3 Important Aspects of a Presentation

What makes a presentation memorable?

I would venture to guess that those you can recall have had at least one of the following elements. Imagine how successful yours would be with all 3?

Passion.

A topic is transformed from boring to bravo when the speaker is passionate. Think back when you were in school and there was that one science or math teacher that you loved. Chances are she was excited about the subject and engaged students by communicating with passion. The same is true for a presentation. When the speaker expresses their passion for the subject, the message is elevated.

According to the American Rhetoric Society, the #1 speech in the 20th century was Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’. That speech was filled with personal conviction and passion that resonated in his delivery and inspired a new way of “being”.

Minimal PowerPoint.

Effective speakers get the audience to listen to them, not look at the screen. Minimizing information on-screen will allow the audience to focus on what is being said. Remember to follow the “glance & grab”™ strategy if you are using slides. For listeners who really want to dig into the details, the information can be sent out after the presentation.

Stories.

People don’t relate to statistics and numbers, people relate to people and specific examples. For instance, if someone says the word dog most people will not think of the word dog, but of a specific dog they know.

Using stories to illustrate a point helps ensure the point is remembered because the audience will connect with the story. The internet marketer who shares examples about their failures as well as their successes is going to be more effective than one that just recites statistics.

Presentations are far more successful when the presenter is passionate about their topic, connects with their audience and uses stories, examples, and metaphors rather than numbers, dates and charts. Consider these 3 steps to enliven your next presentation.