Structure your presentation. The easiest way to do this is to tell the group what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then close by telling the group what you’ve told them.- Pick out 1 or 2 key themes for your presentation. In NLP we work on the basis of seven plus or minus two, which equates to between five and nine key points. In a 10-minute presentation you can pick 5-9 tips to share or focus on 1 or 2 key points in-depth.
- PLAN! Plan your presentation in advance and rehearse so you stick to time. Remember to take a deep breath and ground yourself before you start.
- If you’re using a slideshow, remember to use pictures or video. People love pictures and movies. If you’re going to use words in your presentation, follow the 7 +/- 2 rule and only have a few key points on your slide. Cutting and pasting a bunch of highly important details is a good strategy, and remember to consider how easy it will be to read by someone at the back of the room.
- If you’re using key points or words on a slideshow, make the words BIG and choose a font that’s easy to read. Only use capital letters if you want to shout! And, remember to proofread/spell check your presentation.
- If you’ve got a lot of info to share, use a handout instead. You can put post-presentation reading material on the handout, links to websites and reference materials and members can dip into the info at a later date. Remember to proofread and spell check your handout material too. Handouts can be great marketing collateral too.
- When you present, ensure your laptop is in front of you so you can face the audience. It’s really hard to hear someone who is talking to a screen full of pictures. Your voice projects in the direction you’re facing.
- Tell a story about what’s on your slide. When you read, word for word what’s on your slide, people go to sleep. Zzzzzzzzzz … they’ve already read it, as soon as you’ve clicked the clicker! They want to know the juicy stuff about the key point that’s on your slide.
- Have fun! You’re getting to talk about your biz and what you do. Enjoy it. If you’re not enjoying your presentation – your audience might not be either.
If you’d like some help with presenting yourself or your business, or finding your confident feet before setting out to impress a new client, colleague or group of people, contact Barbara from www.mindmoves.nz
