Inside Small Business | Small Business & Home Business Marketing
The Perfect Presentation Part 1: Leave Your Audience with a Lasting Impression
Lindsay Lake
Whether your audience consists of one person or a hundred, your primary goal should always be to close each presentation with some sort of sale. This will help you to focus your presentation on what is important. Of course, that sale can come in many different formats: it may be of yourself (convincing them to do business with you in the future), your product, your idea (perhaps gaining ground from an investor perspective) or any other type of sale. But, no matter what your specific situation may be, it is vital for you to provide your audience with a few things to help them make that decision to buy.
* Content: This may seem obvious, but you would be amazed how easy it is to get this wrong. Remember your audience likely knows much less about your topic than you. By keeping the information simple and substantiated. You not only provide just the details, without extra fluff, but you also provide other sources of information, lending you credibility.
* Graphics: Finding the right images and creating the perfect charts can often be your most time consuming task throughout the process. Although sometimes overlooked, your graphics are the most important factor, besides yourself, for engaging your audience. Keep this in mind and spend the time it deserves to make it right. You’ll be amazed at how much a simple change in graphics can boost audience attention.
* Technique: If you are a veteran and have been giving presentations in some form or another for quite some time, you’ve probably crafted a technique that fits your style. If you are still pretty new to giving presentations, you’re probably looking for a technique to fit your style. Either way, chances are that it can be improved. Take a few minutes and watch some of the best presenters out there, such as Steve Jobs at Apple. These types of folks are recognized as great presenters because they know how to engage an audience and make a sale. And, since it’s always easier to do things you like, take some notes on what they do during their presentations, that you like. Then, the next time you give a presentation, implement just a few of the techniques you wrote down. Making changes to your style in this manner will be much more effective than trying to do a complete remodel right away.
Keep these tips in mind for your next presentation, and truly go for the sale.
During the following weeks I’ll be digging into each of these topics (content, graphics and technique) more deeply. Stay tuned to learn more about improving your presentation to improve your business. And, if you’d like some more ideas before the next issue, visit my blog, Presentation Perfect.
I have spent a lot of my career creating powerful, concise and engaging presentations. I started fine-tuning these skills while working in account management for Thomas Taber & Drazen, an advertising agency in Denver. While there I had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of clients in industries including financial, media, retail and non-profit. My experience has given me a great eye for design and the tools necessary to create outstanding, intriguing presentations.
To reach me, simply send me an email at lindsay.lake@gmail.com.
Posted on Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 at 9:59 am and is filed under Advertising, Branding, Business, Design, Marketing, Sales. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
