One step closer to engaging presentations

It is a challenge to maintain an audience’s interest throughout a presentation. Within minutes some participants begin texting, yawning, or in extreme cases withdrawing from the room. While there may be many reasons for this, the prime culprit is the density of technical information in the presentation. The question a presenter must ask is how to transform technical information into more colorful and engaging content?

When preparing your presentation, the first thing you develop is your content. Unfortunately this is often done directly on PowerPoint. I personally advise to separate the development of the content from the design of the slides. The content can be described as the script of your presentation and will include the technical information that you will share with your audience. However this is not enough. The content should also include all relevant examples, stories and anecdotes that would keep your audience engaged. Most presenters struggle in finding enough examples and stories that relate to the topic. Since this is often the case, they end up adding technical information which lead to increasingly boring presentations.

A memorable presenter is someone who can provide a story that, for example, compares a business mission, vision and goals to that of a devoted father who sets goals for his children; or someone who can compare formulating a strategy to preparing a salad. Yes, imagine comparisons that will simplify the content and relate it to daily human experiences. Take risks in your next presentation and think of engaging stories and examples. The more of these you have, the more memorable your presentation will be.

Written By : Jimmy Haddad , Partner