I have sat through enough mind numbing presentations to make me wonder did the presenter really think about the impressions given the people listening? Attempting to deliver information we sometimes forget the unanticipated impressions we give our audience and appear high schoolish or worse that we don’t know the subject matter. Learn what they are and how to show like a pro.
Plan to grab their attention.
Start by being a little provocative or asking a question that forces the audience to pay attention to your pitch. Don’t assume you have their attention. A testimonial of a customer showing how you solved a problem for them can help to give you some credibility. But, do something that tells them why they need to pay attention.
Tell me why you are better then prove it.
Make certain your emphasis is on why you are different. You need to remember your audience has been through thousands of presentations and are hoping that you won’t waste even more time out of the life they have left.
Back away from the slide show a little
For some people there is real pride in putting together slides and infographics. But, try to build in a real world story about how you got here and where you want to go.
Anticipate the difficult questions
Stand back for a moment and pretend you are your audience and based on what you’ve seen and heard, what questions would you ask? You can even attempt to come up with out of left field questions, you’ll be surprised the questions that can come up. Develop a stockpile of data that can support your answers, and then practice giving them.
Dress the part
If you want to appear confident and capable, think CEO and then dress the part. Research has shown that attractive people are viewed more favorably. It can’t hurt to appear as polished and poised as possible.
The full list of tips mentioned in the podcast episode may not seal the deal for you, but they will at least insure you now have a fighting chance. And, your audience will come away with a good impression and years added to their lives.
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