When your objective in delivering a presentation is to get your colleagues, business partners or customers to make a decision, you need to prepare well. Here are eight tips on how to prepare a presentation to keep your audience interested and help them to make the decisions you want.
Tip 1: Make a story: People are more interested in hearing a story than listening to facts and figures. Use a story to explain the background and use a story to describe what the future will look like if they make the right decision. People like listening to stories and if you create a positive picture of the future, they are more likely to agree with you.
Tip 2: Keep your introduction short: A long introduction describing yourself and your company is boring. Your introduction should only be a few sentences.
Tip 3: Get their attention at the beginning: Tell them a shocking fact, use a surprising quotation, ask a shocking question or make a surprising comment which leads into your message. These four techniques are a common way to make a powerful beginning to any presentation.
Tip 4: Keep it short: The most effective presentations have a clear message, which can be communicated in a short period of time. Noone has ever complained about a presentation that is too short!
Tip 5: Prepare for your audience: Change your presentation content for different audiences. Focus on the key points they will be interested in. No two presentations should be exactly the same because the audience is never exactly the same.
Tip 6: Use clear graphics and images: Simple graphics in a presentation can focus on the key points you want to express. Complex graphics are seldom effective in communicating in a presentation.
Tip 7: Don't use too many effects: It might be tempting to use alot of effects, charts and images, but if you do, your audience might not remember your key message. Avoid anything, including background images, that make it more difficult for the audience to focus on what's important.
Tip 8: Keep it relevant: Make sure to cut out any content that isn't relevant to the audience because they won't pay attention and your message will be lost. Don't add anything that isn't useful in supporting your ideas.
Use these ideas to prepare an effective presentation in English.
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