Preparing a Compelling Presentation
Preparing a Compelling Presentation
Preparing a Compelling Presentation
In my years of experience as a motivational speaker and corporate trainer in the Philippines, I've sometimes had to give presentations on topics I've found quite mundane or even boring. During times like these, preparing your presentation well becomes an extremely essential commission. As the old adage goes, "What you say matters less than how you say it."
The success of every powerful presentation depends on how it is prepared. It may seem like a lot of work, but if you do your research, create a sound plan and implement it, your presentation is practically guaranteed success. Here are a few things you have to do when preparing a compelling presentation:
Know your Audience.
Long before you make your presentation, you need to know your audience. Who are they? What is common among them? What are their interests? What inspires or motivates them? What do they find funny? What do they find offensive? These questions are important for the creation of your presentation.
Have a clear message.
Before making your presentation, know what you want to impart to them. Like everything in this world, it is the end result that matters. Architects already know how the house will look even before they start designing it. It's the same with your presentation. What will benefit them? What should I highlight? What are the talking points? Being a seasoned motivational speaker and corporate trainer, I've developed a method that has been very effective for me. It might be helpful to you too:
Prepare the END of your Presentation first Before you even write the beginning of your presentation, write the end first! This will serve as your guide to your entire presentation; since it will help you keep your mind on the "message" you want to give your audience.
Prepare an attention-grabbing OPENING next This is probably the easiest to do. Once you've established your conclusion, simply ask yourself, "What will catch your audience's attention and make them ready to listen to your message?" There are a number of techniques you can use. You could prepare a compelling question; you could use a story or an experience; or you could even make a joke. However you plan your opening, just make sure it connects with your message.
Prepare the TALKING POINTS of your Presentation next Any competent motivational speaker or corporate trainer knows that you should limit your teaching or talking points to only three or four main points. Anything more than that could dilute your message or leave your audience confused. You could also try positioning your talking points according to increasing importance. Also, you could try preparing a short and impactful story (a true story, if possible) for each talking point to emphasize the point. People love listening to stories for as long as it connects to the talking point or the message.
Prepare your potential Q & A answers last You may not be able to anticipate all the potential questions, but by doing this, you will put yourself in the proper mind frame for the actual presentation.
Work on the look of your Presentation.
After preparing your notes, it's time to prepare your slides (that is if you actually use slides). Many motivational speakers and corporate trainers say that it's good practice to draw your ideas for slides on paper before laying them out. If you want your presentation to be compelling and effective, keep the following in mind:
Eliminate elements on your slides that detract from your message
Use the proper color scheme (Red over green, light color over light color and dark color over dark color are not proper color schemes)
Use less words (When relating to people, less is actually more)
Try using appropriate pictures to illustrate your points (Pictures do paint a thousand words)
Try to avoid using too many bullet points
Don't clutter your graphs or charts with too much informationDon't overuse your animation
Remember that your audience actually wants you to succeed. They want to be informed, guided, inspired and even entertained; and they deserve nothing less than your success!
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