If You Want To Deliver Impactful Presentations, Do This

Talking at people creates boredom.

And yet, that is how the majority of us are taught to present. We believe that creating a huge slide deck loaded with text is the way to compel others to buy into our product or service.

It’s not.

People will politely sit there and listen. But they will zone out, disengage and think about anything but the topic you are there to present.

You will be forgotten as soon as your presentation is over.

If you are remembered at all, it will likely be with resentment at the lack of respect you had for other people’s time.

Here are a few ways you can avoid these negative consequences and deliver presentations that actually make an impact:

Resonate with your audience.

Make the content relevant to their unique needs, challenges, frustrations.

Steve Jobs didn’t launch the iPhone listing it’s technical specifications. He did it by understanding the frustrations people had with the complexity of most smart phones at the time; positioning the iPhone as the revolutionary product that would solve those problems through its simple user interface and superior technical capabilities.

The truth is…your presentation shouldn’t be about you.

It should position your audience as the hero of a story where you are the guide that helps them achieve the success they have been looking for.

Lose the text and engage the senses.

People will give you about 90 seconds to grab their attention — so it is vital you make an impact from the get-go.

Reading out pages of text will not create an environment that stimulates excitement. So you should aim to limit the words on each page to one or two key lines. Only including text at all if it supports your narrative.

Instead, incorporate stunning imagery, video, music and animated infographics to create a heightened level of immersion for the audience.

With a spotlight on creative thinking not bullet points, you will be able to turn your presentation into a powerful vehicle that creates strong emotional connections.

If nothing else, you will be remembered as refreshingly original.

A good presentation delivers information effectively. A great presentation inspires.

How has your product or service changed the lives of others?

Bringing these success stories to life through video examples will help to inspire people far more than simply delivering information to them.

If you are presenting to a particular company or brand, inspire them by showcasing your understanding of where they are now and where they could be in the future — with your help.

The more you can inspire by providing a comparison between the present and more prosperous future, the greater your chances of far reaching impact.