Making presentations is great way to get your message across
. Whether it is presenting this months sales figures or business proposition, presentations can be very important communication tools.
However, the way you use them can have a huge influence on how effective they can be. If you are going to give a presentation that lasts for over 20 minutes then you need to be prepared for your audiences mind to wander. In these situations you need to hold onto their attention as long as possible. If you are only presenting from a script then, you will it difficult to keep peoples attention.
To increase your chances of keeping your audiences attention you need to break up your presentation with visuals. Visuals are very affective at getting your message across. As the saying goes 'a picture can say a thousand words'. There are many ways that you can present your image visually to support your presentation. Below are the most effective examples:
Microsoft Powerpoint
If you have access to a laptop computer and LCD projector then using Powerpoint is an effective way of presenting your information and main points visually. Another benefit with using Powerpoint is that you can store unlimited presentations on your laptop. This is particularly convenient for salespeople who have to travel a lot on the road. However, you have to be careful. With all technology there is the risk that it will breakdown. Therefore, you should have a backup plan if this happens.
Flipcharts
These have been around forever and are still an effective visual aid for your presentation. Flipcharts are more effective when presenting to smaller groups. They are also very useful if your presentation involves audience participation. When you ask the audience questions or ideas you can use the flipchart to write these down.
Handouts
Providing handouts is a good way for the audience to follow along with your presentation. They also act as a memory jogger as people can refer back to the handouts after the presentation is finished. It is important that the handout is not the actual presentation script that you are reading from. The handout should cover the main points which are expanded upon during your presentation.