When delivering presentations to a general audience, senior management in your company, or even a venture capitalist, a successful presentation isn’t about the PowerPoint presentation
you create – it’s about much more than that.
1. Establish Your Credibility Right Up Front
Lets face it, your audience is more likely to listen to what you have to say if they know you are credible. And it’s not about a lengthy intro with your career highlights.
Instead, whether giving a public presentation or an internal presentation, start your presentation by establishing credibility before you give them information.
You can use a short story about your background related to the topic, share an experience that shaped the presentation or conclusion, or even reveal the legwork or other references that support your information and is directly related to what you are about to tell them.
Make a point about establishing credibility -- don’t just hope it happens.
2. Include a Goal Early in the Presentation
If your audience knows the purpose or goal of the presentation from the start, they are more likely to relate what you have to say with that purpose as you present your material. This makes it easier at the end to get the action you want, whether it’s funding, approval to proceed with an initiative, to change their minds, or simply get agreement and understanding.
It will also help you shape your presentation by focusing you on that goal rather than straying from the primary purpose.
3. Begin Separate Ideas with Powerful Quotations or Images
For more impact, introduce each separate topic or idea with a relevant quotation or full-screen image that evokes the topic instead of using a stock title slide. Add a word or two about the topic if you have to, or simply say it out loud and let the quote or image support it.
This gives your topic more impact since a strong quote or image will stick in their minds as they listen to the related material. It also breaks up the presentation, particularly if you have no choice but to include dry material like sales graphs or bullet points in your PowerPoint presentation.
コメント