Great Presentation Skills

Whether you work for a large company, firm, not for profit, or yourself, you probably have to make presentations now and then. It can be to a room of a thousand, a small group of colleagues, or one on one with a potential customer. In any case, your goals are often the same — disseminate information and get buy-in.

Having attended many and a variety of presentations, I can assure you the quality of the information is often superior to the delivery. It’s too bad because poor presentation skills can kill a great idea and lose an audience.

Essential Elements of a Great Presentation

1. Tell a story: We know people remember narrative better than facts, so place your data in a story. Give them some background, tell of a time you used this method, share a success. It need not be long or too detailed but paint a picture that’s memorable.
2. Structure: Every presentation, regardless of how formal or informal it might be, needs a structure. I often use the “this was the problem or idea, this is what we did, and here are the results” format. It makes it easier for the listener to follow. Ultimately, it gets your point across more effectively. Also, never forget to summarize. People tend to listen to the beginning and end of a talk, bring it together for them in a few sentences.
3. Less is more: Leave your audience with a few useful or thought provoking ideas or suggestions and you have done your job. Help them with what is important. We’ve all been to talks were the speaker droned on and on, leaving you with the feeling there was no point. Take a stand, have a perspective. Give them sources if they want to know more.
4. Know your audience: A great presentation only occurs when you know about the listener. Whenever I am asked to speak, the first thing I want to know is who is attending, their level of expertise, reason for coming, and any perspective or prejudice they might be entering the room with. If the group is small, I may ask each attendee a simple question; with larger audiences, I sometimes survey the room “how many people here…?”
5. Adapt to how people learn: Keep in mind some people learn by listening, others reading, and still another group by doing. Try to incorporate all of these techniques. It makes it more interesting and a greater percentage of the audience will come away with the information they came for.
6. Rehearse: Even if you know the material cold, you have to practice. A well-rehearsed presentation will assure you are within your time allotment, touch all the important points, and gain confidence. I always rehearse standing up, often in front of a mirror or to a friend. I go through all of the material as if I was presenting it live. The most prominent actors in the world rehearse regularly for parts they know well. So should you.
7. Brain break: Literally give the listeners a moment. Steve Jobs was a huge proponent of this technique. It is especially true if your presentation goes longer than 20 minutes (the average attention span of an adult). It can be a pause for questions, a short video, a story, something that allows people to re-boot their brain. They return refreshed.

My Best Presentation Skills Tip — Avoid Death by PowerPoint

I cannot tell you how many presentations I have attended where the expert felt compelled to put everything on the screen and then pass handouts with the exact same information. Nothing puts an audience to sleep faster than 100 words on a slide. PowerPoint is exactly that — for powerful points and visuals not your entire presentation.

We all want to do our best when standing in front of a group. With a few simple skills and techniques such as telling a story, understanding and tailoring to your audience, and giving them a brain break, coupled with a simple talk structure, rehearsal, and a good dose of control when it comes to PowerPoint, you too can deliver a presentation that is thought-provoking, memorable, and enhances your brand.

To read more about delivering awe-inspiring presentations, check out this article, “Creating Awe-inspiring Presentations like Steve Jobs.”