Have you ever been on the receiving end of an excellent presentation? If that is the case, you probably suspect that giving a presentation isn't exactly an easy task. It's not about the slides, speaking or presenting plenty of data to a room full of professionals; anyone can do that. What it involves is something a bit more special. People worldwide want to share general knowledge, insights and information in ways that connect with the audience. So how do we do that? First, you need to put yourself in the position of your audience, asking a few important questions:

• What does your audience need to know, and why do they need it?
• Why should your audience care about your message?
• How will your presentation improve their lives?
• How is it relevant to their lives?
• How does the presentation support your message?

Focus on Feelings

Most presentations out there have to be supported with hard data and facts to maintain credibility, so it's essential to keep that in mind. Data is not enough, however, as feelings also matter in this case. If you focus on the purely intellectual and data-driven side of things, you will not be able to reach your audience the right way. They may be professionals, but they're also human beings. Decide what you want your audience to sense as emotions, prepare for it, and give your presentation with that emotion in mind. 

Surprise the Audience

People's opinions regarding surprises are usually divided, as some people love them, but others dislike them. For the most part, when it comes to presentations, your audience will enjoy a good surprise that makes sense. A good presentation starts when you think you will be in for a boring time, but it suddenly turns out to be more interesting than you expected. You can't wait for that to be a reality, and you need to start immediately.

• Tell the audience something powerful, relevant and big that they may not already know
• Reveal a statement, fact or truth that will get them to think
• Bring in some humour
• Ask a question that would provoke a response
• Tell them a compelling short story
• Ask them to imagine something as they close their eyes

If you have about half an hour to speak, you should finish short, such as 25 minutes. Keep your focus, and you will have the perfect presentation. Once you prepare your message, you should be direct with it. Cut it down to what you need to get across, don't get too verbose and long-winded. Respect people's time as you expect them to respect yours. 

Get Straight to the Point

Many professionals get on stage and try to present their ideas in a manner that leaves the most important things for last as the punchline of a good joke. That may work for comedy but doesn't cut professional presentations, for the most part. The audience won't care about long stories about your achievements or something that is so completely off-target that you would be wasting their time.

The importance of your presentation is to make it relevant, short, compelling and memorable. Keep it focused, keep it tight and get to the point. Use your visuals smartly and ensure you don't go overboard with them. They are meant to be visual aids, not crutches to your presentation that become far too much to bear for your audience.

©Presence Training