6 New Year’s Resolutions for 2016: Presentation Best Practices “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.– Oprah Winfrey We talk a lot in this space about what presenters should and shouldn’t do. We’ve been looking over all the articles we’ve posted on the topic over the past year, and there are a few points that tend to come up over and over (and over) again. So here’s to another chance for us to get it right. We’ve collected our top six tips for the year, in the form of New Year’s Resolutions for 2016. Each of these have been the subject of articles themselves– sometimes numerous articles – and represent major components of truly effective presenting. If we aren’t already using these presentation best practices, now would be a great time to start! 6 Presentation Resolutions for 2016 1. I will tell a story. Storytelling has become a major mantra among authorities on presenting. Part of the reason behind this is that stories hold the attention and aid the memory of our listeners. The effect the story has on an audience is that they listen more closely and carry away the information in a form that has aided human memory throughout history. Part of the rationale behind storytelling also has to do with structure. If our presentation has a story, that means it has a logical flow. We will be better able to tell what information is necessary and what isn’t, simply by following the structure of the story we’re telling. Our information will be better organized and more succinct, and our audience will have an easier time grasping the relevance of our data. 2. I will make my slides attractive and legible. We should all know the cardinal side design rules by now: use large fonts, few words, high-contrast colors, and attention-getting, data-clarifying charts and graphs. We should always keep in mind the size of the room we’re presenting to, as well as the lighting conditions – light font on a dark background tends to work best in a darkened room. The layout should be simple enough to facilitate easy reading, but unique enough to have visual appeal; keep in mind that the built-in PowerPoint templates have been seen by the audience over and over. There’s no need for complicated wipes and special effects; they tend to be more distracting than of benefit to our message. 3. I will practice and prepare ahead of time. There is no substitute for adequate preparation. Outlining, organizing, designing and practicing our presentation is a substantial part of success in our eventual delivery. The more thoroughly we know our information and the better acquainted we are with our presentation material, the more confidence we will have when the day finally arrives. Our confidence results in a better delivery – we will be far less nervous, make fewer mistakes, and make a better impression on the audience. 4. I will not overload my audience. Our listeners are not possessed of infinite patience. It’s surprisingly easy to push most audiences into a state of information overload, and that’s not where we want them to be if we hope to accomplish anything with our presentation. The rule of thumb is to restrict our message to one goal supported by no more than three or four supporting points. More than this generally proves to be too much for the audience to handle. Avoid doing a data dump– data should be distilled into easily digested statistics, charts or graphs wherever possible. 5. I will project enthusiasm and passion for my subject. “Don’t ever speak publicly about anything that you’re not passionate about and that you don’t actually believe you have something truly unique to deliver.” – Tony Robbins The audience is never going to get excited about anything we aren’t excited to tell them about. A genuine enthusiasm in the presenter communicates confidence, generates interest, and adds to our credibility in the eyes of our listeners. We must be careful not to allow over-familiarity with the subject matter erode what passion underlies our interest. After all, if we have no interest in or excitement around our topic, we probably shouldn’t be speaking about it to begin with. 6. I will never forget that I am the presenter. We all know that we’re not supposed to hide behind the podium or the PowerPoint slides… but sometimes we do anyway, especially if we’re nervous. If we don’t know our material or haven’t prepared adequately, we may try to cover for it by putting up a lot of flashy slides. A weak presentation cannot be saved by a slideshow, though, and the PowerPoint is not the presenter; we are. As the presenter, we should be front and center, and most of the attention of the audience should be focused on us. Use the slides only as support and as visual reinforcement; gesture to the screen when it’s time for the audience to glance at it, and then take their attention back. From all of us to all of you – best wishes, and happy presenting in the New Year! Author: Amy English Instructional Design Specialist Baker Communications, Inc. Tweet Amy @AmyMEnglish Baker Communications offers leading edge Presentations Training solutions that will help we address the goals and achieve the solutions addressed in this article. For more information about how our organization can achieve immediate and lasting behavior change that leads to success during presentations in any setting, click here . 7 Jan, 2016
