Presentations: you either love them or hate them. That even goes for the people who have to create them and those who have to sit through them.
Step 1
Have one main message. Multiple messages in a presentation will just confuse your audience and leave them weary from trying to join the dots.
Step 2
Help your audience to understand the information you are presenting. Less words, more imagery.
Did you know that the average person who hears a piece of information on a Monday will have forgotten 90% of it by Wednesday? But if that same information was conveyed using an infographic or a memorable image that recall skyrockets to 65%.
Step 3
Remember a presentation is not a report. Huge blocks of data or slide after slide crammed with text are not going to engage anyone. You want to have people on the edge of their seats in anticipation, not falling off their seats from boredom.
Presentations don’t have to be hard work. They can actually be fun and help you tap into your inner creative.
Experiment with ways to get your message across: find cool icons (there are lots of free sites offering these online), or maybe use photos that your audience will instantly align with. It’s all about keeping it simple so the message doesn’t get lost in the clutter we normally fill our screens with.
If you get your presentation right your audience will not only be able to recall your message days later, they will also feel satisfied that you know your stuff and that you cared enough to prepare a great presentation. You may just inspire them to try a few things in their next presentation!
Al Jackson
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