Presentation 101:

New to Presentations?

Are you new to presentations? Don’t worry, we all have been new at one time. I have learnt from my experience where my mentors have a great role in showing me the correct path. Remember the criticism by anyone on your presentation is in your favour but criticism from your mentor is pure gold.

Let’s look at the following aspects and it is not limited to:
1. Context
2. Content
3. Confidence
4. Connectivity

Since your attention is on the last point, let’s take this order in reverse.

4. Connectivity: Spit out your story where you can show some bloodshed. Not literally, but share about problems you have faced and how did this information helped you to overcome. It will grab the attention of the audience.

Want to know other ways to connect? This is not the only way to connect with audience, your normal tone, showing no rush and a simple greetings, asking about weather and their well being also adds to the list. Not a good idea to go overboard and nudge into Political and Religion issues. Remember, Inclusion is the key.

Manage to make the connection? now let’s use this connection for interaction and digging out their views, curiosity and interests. Keep the session as interactive as possible try to win over their sleep which most of them have planned already before coming to your session.
No scripted Speech please.

3. Confidence: I believe firmly that you have a confidence to present and you have taken it as a challenge that’s why you are here and reading this article.
Confidence is very subjective to the people personality but one thing i know is knowledge brings you confidence and that makes you to conduct the session with ease without emphasising on a specific keyword.
Read and learn about the `topic and around that` from various sources, prepare a note and try to understand it. If you do not understand a sentence or terminology after all you efforts, maintain a safe distance from it.

4. Content: Review your slides again and again until it becomes lightweight ans less crowded with jargons, words, sentences and complex images and diagrams.
Few Tips:
Depending on Audience type (If they know), you can avoid Welcome and Thank You Slide.
If presentation context has not been set beforehand to the audience clearly, feel free to add 2 slides with following title:
1. Why are we here today?
2. What will we cover?
Do not put long sentences in the slide its a turnoff, you tend to read it, Audience tend to think i can read this later and no one pays attention, keep Labels instead.
If you can’t manage without a sentence, limit the sentence to 5–6 words.
Even if you are subject matter expert, it is safe to keep notes for each and every slide. Whenever you feel you are diverting from actual agenda, refer to the notes and remember again, do not read the notes word to word.
Keep the slides neat as much as possible.

4. Context: You were rushing to finish this article and felt happy that previous point was numbered as 4 and you were almost done with it. See this is what happens if the content is not Interactive and context has not been set properly.
Ensure your email invite sets a proper expectation and outline the agenda properly. This might bring you an interactive and interested audience.
Even if you have failed to set the context properly in the email or other forms of invite, you have your connection made with audience right before the Presentation. Use this to set the clear context and meet their expectations from your hard work on presentation.

This is my personal view and i have tried to simplify and put in my own words, There could be several other factors which can help you to come out from your sessions like a champion. I would love to hear them in comment section.
Thank You.