Bad presentations are annoying and boring to sit through. And, when watching other people give presentations, it is very easy to spot the areas where they could have done better. So, when it comes to giving a presentation at your next event, how can you make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes? Take a look below for 5 straightforward ways that you can improve your next event presentation.
#1 Keep it simple and ditch the jargon
There’s nothing worse than listening to a speaker who uses lots of technical language that you don’t understand. It makes it hard for you to follow the presentation and, eventually, you will just zone out.
Unless you can be certain that your audience is just going to be experts in your field, you should avoid using very technical or industry specific terms. Instead, think about a way that you can explain yourself, so anyone listening can understand. This approach has two advantages. First, you’ll be tailoring your presentation to the needs of your audience. Second, it will force you to refocus on your ideas and how you can explain them clearly in your event presentation.
#2 Get the timing right
If you’ve been given a set time slot, stick to it. By making your presentation longer, you run the risk of making your audience bored and fidgety. Also, if your presentation is too long, you’ll be setting back the schedule for the rest of the event. This can disrupt plans for later in the day.
It makes more sense to aim for a slightly shorter presentation, because this will give you time for questions. If you are unsure about how long you presentation will be, then make sure that you time yourself beforehand.
#3 Avoid boring or stereotyped images
Pictures are supposed to support the points you are making and create a visual point of focus for your audience. But, if you are using the same images to make the same points as everyone else, then, very quickly, people will get bored. Spend some time when you are writing and planning your presentation to consider your supporting visuals. For example, if you are talking about social media at events, map out all of the different words you associate with this and then consider images that connect to these words, rather than just using the logos of the main social media sites.
#4 Be confident and enthusiastic in your event presentation delivery
The way you deliver your presentation is very important. It doesn’t matter how dry the topic is, if you’re enthusiastic about what you are saying, it will help enthuse your audience. Instead of just relying on facts and statistics, look for anecdotes and real-life examples, as these can add depth and interest to what you are saying.
To get to the reason your presentation should be interesting, you need to ask yourself ‘Why?’ For example, ‘Why am I giving this presentation?’, ‘Why should people care about what I have to say?’ Having the answers to these questions will help you to become more enthusiastic about your presentation, which will then be reflected in how you deliver your presentation.
#5 Remember a PowerPoint does not equal and event presentation
Having PowerPoint slides are a useful support to any presentation. But, they should not be more than a support. Ask yourself, if your PowerPoint stopped working, would you be able to carry on giving your presentation? If the answer is no, then you should rethink how you are presenting the information.
Nobody wants to watch a presenter just read off slides for 30 minutes. Instead of trying to put all your information on your PowerPoint, just use it to highlight the key points that you are trying to make. That way it won’t detract from your overall presentation.
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