3 simple ways to improve your presentations
If you work in an office, or even remotely, chances are you don’t love having to attend presentations. Or deliver them.
The problem with so many workplace presentations is that they’re the same. And as a result - BORING.
Delivering a samey-samey presentation can kill your joy for the process. It can also affect your confidence or how well you connect with your audience.
Use these 3 simple presentation tweaks to improve your next work presentation, training or workshop.
Use an attention-getting opener.
Kill the “Hi, my name is…” intro.
“Hi, my name is ______________, and I’m going to talk about _______________.”
UGH. This format is the most blasé and overused opening ever.
Boring! And how many times do we hear this?
Keep your presentation interesting and engage the audience immediately by saying - or doing - something that makes them sit up and take notice - and listen.
One of the best openers I ever heard was the intro to a speech about theft-prevention of one item at Walgreen’s. My student opened her speech with:
“What would you say if I told you that if we could stop the theft of razor blades alone, we would save the company $5 million dollars?”
(This was some years ago, so I’m sure it’s a lot more now.)
The room’s collective jaw dropped. It got us listening.
Open with:
A startling statistic
An interesting factoid related to your topic
A story that illustrates a point
Some trivia or a quiz, then promise to provide the answer at the end of your talk. Suspense!
A pertinent question posed to the audience
These are just a few ideas for an interesting opening to your speech or presentation.
2. Have some visual element
There is nothing more boring than just one person speaking.
There are very few times when one person talking is enough to hold our attention. Storytelling and stand-up comedy are two I can think of. Those are entertainment, though.
When your audience needs to learn something, it’s on you, the speaker or presenter, to keep them engaged and listening.
Visual learners - a huge chunk of the general population - won’t do so well with nothing to look at. So give them something to look at:
Slides.
A video.
A handout.
A flip-chart with writing or drawing.
A prop.
A puppet show.
I’m kidding about the puppet show, sort-of. Get creative! Even if you’re not instructed to make slides, create something to give your audience’s eyeballs a place to go.
3. Get input from your audience
But be intentional about it.
Don’t open with, “What do you guys want to talk about?” This screams “I didn’t prepare anything!”
Let your audience know you have X to cover, and you want to hear [whatever]: their questions, their concerns, something top of mind?
Or, what if someone in your room has expertise or experience with your topic? Invite them to chime in.
Involving your audience engages them. And - dirty little speaker trick - it gives you a moment to catch your breath.
Pro tip: Prepare this audience invitation in advance. What will you say?
“We’re going to look at quarterly numbers, and I want to hear your questions at the end.”
“Before I jump into the content, what concerns do you have about X?”
“Who here has worked with this product before? What do you think?”
What to read or hear next:
My talk with Randy Ford on “How to Write a Better Bio”
Is it okay to drink before I give a toast? 2-minute Voice Memos
For Women Only: Three Speaking Tips
About The Author
Hi! I’m Marianna. I make public speaking easier for my clients. In addition to Presentation Skills workshops, I offer executive coaching and Keynote speeches. To learn more, schedule a call with me.