According to some research, 77 percent of people have problems speaking in front of crowds. However, one thing that could alleviate those fears is knowing that you have a business presentation that your audience will love.
But how do you create engaging presentations? It can be challenging to deliver important information while still holding onto your audience's attention.
Here are five top tips guaranteed to put you among the best business presenters.
1. Make It Fun
If you want to engage your audience, you'll want to make your presentation fun. In fact, some of the best-loved presentations are those that include plenty of humor.
Use your natural humor, charisma, and beautiful language to convey your point and get the crowd excited about what you're going to present. If the presentation is more serious, then you may want to try and lighten it up with some humor.
However, the amount of humor you use will depend on the subject that you're presenting. You may want to test out different amounts of humor or jokes if you're going to include them.
2. Use Ice Breakers
Ice breakers should always be inclusive, and you shouldn't pick out any single person from the crowd. If you choose one person, they may feel awkward and not want to join.
However, having an ice breaker that will involve everyone will make people feel more comfortable with you.
When you choose an icebreaker, you'll want to make sure that it's enjoyable for everyone. Finding out who your audience is and what they like will help you design an icebreaker that will go over well.
Lastly, make sure that you don't actually call your icebreaker an icebreaker. Some people may not see the harm in doing it, but most people feel awkward about icebreakers, and they may be turned off.
Instead, you should say that you have an idea or a trick that you want to try out. Try making it seem natural, fun, and random. How would you want to be introduced to an icebreaker? Try brainstorming different ways that allow you to transition into the icebreaker without being awkward.
3. Practice Until You're Comfortable
Even if you're an expert in your industry, you'll still want to practice your presentation multiple times, taking notes each time.
When you notice that you make a mistake or have an uncomfortable moment, take a few notes of where your problem points are in your presentation. Go back and analyze your presentation as you work on it.
This is why you're practicing. You can write down notes on where to cut down on time, how to enunciate tricky words, or refine the different ways you give your presentation.
You'll also want to experiment with different deliveries. If you think your lines sound boring or weird, then you might want to try saying something different. Relax, try different approaches, and search for ways to make your audience more receptive.
Always keep in mind that the two most important things when you give a presentation are to be relevant and clear.
4. Use Keywords and Speak to Your Slides
When you are making your presentation, you should use keywords in your slides. When you do this, you can keep your audience focused.
Only use a little bit of text on each slide. If you copy and paste your essay or argument directly onto the slide, your audience might be distracted and try to read the slides while you're speaking.
Posting a lot of text onto your presentation will also tempt you to just read the slide word for word. However, this can leave you just lecturing at your audience without actually engaging them.
When you don't make the presentation fun and only speak to what is on the slide, they don't need to listen to you. They just need to read the screen.
You should design your presentation as a complement to your talk, not the main focus.
5. Engage with Your Audience
Do you remember having to sit through hours of a professor lecturing at you? Or do you remember the more fun, engaging classroom discussions? Which one did you get more out of?
When you engage with your audience, you improve the chances that they will be actively listening. They may also be more likely to retain the information that you present to them.
But how do you engage with them and ensure that you deliver all of the information while also still making the presentation fun and entertaining?
You can do this by breaking up your presentation. For example, you can talk about three or four slides, and then have some slides to give you a break and engage with your audience. Give them a chance to ask questions on any of the topics that you discussed.
If you're giving a presentation about team building, for example, you could also offer breaks in the slides to support what you're presenting. This could be a good place to give the audience a chance to practice what you're teaching them.
New to presentations? Don’t be too hard on yourself
Brian Tracy reminds us that “Every Master Was Once a Disaster” – follow the advice above and practice your presentation and envision doing it perfectly. Start with a big smile and have fun, if something goes wrong, make a joke about it. People know you’re trying and will help you do well if you just let them.
Everyone that presents like a pro now didn’t start that way. Give yourself permission to think of your presentations as learning how to do it with excellence. Learn from what went well, what didn’t, and make progress. You might even consider hiring a coach to help you if you’re really struggling or want to get better before you begin.
And let me share what an old business mentor once told me: “Don’t worry, they can’t eat you!”
Lose those nerves.
Discover More About Creating an Amazing Business Presentation
These are only a few things to keep in mind when you're creating and delivering your business presentation, but there are many more tips that can help you.
One of the best things to help you with your business presentation is to make sure that you know as much as possible about your presentation.