9 tips to create an excellent business presentation
Check out everything from planning to using efficient persuasion techniques.
Preparing presentations is almost always a complicated task and it’s usually harder when we have to give a business presentation.
This is usually because the success of our career might depend on a presentation or, it can result in closing an outstanding deal for our business.
Therefore, it’s essential to know how to deal with techniques that go from the organization of the presentation itself to our oratory skills and persuasion techniques.
Do you want to learn how to give a captivating business presentation and help you boost your career? Well then, keep reading this post and check out our 9 tips!
1. Create an attractive design
One of the main points that make a business presentation more interesting is an attractive design.
This means that you should pay close attention to layout, colors and the information contained in the slides you prepare.
Excessive information is a common mistake when choosing what should and should not appear in the presentation.
Slides should be used as guides and not compete with your speech. Therefore, use a lot of visual resources such as images, charts, and an occasional video. PowerPoint templates can also make your presentation more attractive.
In addition to helping your audience follow the presentation with more clarity, slides work as an aid and help you avoid any “blank” moments in your speech.
2. Practice your oratory
More than a natural gift, having good oratory is a matter of practice and training.
When you give a business presentation, you need to speak firmly and decisively, while presenting cohesive and clear arguments.
When speaking in public, slightly raising your tone of voice is a good idea because it demonstrates presence and mastery of the stage you are occupying.
Speak directly to your audience, looking at certain people for a few seconds and shifting your focus from time to time.
3. Demonstrate knowledge and authority
A good speaker completely masters the subject being addressed on stage. This means that you should project an image of authority, presenting your arguments without any hesitation.
Another important point here is to define the rhythm of your speech clearly. Avoid speaking too fast so as not to demonstrate nervousness.
On the other hand, don’t speak too slowly, because you might give the impression that you’re insecure about the subject.
4. Study your audience
Obviously, you won’t always have this opportunity, but whenever possible, make sure you get to know the audience to whom you will speak.
In addition to making you more comfortable by knowing who will be listening to your presentation, you have the chance of adapting your language and content according to the audience.
A technical lecture is better adapted to an audience who has in-depth knowledge of the subject, which allows you to advance even further in your arguments.
An audience that isn’t knowledgeable, on the other hand, requires an effort to simplify the subject, thus avoiding that people become lost and uninterested by a subject they don’t know.
By doing this, you can hold your audience’s interest, and consequently, keep it under control.
By dominating your audience, you can speak even more naturally, knowing exactly the types of interaction that might occur and properly answering questions.
5. Have a plan B
Knowing your audience and exactly everything possible about the subject, will make you better prepared for the unexpected.
This means that problems with the computer, the presentation of slides or with the internet, which could ruin a poorly planned lecture, will not affect you.
In this sense, the best to do is have an offline backup or your presentation, thus avoiding dependence on unstable resources such as the internet.
In addition, bring handwritten notes so you don’t have to depend on the slides. Therefore, in case something unexpected happens, you can still go on with your business presentation, even without technological resources.
6. Develop a script
Many people, when talking about a subject they like and master, might end up getting carried away and get off track.
This is even more harmful when a business presentation has a shorter time limit.
To prevent this from happening, it is essential that you develop a script with topics that contain everything you’ll be addressing in your presentation.
Write down keywords and phrases that will help you remember the points to be covered next.
7. Pay attention to its duration
Like a script helps you control the subject and avoid digressions, it is also essential to keep you within the allotted time.
A 30-minute presentation can be completely different from a 2-hour presentation covering the same topic.
Also remember that, in addition to the presentation, you’ll probably need time to answer questions from the audience.
Thus, the time available might be even shorter than initially planned, requiring flexibility to adapt everything you have to say within this time limit.
8. Pay attention to your body language
Verbal expression is the most obvious form of communication, but your body says a lot more than our voice. This is because gestures and body language greatly influence how people absorb what you are saying.
Thus, within the idea of demonstrating knowledge, authority, and confidence, use body language that conveys this image.
Standing straight, minimal and decisive gestures and looking into your audience’s eyes are an example of body language that helps win over your audience.
9. Use storytelling techniques
Storytelling is a technique that consists of the ability to tell stories in a relevant manner, using audiovisual resources to enrich the narrative.
Storytelling is currently widely used in marketing strategies and can be included in several other situations, such as in business presentations.
To do so, just adopt a narrative that assists in the conveying of information, using a success case or stories about overcoming the odds, for example.
There are many possibilities of enriching your presentation, ensuring your audience’s attention and increasing interaction with them.
Storytelling is a great way of using psychological triggers, which are automatic decisions our brain makes, unconsciously, when stimulated. But it is only one of the techniques you can use to improve your business presentation further.
There are several other triggers that can make your presentation even more interesting for your audience. Would you like to know what they are? If so, check out this post and let us know if you have any questions!
