7 Easy Steps to Perfect Business Presentations
People try to pitch their business to others everyday. Imagine trying to present your business idea to an entire room of professionals who listen to sales pitches on a regular basis. How are you going to make an impression?
Forget humour and props. These people have probably seen every trick in the book and possibly at one point in their lives, used it. The key here is simplicity. But it’s also important that your presentation doesn’t bore them.
To ensure your pitch stands out from the rest, here are seven tips to help you make the perfect business presentation and win sales.
1. Surprise your audience
Use a relevant, but obscure or even contradictory fact as a lead-in to your presentation. This will not only take your audience by surprise but also help to generate discussion. By presenting an alternative viewpoint or a problem, it gives you the opportunity to better communicate your ideas and solutions.
2. Get to the point
Presentation time is limited and attention spans are even more so. Make use of every minute to focus on your new ideas and solutions, rather than information such as your company history. Focus your presentation on being audience-centered and it’ll get the attention it deserves.
3. Tell a story
A good story provides entertainment and helps you to fit in information without using too many facts, figures and statistics. It also helps the audience remember your presentation better. But remember to keep it relevant and trim away any unnecessary detail.
4. Keep it short
Use key phrases to help audience recall. If it is an elaborate idea, break it into a few essential points to make it easier to comprehend. Stick to the points applicable to your audience so they don’t have to sift through large chunks of irrelevant data to get what they want. Make access to information effortless for your audience, and they will reward you with their attention.
5. Use visual aids
Use graphs, charts and photos to liven up your pitch. Visual aids help an audience to remember information better and also make your presentation neater by reducing the need for words. By condensing the information onto a single diagram, it helps to save time and enables the audience to easily see the overall picture.
6. Beware the PowerPoint
Avoid excessive use of transitions, effects and animations as they draw attention away from the topic at hand. Opt for a simple layout with minimal effects that communicates your key points clearly. For something different, try online software such as Prezi for professional, clean-looking presentation layouts. A departure from conventional PowerPoint presentations will help you make an impression with your audience.
7. Rehearse it
Know your content well, survey the venue, and most importantly, check your equipment. Go over what you want to say and remember the key points instead of memorising your speech. This will help make you come across more natural. Make sure your presentation runs on any computer and prepare backup copies. Practice navigating your slides for a better presentation flow, or use a remote to minimise movement during your speech.