Never Underestimate Presentation Session!

Oleh : Rezki Jatianing Warni 

“NO! YOU DO IT!” shouted a staff to a colleague. The colleague refused to budge. It seemed that what they would do was extremely dangerous and stressful.

Yet, it was all about PRESENTATION.

In business world, presentation is almost inevitable. Explaining the concepts offered, ideas, to the accountability report must be done in a presentation. Presentation becomes an important part of a business because the persuasive communication expected from the presentation will initiate an agreement that is mutually beneficial for the two parties.

Many of us are not well-versed in preparing and delivering a presentation. Some are lacking in preparation, belittling the presentation, feeling nervous, not mastering the material and so on. In fact, a 15-minute presentation can ruin or grant a business decision. What about you? Have you done your best to prepare and rehearse for your job presentation?

It is so important to create and deliver a memorable and captivating presentation.  Presentation content will be considered less attractive if the presenter fails to draw the audience’s attention. Well, what does it take to deliver a memorable and persuasive presentation?

APPRECIATE TIME.

If you present an idea or a concept, the # 1 rule is to appreciate the time and opportunity given. This has two meanings.  First, do come on time. Tardiness can be bad for your confidence and it gives the waiting audience a bad judgment about you even before the presentation begins. Second, make the time the audience has spared valuable. So create a stunning presentation session with the process below:

1. THINK. Know your audience. Women like emotional things, while male clients tend to be pragmatic. Know the purpose of the presentation and things that should be avoided in the presentation. If they are your clients, do you need to compare them with competitors or will it be useful if they are used as a reference? Are you offering solutions through the presentation? Show them the necessary things and clarify the important parts.

1. STORY. Presentation is like a story book. There’s the title, the epilogue, the first chapter, and the closing. Create a presentation into an understandable series. Make a draft flow by grouping ideas for example on post-it notes. You will know which one to say first, before getting to the point. You don’t want the message to appear too long or too abrupt. Make the audience understand the reason why you present the idea and how you will execute the idea.

1. SIMPLE. Present your idea in a simple way. Do not beat around the bush, because the audience can be easily distracted. The audience must be able to understand the message of a slide in the first 3 seconds. Use words that can directly draw clients’ attention.

Ask a copywriter’s help to make it easier. Do not use long sentences, the longer the audience read the presentation, the less time they have to listen to you.

1. DESIGN. For some audiences, presentation is similar to a show; it is a time for refreshment and entertainment. Many people feel that they have saved a presentation session by simplifying it in the form of bullet points. WRONG! Textual points alone will not make the audience capture the actual essence of the idea. So, deliver it in a visually interesting presentation! Activate your audience’s imagination with colors and illustrations that could represent your idea. Use the images in great picture quality on the presentation screen. Also, make sure there is no getty image watermark when showing them.

1. OPTIMIZATION. Your presentation slides are ready. Review the structure, is the flow as expected? Ask your colleagues for their opinion, is there any unclear information? Use all animation tools available to maximize the “story”, to design the entrance and the exit of a slide, or to give highlights on certain parts. But remember, do not overdo it. Clients need to catch the message, do not insert any distracting animation. Too many animations will make a presentation look childish. Practice! So you know on which part you have to raise your voice and on which part you must whisper dramatically.

Time for war!

Basically, presentation is about ‘selling’ ideas, making it sound amazing and likely to be executed. Audience loves new things that are presented… in a convincing manner. Appear convincing. Come as a fighter ready to win the fight. Wear appropriate suit and most importantly the comfortable one. You do not want to be troubled with brightly colored clothing or painful shoes when standing. Look confident, bring positive energy into the room and let the audience feel that you also b.e.l.i.e.v.e in the ideas presented.

Try to always have enough time to prepare. A memorable presentation will elevate your credibility as a communicator and conceptor, and the audience would love to share their problems with you. Audience that trusts you is the only asset you need for the next presentation. What’s more satisfying than seeing your idea being executed? ^^ Go and Amaze THEM!!

Picture Source: http://www.customshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Worlds-Best-Presentation-Tips.png