Are your presentations lacking impact? You’re not alone. Many professionals struggle to create presentations that genuinely connect with their audience and drive meaningful results, often wasting valuable time in the process. But fear not, as we’re here to unveil five secrets that will revolutionize your presentations, captivating your audience and delivering tangible outcomes.
One common stumbling block in presentation creation is the absence of clarity and purpose. Presenters often dive into crafting slides without clearly defining their objectives or considering the optimal format for their message. This approach leads to muddled, disjointed, and ultimately ineffective presentations.
#1 Clarify, Clarify, Clarify
The cornerstone of a successful presentation lies in clarifying your objectives and understanding your audience. Determine where your presentation fits on the spectrum of presentation styles and purposes. From non-emotional, training-focused presentations to emotional, persuasive ones, and finally, to entertaining presentations, explore the six distinct types of presentations here.
Understanding where your presentation falls on the spectrum can help tailor your content, delivery, and overall approach to better resonate with your audience and achieve your presentation goals. Before launching into creation, clarify whether presenting your message is the most suitable approach or if it could be better communicated through a video, meeting, or email. Yes, you heard that right – depending on the scenario, slides may not even be necessary!
Another common challenge is the lack of structure and organization in presentations. Presenters often take a disjointed approach, jumping from one point to another without providing a clear path for the audience to follow, leading to confusion and disengagement.
#2 blueprint, don't outline
Instead of beginning with an outline, craft a blueprint for your presentation. Start with the end in mind, identifying the key points and outcomes you aim to achieve, akin to using GPS for your presentations. First, input your destination – where you want to go, then map out how you’ll get there. This method ensures a clear vision of the completed presentation, with every element working harmoniously to achieve your objectives.
#3 sketch first, create later
Avoid the Pick-Peck-Repeat trap of presentation design, where you randomly select slides from previous presentations and adjust them haphazardly. This inefficient and ineffective method can be avoided by sketching or storyboarding your presentation before creating slides. This process offers a holistic view of your presentation’s flow, identifying the necessary slides to guide you to your destination.
#4 gather evidence, not applause
Too often, presentations are like fireworks—flashy and impressive, but their impact fades quickly. Presenters may enjoy the applause, but it doesn’t adequately measure whether real change occurred or enough of the audience was moved to take the action you desired.
Many presentations adopt a “hope for the best” approach, lacking a clear definition of “best” in measurable terms. To ensure your presentation achieves tangible results, establish a clear, quantifiable call-to-action (CTA) and determine how you’ll gather evidence to prove you did (or did not) achieve your desired outcome.
Let me reveal another secret: When you follow these steps to prioritize a clearly defined, measurable Call to Action (CTA) and develop a plan to gather data and feedback during your presentation to assess its effectiveness and depth of results, you’re not just giving a presentation anymore – you’re delivering a Resultation! Embracing Resultations means being propelled by measurable data and achieving your desired outcomes, rather than simply seeking applause and standing ovations. I refer to this as the Presentation Result Optimization framework. To discover more about this approach, click here.
Finally, many presenters neglect to practice their presentations. Instead, they spend hours creating their slides and only mentally walk through their presentations. Failure to rehearse correctly results in a lack of confidence, which negatively affects the flow and ultimately prevents optimal results.
#5 practice, practice, practice
To overcome this challenge, dedicate time to practicing your presentation aloud. Resulters understand that practice is paramount to success and follow the 1-2-3 to Mastery practice regimen. By adhering to a structured practice routine, you can master your delivery, ensuring confidence and preparedness on the day of your presentation.
Ready to transform your presentations? Join Patti Schutte, Founder and Chief Presentation Strategist of Be Brilliant Presentation Group, for an insightful webinar where she’ll share the top five secrets to delivering impactful presentations that drive real results. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting your career, this webinar offers actionable strategies to elevate your presentations from ordinary to extraordinary!
