Entrepreneurs are always making presentations--pitching to
customers, unveiling new products for staff, making keynote
speeches before trade organizations, even giving spiels to bankers
to secure
financing. But many entrepreneurs could do with a little extra
oomph in their presentations--some spice to keep the audience rapt
and customers intrigued.
To jazz up your presentations for full-on audience engagement,
consider the advice of Marjorie Brody, a certified speaking
professional and the author of more than 18 books, including
Speaking Is an Audience-Centered Sport.
Brody, the founder of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania-based Brody
Communications Ltd., a company offering training programs,
executive coaching and keynote presentations, gives the following
tips:
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1. Know your audience. "Understand why you are
giving the presentation and to whom," says Brody. Speak to
people who will be attending in advance; get to know their concerns
and issues. Then all your content will have specific meaning to the
audience.
2. Make it interactive. To keep everyone alert and
interested, look for ways to involve your audience members.
"Ask questions; have people shout out answers; poll the
audience," recommends Brody.
3. Tell stories, and use metaphors, analogies and quotes.
Look to your own experiences and others' stories to help
illustrate a point. Search magazines and newspapers for
inspiration. "Bottom line," says Brody, "make the
presentation more than a data dump."
4. Make it relevant. Reach out and relate to your
audience. Explains Brody, "People are way too busy to sit and
listen to something that has no impact on them."
5. Be dynamic. Demonstrate passion for your topic through
your voice, gestures, movement and facial expressions, including
eye contact.
6. If you use PowerPoint, go easy on the slides.
PowerPoint should be used to illustrate a point-slides should never
be the entire presentation. More important, a speaker should not
read the slides verbatim. "Create the presentation before the
PowerPoint slides," advises Brody, adding that you should look
at the presentation and ask yourself, "What points can best be
illustrated by PowerPoint?"
"Wherever pictures and graphics can illustrate a point,
include them," says Brody. "But keep in mind that less is
more." Skip flashy graphics if they don't enhance your
message.
7. Wear appropriate clothing. You don't want anything
to detract from your presentation. Case in point: Brody knows one
female presenter who wore red bikini underwear beneath a white
skirt. "If you make a bad clothing choice, the audience
won't remember what you were speaking about," explains
Brody. Brody believes that "the old maxim, 'You never get
a second chance to make a first impression,' is very true when
it comes to presenters." Always do a full mirror check before
leaving your office or home, and dress in business-professional
attire.
8. Manage stage fright through repetition. "Face the
fear by just doing it," encourages Brody. Start by
volunteering to introduce other speakers and serve on panels. The
goal is not to get over your fear, but to channel the energy.