All businesses know how important it is to create great presentations. They are the way that you connect with your audience and drive your business forward. Whether you’re launching a new product, or trying to secure investors, presentations are crucial.
www.flickr.comBut all too often businesses get it wrong. They make mistakes. And these errors undermine the effectiveness of their presentations. Here are some common mistakes that are killing your business presentations and what to do about them.
Long-Winded And Boring
Long and boring presentations are probably the biggest turn off for your audience. Plus, nobody likes a person who enjoys the sound of their own voice. The best way to get your audience to like you is to keep it short, impactful and on point. Some presenters keep their actual presentations short and then open up the floor to questions. This way your audience gets to participate in the process. And this helps to engage them more fully.
Not Providing A Takeaway
The people who come to your presentations want to get something out of it. That’s why great presenters seek to reward their audiences at every opportunity. You could, for instance, give website links or provide offer codes at the end of your presentation. Whatever you do, make sure you do something that sweetens the deal.
photosbyfran.deviantart.comFailing To Be Visually Impressive
When making business presentations, far too many people get power point design wrong. They end up using the same boring templates as everybody else. And this does little, if anything, to excite your audience.
pixabay.comA much better approach, if you’re doing an important presentation, is to get a professional to do it for you. The pros know a thing or two about how to best put together an excellent presentation. And they understand what it is that audiences are looking for. Powerpoint should be a tool that helps make your presentation better. It shouldn’t be something that drags it down and makes it less exciting.
Failing To Use Body Language
Have you ever noticed that the best presenters tend to use their bodies a lot? There’s a reason for this: using your body works. It’s far easier to excite an audience if you are waving your hands around and pacing up and down than it is if you stand still. Great presenters also make a significant impact through their facial expressions too. Some even use props.
pixabay.comIf you want to create a big impact at your next presentation, get excited yourself. This excitement will then show through your body language and your facial expressions.
Presenting Irrelevant Information
Poor presenters feel that they have to include as much information as they can on their slides and in their presentations. But most of this information is surplus to requirement.
Great presenters go straight to the ideas that interest their audience. They don’t spend time going over stuff that doesn’t matter. They recognise what their audience wants, and they give it to them. By all means, have a comprehensive knowledge of your topic. But only deploy that knowledge if the audience requests it.
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