Has a powerpoint presentation ever persuaded you to take action? Did it set you on fire so you immediately transferred money or you signed up for a voluntary service?
What brings people in motion is a passionate plea from someone who persuades them with a strong and simple message. Or an executive who explains a new project with clarity and gives it a human face.
That is why: with every presentation start with yourself! With your emotions, your trigger with this subject.
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8 tips for a presentation that triggers action
1. We had that one: throw in your own emotions. What's your deal with this subject?
2. What should people take away from your presentation? What is the core message? Summarize it into one (short) sentence. Memmorize it, this is your goal.
3. Give one or two crystal clear examples that illustrate the core and explain why your story is of importance to your audience.
4. Finally answer the how: what is your solution?
5. Practice your presentation aloud. Tape yourself and time it. Scratch an example.
6. Present by heartMemorize parts if you're insecure.
7. Practice in front of a mirror, practice with a colleague or your partner. Be thankful for their criticism. Practice at least twice with a new presentation.
8. Use tools like Powerpoint only to stimulate your audience, not as a cheat-sheet with bullet points. Don't use it as a handout afterwards. Rather give a folder, a page with a good summary or give a web address for more information.
I agree: it's quite a lot of work. If you want results with your presentation, you'll need focus and good preparation. But time investment repays itself.
Don't hide behind Powerpoint
Powerpoint can seduce you to use the technical possibilities which can actually distract from your point and your passion. Complicated graphics, technical gadgetry with ever appearing bullet points and transformers. Before you know it everyone has trouble keeping track, including you. It invites questions about one graphic or illustration that will take a life of its own. Or worse: everyone is looking glazed at some summary in office language.
There is another way! I made a Powerpoint for a pharmaceutical company - but almost only with illustrations. The employees from a department that needed some changes were taken in. They listened.
Dan Roam about powerpoint
When Powerpoint was on the rise, drawing guru Dan Roam warned: al the visual gadgets will chance you to defeat your purpose. "Powerpoint keeps spreading like a plague. In offices everywhere people open their laptop and click from one bullet point to the next so we will be bored to tears.. And the worst thing is that meanwhile the real work isn't being done!"
