Presentations are a great way to connect and interact with the masses, in a professional setup. You can share new ideas, pitch your product, encourage people to invest in your business, and the list goes on.
We live in an era where information is power; however, information overload gets overwhelming sometimes. Wherever you see, there is a lot of information, and our brain has to work hard to filter it. You wouldn’t want that to happen to your presentation, though.
Your audience takes out their precious time to listen to you. And as a presenter, it becomes your duty to not give them just the mundane or mediocre, something that doesn’t add much value to the information they already have. So, you really need to evaluate your content on certain criteria even though you have a great slide and you are eloquent as a speaker.
This article highlights how you can make your presentations worthwhile. It would be wise of you to include these in your next presentations.
Tips for Invaluable Presentations
Exchanging value for money and time is the core of any business, product, or service. You add value by doing tangible and intangible things that help you forge a deeper connection with your audience, something other speakers can’t readily mimic.
By taking care of little things, you add more depth to your work cumulatively.
1. Try to solve a problem
You need to sit and reflect on why people should come and listen to you. What is it that they will get out of their interaction with you? If you can create value in that, your task as a presenter is completed. Nobody wants to see a thinly veiled sales presentation without any serious resolution of their pain points and concerns. The moment you address concerns, as a presenter, you become a resource rather than a vendor to people.
Include value-adding material in your slides (like research on the target audience, hurdles they face being in that line of work, etc.), show you can help them resolve those issues, and add value to everything they already know.
2. Share insightful marketing material
Make it your work to provide material relevant to the audience. Flashy postcards, brochures, and flyers highlighting information about the presenter and services offered are not sufficient.
Instead, make it a point to give them crucial information that will help them save money and precious time or do something more efficiently. Share whitepapers, reports, and tips booklets that add awareness.
3. Make use of touch-points
Every point of contact with your audience offers you a chance to gratify them. Leverage your presentations to the fullest to let them know what makes you different as a brand.
Align the strategy that gets you closest to your goal. Curate each touch point to keep your audience inquisitive and engaged.
4. Keep it audience-centric
It is central to creating meaningful content for your presentation. A business that knows the people they cater to has the essential understanding to create content that will most resonate with the audience. Your slides, design, level of information, language, etc., should align with the needs and preferences of your audience.
Doing this will also help you forge a strong bond/connection with your audience.
- The information in your speech should be practical, applicable, and simple, especially if the topic is too technical and complicated.
- Take the help of analogies, anecdotes, and visuals to simplify the content.
- See how you can relate the content to people and make it beneficial for them at individual and organizational levels.
- Try to give new information to at least some people from the audience. It could be new learning, new ideas, and new perspectives. If not for everyone, try it serves the purpose for some.
5. Go MAD
Brands that are moving ahead with this approach are reaping a lot of benefits in their growth. MAD (Making a Difference) strives to add value by caring for its customers. Be the brand that focuses on closing gaps where there is a need while offering the services. Brands trying to make a difference can position themselves as a value-creating entity. It consequently increases their bottom-line profitability and inculcates trust.
Try to include at least some content in your presentation slides that becomes a focal point in this respect. Rather than just relying on information that will support your point, try to educate and inform people so that they are in a better position to make important decisions.
6. Communicate your promise
Communicate well with your audience, and remember to communicate the promise of value as well. Forging the right communication channels and following through after delivering the presentation is a great step to add more meaning and depth to your presentation. It will help people build trust in you and your business.
7. Let people read through the slides
Undoubtedly, high-definition visuals are truly a game-changer for your presentations, but you can’t put just visuals on your slides. You have to complement them with important information to help the audience understand your message with ease.
Give your audience a few seconds to read the slides, interpret, and absorb the information. Furthermore, give explanations and insights that people can’t get from the content on the screen.
8. Get your accreditation
A lot of organizations require the continuation of education to maintain professional designations. You can partner with them to develop presentations/courses meeting those requirements. Do research to find out the mandatory and elective courses. It will definitely help you as a speaker.
In a Nutshell
Every time you have doubts regarding whether your presentation is presentable enough, you can take the help of these pointers. Try incorporating some of these factors, if not all, to add more value to your presentation. It will help you be more comfortable with your content and help your audience relate to you.
Try offering valuable perspectives and distinct viewpoints that people can find helpful. Provide research findings, actionable tips, effective tactics, or pertinent materials they can implement or further explore after the presentation. Share content that is practical and tailored to everyone’s requirements.
