Presentations are scary. Standing in front of an audience and speaking for any length of time can be hugely challenging, even for confident, experienced professionals.
It doesn’t matter if you’re applying for a job, managing a project or telling another organisation about what your company can offer, presenting can be intimidating even if it’s only for a couple of people.
But before you get that far, you must make sure that the content is spot on. Having confidence in what you’re about to say and show is essential for any successful presentation.
In the first of two blog posts, here are some pointers on designing your presentation.
Focus on the Content
Many presentations contain slides with fancy graphics, animated characters, and all sorts of other gimmicks. Unfortunately, in many instances, the presenter has spent more time working on how the presentation looks, rather than what it says.
Most audiences will quickly be able to tell if your content lacks substance. So, spend more time getting that right and less time on colour schemes, graphics, and animation. And remember, the presentation comes from you – slides, flipcharts and booklets are just aids to help you deliver it.
Stick to the Brief
If a presentation is part of the process for a vacancy, then the recruiting agency or organisation will normally set a brief which outlines the subject or area around which the content should be focused.
When you’re trying to make a good impression, it may be tempting to drift off into other topics and let everyone see how talented and knowledgeable you are. Big mistake – not only will it make your presentation seem disjointed, it will also show the recruiter that you haven’t been able to follow instructions.
Make Slides Easy to Read
Assuming that you are using a presentation package, you will have at the least a few slides to refer to as you speak. A common rookie mistake is to cram these with as much information as possible. That approach means the slides are less than pleasing on the eye for your audience and there is a danger that you have nothing additional to say and your whole delivery is you reading from a screen.
Instead, keep the slides looking clean (using a suitable font) with a few bullet points on each. You then use these points to lead into the message you want to put across. If you want to use a quote or some stats, do it on a separate slide.
Link Slides/Topics together
If you’re a natural when it comes to presentations and you can ‘wing it’, thinking up what to say on the spot, then good luck to you. For the rest of us mere mortals, it’s essential that we know what we are going to say and when.
This is particularly important when it comes to moving from one slide, or one subject area, to another. If you don’t plan how you will achieve this, the transition can be very clumsy as you hesitate and ‘um’ your way through it. It only takes a few words to bring things together and ensures your delivery is smooth and seamless. Examples include
‘I now want to move on from customer service and discuss sales.’
‘So, that’s some of the challenges faced by a new manager. Now, let us consider some possible solutions.’
Decide on Extra Materials
As articulate and charismatic as you are, it may be wise to consider other ways of providing information to your audience, rather than just the spoken word. This is particularly important in longer presentations (to keep your audience interested) or where there are complex processes involved.
Whether it’s a single sheet of A4 paper or a longer brochure or manual, a good presenter will also know the right time to provide their audience with these materials. If you’re trying to land a job you may want the audience to focus on you and finish off by handing them a booklet summarising your key point. In other situations, allowing others to refer to a guide or manual as you speak might help them to understand the content.
Consider Time Constraints
It’s possible, or highly likely if it’s part of the interview process, that your presentation will have a time limit. If you’re nervous about speaking in front of a group of people then you might think the shorter the length of time, the better. But that’s a very negative viewpoint – the longer the presentation, the greater the opportunity to make a good impression.
Other than a brief introduction and a summary at the end, the rest of your time should be spent on getting your message across. Regardless of how long you have, prioritise your key points and topics of discussion.
The Career Hunter 