Almost every presenter or speaker feels that his presentation should be applauded by all, but in rare instances it does happen and very few presentations have an excellent recall value and make an impression on one and all.
While preparing or gearing up for a presentation, we all try to pep it up and make it as interesting as possible. Yet we are apprehensive and at times uneasy that people might find it bland or simply term it as boring. It happens to all; we can avoid it by following and implementing few rules. Simple yet important steps let us discuss it: Grabbing attention is significant! You can include light hearted jokes or wise-cracks to weave a pleasant atmosphere. But be careful, no to over indulge or the focus from the main attention will be diverted and we do not want that to happen.
It’s not necessary that all can crack jokes so if you are not comfortable then avoid it. At the end of the day it’s the main presentation that matters. If the content is interesting and apt, the rest all will surely fall in place. But cluttered slides or jazzy text will not attract attention but serves as mere distraction. Rather your presentation needs to have a flow so that the audience is able to connect with it.
Before elaborating or adding details to your presentation, prepare an outline or layout and then fill it up. This gives you a direction and ensures that significant points are not excluded. The slides are added to display information and data, so if the audience is unable to read it or find it tough to read the presentation then the entire exercise is futile. You need to ensure that font size is easy on and text can be read out from a distance. Avoid using cursive and cryptic fonts and use simple and easy to read fonts.
A long presentation can be boring and needs to be segmented into different sections. Do not cram in more than 2 or 3 sentences per slide. You can have the main points included and presenter can elaborate on it further. Or rather than having sentences you can present it in statistical form like pie charts if possible.
As mentioned earlier, try replacing words/lines with charts, graphs and images or graphics. Pictures have more impact than text and better recall value. They also make the presentation interesting and are a refreshing change in case of a wordy or tedious presentation. A concept when visualized becomes easier to understand.
In this fast paced world, all lose focus and attention very fast, so a good presentation has the requisite factors that will keep all focused. The best way is to cut down text and move on to the next slide within 10-15 seconds. Be quick but consistent; while maintaining speed do ensure that your audience is in sync with what’s going on. Sticking to a particular format is difficult as your presentation, the topic and the occasions vary. But following these simple tenets will ensure that it is meticulous and effective. You can also go through various websites that offer help on this.