Solutions

In today’s busy world, people are continuously bombarded with information, from DVDs, CDs, television shows, the Internet, at meetings, in books and magazine articles and in many other ways.

As a result, it is essential that your presentation stands out and rises above the information overload we all experience every day.

In order to reach its full potential and to drive your ideas home, with impact, you must implement techniques that make your presentation stronger, as well as more memorable.

Here are four suggestions:

Provide handouts and takeaways

While preparing your oral presentation, remember to create separate printed documents that highlight the vital objectives and benefits of what you’re presenting. Before or during the presentation, you can hand these out, providing an outline that your audience can follow. Also, at the end, distribute a summary of the principal points of your presentation. These documents can then be taken away by your audience for future reference.

Utilise visual aids

Flip charts, overhead transparencies, product samples and other display material can do a terrific job maintaining your audience’s interest during the presentation, as well as helping to communicate your message. Laser pointers can also be very effective, but be careful not to overuse them.

Take advantage of high-tech possibilities

Today’s multimedia projection and audio technology are truly remarkable, allowing you to present your ideas in fascinating ways that include impressive use of lights, sound and moving images. Remember, however, that your message is still the single most important component of your presentation, so do not let technology become the star of your show, detracting from, and overshadowing, what you’re trying to say.

Questions and answers

A smart, and proven, technique for wrapping up a successful presentation is to allow time at the end for questions and answers. This creates an opportunity to accomplish several things, including, clarifying aspects of the presentation; and reinforcing the main message. Tip: if you are presenting to a large audience, repeat each question so everyone can hear it.