How to Achieve a Winning Presentation

Presentations are a great way to quickly and effectively share information with a group of people. Presentations can go either way. A good presentation can leave the audience wanting more, while a really bad presentation can put an audience to sleep.

Every once in a while, a situation arises where we need to create and present a presentation of our own. Instead of winging it and hoping for the best, use these following suggestions to make sure your next presentation scores big.

• Focus on the main idea

First, decide on the main topic of your presentation. What do you want your audience to learn or be aware of after sitting through your presentation? Focusing on one main message will help you organize your slides and perfect the presentation’s flow so the audience can easily follow along.

• Keep your slides fun

Don’t solely rely on graphs and words to get your point across. Insert emotional videos or powerful images throughout your presentation to help keep everyone’s attention. If you would like to get even more creative, there are some great online tools you can use. Apps like Prezi^® or PechaKucha allow you to present your slides in a new, dynamic way that will leave a lasting impression on your meeting guests.

• Be the star of your show

First, make sure you are dressed appropriately. Next, don’t hide behind a projector screen or podium. Your audience wants to see you. Sit or stand somewhere in the room where everyone can easily see you. If you’re hosting a presentation via a web conferencing product, try an online meeting tool like iMeet, which allows everyone to clearly see and hear each other with its high quality sound and crystal-clear HD video features.

• Plan accordingly

An ideal presentation should be short and concise so you can compete with the dwindling attention spans of your guests. However, sometimes you may have a lot of information to cover and there is no way you can cover it all in 15 minutes. If you know you’re presentation is going to run a little long, make sure you’re prepared. Provide snacks or lunch to keep everyone’s energy levels high. Also, include frequent breaks so audience members can run to the bathroom or take a moment to check their emails.

Would you like to learn more tips and tricks that will help you plan a successful presentation? Be sure to download our Presentation Playbook so you can get play-by-play instructions on how to build and present your next presentation.