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Your presentation reveals a lot about you. It shows your ability to plan, communicate, and think. Here’s how to make a good impression the next time that you speak.

1) When planning a presentation, identify and write the goal for your presentation. Then study it to make sure that this represents what is expected of you. If needed, survey others by asking if this meets their needs for your presentation.

2) Plan your presentation so that it supports your goal. Make sure every point moves the audience toward accepting your goal and discard all unrelated information. Unrelated information, however interesting, distracts the audience and wastes time.

3) Think through your presentation from the audience’s viewpoint. Consider what they know, understand, and expect. Similarly, consider what they need to know. Then plan a presentation that delivers this.

4) If possible, talk with key members of your audience to determine what they expect, know, and need from your presentation. These conversations will help you win support for your ideas, gain valuable insights, and practice parts of your talk.

5) Test your presentation with members of your audience, associates, or coworkers. Then pay attention to their reactions to your main points. If they’re different from what you wanted, make adjustments to increase the effectiveness of your presentation.

6) Rehearse your presentation everywhere, anywhere, and with anyone. Rehearse. Rehearse. Rehearse. An unprepared presentation always appears unprepared. And that upsets the audience because they know their time is being wasted.

7) Rehearse your presentation with a clock. This makes sure your presentation fits into the time allotted. People dislike presentations that exceed the time limit. It also ruins the schedule for the event where you are speaking.

When preparing slides, overheads, or other exhibits, show only one key idea on each. Too much information confuses and upsets people.

9) Make sure that the information on the exhibit can be seen by everyone in the room. An exhibit is useless if no one can read it. And you can’t rescue a useless slide by announcing, “I know that you can’t read this.” If the information is critical, then distribute copies as part of your notes.

10) When planning slides, test each slide by asking yourself, “Why am I showing this?” Make sure that each slide supports your talk. Otherwise, leave it out.

Too much to do? No time to do it? You’re not alone.

Participants are often overloaded, overworked, and preoccupied. They are often distracted by urgent business issues, family matters, sick pets, or other pulls on their attention.

As a presenter, it’s up to you to focus their attention. By giving clear directions, you can focus attention. Learn how to build a message that is easy for people to remember.

This is not rocket science. Instead, it’s a repeatable formula you can use whenever you want to focus attention. Create a strong message and pack a punch. Help participants remember your message, decide to take action, and know what action to take.

Use these 3 tips so you can focus attention and get results. This is absolutely critical if you are serious about winning results.

Here’s how to give clear directions to your audience, so they know exactly what step to take next.

Tip 1: Decide On A Single Action

It’s up to you. Focus on a single action you want your audience to take. Don’t mush things up by giving three or ten possible actions. It will only confuse your audience.

Decide on one action. If you have two, twelve, or twenty — no one will know what to do.

Recently I coached a brilliant and experienced senior sales director. He was confused between two actions for his presentation. One was organizational: a strategic initiative to increase sales. The other targeted sales bonuses and commissions.

Guess which one I recommended for his single action?

The individual one of course! Focus on a single action that individuals are most willing to take. Everyone gets into gear when it’s personal. When you’re talking cash, people get moving.

Tip 2: State The Action In Simple Terms

It’s easy to understand and remember simple terms. When you state directions in simple terms, participants get it. And it’s easy for them to remember what to do.

Speak plain English. Avoid speaking in corporate speak.

Hint: Take a look at your presentation. Ask yourself one question. “Could I say this with a shorter word?”

If you can, do it. If you aren’t sure, ask a friend. Best shot is to ask someone who doesn’t work with you. It’s just too easy to get used to using inside lingo — and not realize you’re doing this.

Tip 3: Use Active Language

Active words ignite action. Passive words encourage contemplation.

You want your audience to jump into action. Your goal is to create an active environment focused on results.

Now is the time for active verbs, active terms, and dynamic language.

Clients often tell me their concerns and objections about giving simple directions to inspire action. These usually run along the lines of:

•  Is this too simplistic?
•  Is this right for my highly educated audience?
•  Is this going to make me look dumb?

The answer is no. Speaking in active language is not ‘dumbing-down.’

When you give clear, focused directions, you are helping your audience. They instantly know what to do next. This is appropriate for audiences of every educational level.

Here’s what you can expect. It is going to make you look smart. Very, very smart. Especially when you ignite action and get measurable results.

Get results fast. It’s smart business to focus on a single action, use simple words and active language. 

Human Psychology has always been a subject that has fascinated sociologists and anthropologists for a very long time. Understanding the intricate dynamics of our behavior patterns, value systems and instincts for flourishing has always been the subject of intense scientific study for decades. Some people have the incredible ability to memorize things almost photographically. Others can calculate equations and algorithms a lot easier than most people. People also vary immensely based on what type of personality they might be. Some are very laid back and calm while others can be focused and driven. And then there are the rare few – the few whose traits don’t quite fall under conventional categories of human diversity in abilities and appeal. Some people would say that these rare few have what is generally called, ‘charisma’ or ‘chutzpah’. But even those words don’t do justice to the traits that these people have. These rare people have what is intangibly yet unanimously called, ‘the X factor’. These people, while they may be as normal as you or I, seem to have the ability to command one’s attention, assume authority or leadership roles with ease and in general have no problem in getting people to comply with their ideas or visions for something. People just seem to like being around them and give them their undivided attention. This is the effect of the enigmatic ‘X Factor’! But not only do these rare few have the ‘factor’ but they also know how to or put it to good use. People with the ‘X Factor’ have naturally good presentation skills.

While not everyone may have this intangible quality, there are certain aspects of it that can be successfully simulated to create the impression of actually having it. And when practiced long enough, it can actually become a part of one’s own aura. And learning to wield it well in your own presentation skills will certainly almost always make people to sit up and pay attention to what you have to say! Lets examine a few of these aspects of the ‘X Factor’:

1. Kinesics or Body Language – After the 1960 presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, psychologists discovered an interesting phenomenon. People who watched the debate on TV were convinced that JFK won the debate while those who listened to the debate live on radio felt that Nixon had won the debate. Psychologists concluded that it didn’t matter ‘what’ the candidates were actually saying about their own convictions or policies but instead it was their non-verbal communication that people instantly picked up on. The human brain has the ability to pick up faint, non-verbal cues that a person may exude just as well as the words it hears. Good presenters know the importance of exploiting this well. Standing up straight, making eye contact with listeners and smiling while looking relaxed all do well in exuding confidence and a sense that you know what you’re doing. This makes your listeners more likely to be receptive to what you have to say.
2. Voice Modulation – Sometimes a presenter may look the complete picture of confidence visually but may sound unconvincing if he or she sounds weak or unsure. Confidence can just as well be exuded in the volume, tones and fluctuations of the voice during a presentation. A well-paced, well-spaced verbal delivery with optimal volume and clarity makes for a clear, audible and convincing presentation. This subconsciously gives the listeners the impression that you really believe in what you are saying and sound confident talking about it too. It will make them want to listen to what you have to say.
3. Clear Presentation - Finally, of course, is the actual presentation of the content itself. Often presentations can look like ‘information overload‘ with tons of numbers, stats, graphs and charts. After a barrage of details and information, the listeners can often be left overwhelmed and ambiguous about what exactly was said. Presentations, whether presented as slides, notes or bullet-points must be clear, concise and to the point while avoiding unnecessary details and verbal ornamentation. Hence, we recommend having one central objective or theme that guides the presentation and not more than three key ideas that the presenter wants the audience to take-away from the presentation. This is the crux of a good presentation!

Presentation Skills Training is a vital aspect of teaching employees the significance of efficient human communication dynamics. Learning to understand how the human brain works in relation to the five senses is an important and useful aspect of effective presentation skills.