember what you’ve told them.
4. Tell a story
In fact, tell lots of stories! Most regular speakers and presenters are aware of the fact that they should be telling stories because corporate communications is buzzing with this idea. The problem is that they just don’t do it.
Perhaps they think that it makes them sound too folksy or even unprofessional. Perhaps they’re afraid of telling stories because they don’t regard themselves as natural storytellers. But telling stories is something that we do all the time in our lives away from the podium. We tell stores to colleagues, family and friends. Sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they’re bizarre and sometimes they’re moving.
Anyone can tell the story, although sometimes to do it for the audience takes quite a bit of practice and preparation. One more thought - make your stories personal. Personal Testament and experience is so convincing and powerful.
5. Pause
That’s right – pause! A moment of silence on the podium can feel like an eternity if you’re the one standing up there and has created the silence. But silence is incredibly powerful – as we all know if we stopped to think about it.
So, for example, all too often presenters start speaking the moment that they’ve taken to the stage. It’s quite understandable but the problem is that the audience needs a few moments to check you out visually: who are you? How old are you? What are you wearing? Most importantly, are you like them? If you’ve already started speaking they’ve probably missed what you’re saying while their minds are asking all these questions and coming to conclusions.
Pauses also add drama and allow the audience to digest what you’ve told them. Great speakers such as Barack Obama are not afraid to be silent for a few seconds during their speeches. So don’t be afraid to pause – silence can be your friend.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with over 30 years’ experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers To find out more about our highly practical Presentation Skills course, contact us here. Don't forget to subscribe to our blog.
