86.1% of presenters say presentation skills affect their career & income!

Distinction Communication Incs 2009 Presentation Impact Survey

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Helping you make your next big presentation land with impact!
Gaininsightfromtopindustryexpertsandputtheircollectivewisdomto
workinyournextbigpresentationopportunity!
PlanningaPresentation

OvercomingAnxiety

CreatingInfluence

TravelTips

Handouts

DeliverySkills

RehearsalIdeas

RoomSetup

Storytelling

PowerPointBestPractices

UsingSound&Video

Webinars

UsingAnimation

MessageShaping

Images&Artwork

SalesPresentations

CrisisRecovery

GettingFeedback

BodyLanguage

ProfessionalResources

andmuchmore

Copyright

2010 Distinction Communication Inc. & TriMax Direct.

All rights reserved.

Did you know

peoplearegenerallymorepersuadedbywhattheymightlose,ratherthanbywhatthey
mightgain?Orthatresearchclearlyindicatesthatawelltoldstorycanberememberedfor
yearswhileyourbulletedPowerPointslidesareforgottenbythe timeyoureachtheendof
yourpresentation?
Thanksfordownloadingthisvaluablepresentationresource!
DearColleague,
Overthelastseveraldecades,presentershavebeeninundatedwithalluringadvertising
messagespromisingpizzazz,dazzleandWOWfortheirnextbigpresentation.Wouldntitbe
niceifthatwerepossible.Buttherealityis,despitethebreadthofnewtoolsandresources
available,verylittlehaschanged.Presentersstillturnandreadslideafterslidewhiletheir
audiencesdriftofftoLaLa Land.Bulletslidesarestillthedominantslideformatofchoice.
Andpresenters messagesareoftentimesstillpainfullyselfserving,muchtothedistainof
theiraudiences.
Oneveryimportantcommodityseemstobelackingfromthepresentationequation
wisdom.Insteadofgleaningsomeseasonedinsightfromthosewhohave pioneeredtheart
ofpresentingbeforeus,mostseemtostrugglewiththesameold issues.Andfornew
presenterstodaywhosecareerprogressisoftenafunctionofthequalityoftheirspeaking
skills,therearetoofewvoicestocoachandmentortheminthisimportantlifeskillcalled
presenting.
ThiseResourceguiderepresentspracticalinsightfromtopindustryexpertsandputstheir
collectivewisdomintoaneasytofollow,personalreferenceguidebrokendownbythe
issuesthatseemtomeanthemosttopresenterstoday.
Tips
PlanningaPresentation

16

TravelTips

711

Tips
WebPresentations

5059

RoomSetup

6064

OvercomingAnxiety

1217

DeliverySkills&Resources

6570

Handouts

1822

UsingSound&Video

7176

Storytelling

2329

PersonalInfluence

7784

PresentationMessageShaping 3036

BetterSalesPresentations

8595

GettingGoodFeedback

3740

RehearsingaPresentation

96101

PowerPointBestPractices

4149

ReadingRecommendations

Sowhetheryourecrammingforamajorpresentation,partnerpitchorinternal
meeting,wethinkyoullfindthese101tipstobeavaluableandtimelyresource.
Makethemostofeverypresentationopportunity!
101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

About the contributors

JimEndicott isanationallyrecognizedconsultant,executivecoachand

JimEndicott,President
Distinction
www.distinctionservices.com
jim@distinctionservices.com
DistinctionCommunicationInc.
18340NERainbowLane
Newberg,OR97132
503.554.1203

authorspecializinginprofessionalpresentationmessaging,advanceddesign
anddeliveryskillscoaching.JimhasbeenaJesseH.Nealawardwinning
columnistforPRESENTATIONSmagazineandhasalsocontributed
presentationrelatedcontenttomagazineslikeBusinessWeek,Consulting,
SellingPowerandthePortlandBusinessJournal.Jimandcoauthorand
psychologistDr.ScottLeereleasedtheirfirstbookin2001,ThePresentation
SurvivalSkillsGuide.(DistinctionPublishing).
Distinction,Jimscompany,isaPortland,ORbasedorganizationthathelps
theirclientcompaniescommunicatetheirhighstakespresentationmessages
withgreatereffectandpersonalimpact.
Distinctiondoesthatinthreekeyways:1)Theyworkwithanorganizations
highprofilepresenterstohelpthemmoreeffectivelyexecuteon thepersonal
communicationskillsneededtofosterdeeperlevelsoftrust,believabilityand
credibility.2)Theycollaborateonstrategicmessagedevelopmentshapingit
specificallyforthepresentationmedium.3)Andfinally,Distinctionsteamcan
provideprofessionalpresentationdesignsupportsoimportantconceptsare
actuallygraspedmorequickly.

DaveZielinski istheeditorofPresentationXpertnewsletter,apublication
ofTriMax Directreadeachmonthby150,000salesandmarketing,human
resourcesandcorporatecommunicationleadersseekingtoimprove their
presentationdeliveryordevelopmentskills.Hesalsoacontributingeditor
forTheToastmaster magazine,aswellasaformerawardwinningwriterfor
Presentationsmagazine.
DaveZielinski,Editor
PresentationXpertNewsletter
www.presentationxpert.com
davez@presentationxpert.com
ApublicationofTriMax Direct
106W.WaterStreet
StPaul,MN55107
651.292.0165
www.trimaxdirect.com

TriMax Direct,thepublisherofPresentationXpert,hasbeenmeetingthe
needsofthebusinesstobusinessdirectmarketingmarketplaceforover20
yearsinlistmanagement,listprocessing,fulfillment,enhancements,and
workingwiththebrokeragecommunitytosupplythebestandmost timely
solutionstomeetcustomers'needs.TriMax pridesitselfonknowledgeof
thebestpracticesindirectmarketing,qualitycustomerservice,integrityand
accountability.

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Planning a Presentation
1

Takeamomentajotdownthedifferentjobtitlesthatmaybein youraudience.Planning
arelevantpresentationmeansunderstandingthechallengesthatkeepthemawakeatnight.
Addressthoseeffectivelyandsuccesswillfollow.

Beginwiththeendinmind. Createyourclosingsummaryslidefirstandthenbuildyour
PowerPointtodrivetowardsthosecrispconclusions.Thislaserfocuswillkeepyour
presentationfromwanderingdownnoncriticalrabbitholes.

Applythe70%rule! Onlycreateenoughcontenttofill70%ofthetimeyouvebeengiven.
Youwillneverfinishearlyandwillfindyourpacetobelessrushed,whileyoufocusmore
effortonhowyouredelivering yourmessage notjustthemessageitself.Itwillalsoforce
youtothinkaboutwhatsreallyimportant.

Teampresentationscreateauniqueplanningchallenge.Determinethesefourcriticalroles
forcontentdevelopment,slideassemblyanddelivery:
Whowillplayteamleader? (Someoneneedstoinsurecontinuityasdifferentcontributors
submittheirslides)
Whowillopenandclosethepresentation? (Yourmostpassionateandarticulatepresenters)
Whowillprovidethemoregranularsolutiondetail? (Whocanbecrispwiththedetails
withoutgettinglostinthewoods?)
Whowillbethelook&feel gatekeeper? (Withoutthissupportrole,thepresentationwill
appeartobeapatchworkquiltoflooks,styles,capitalizationandimageintegrationinstead
ofone,cohesiveidentity.)

Peoplewillnotusuallyrememberwhatyousay,buttheyalwaysrememberhowyou
madethemfeel. Presentationsareoftenaboutchangingormovinganaudiencesbelief
system;beliefsaboutyourabilitytoimpactthem,createchange,meetagoal,leador
redeemachallengingsituation.Beforeyougettoofarintoyour planning,writedownyour
thoughtsaboutwhatyouwantaudiencememberstothinkandbelievedifferentlywhen
theyleaveyourpresentation.Thenmakeaplantocreatethefeelingyouhopetoleave
themwith.

Timeyourpresentationsoyoufinishfiveminutesearly. Mostpresenterscram60minutes
ofcontentintoa60minuteblockoftimeanditneverfits.Theaudiencesfinalimpression
ofyoubecomesthatofapresenterclickingrapidlythoroughslides,speakingatabreakneck
paceandbeingpreoccupiedwithyourwatch.
Instead,takethepressureoffandplantofinishafewminutesearly.Ifamiraclehappens
andyouactuallymanagetoconcludeearly,youhavetwowonderfuloptions.Givethattime
backtoyouraudienceknowingtheywillrememberyoubecauseyou weretheonly
presenterinrecentmemorywholetthemoutearlyorofferupafewmomentsforQ&A
witharelaxedsummarizationandclose.

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Travel Tips
7

AlwaysbackupyourpresentationonaUSBdrive,keepingyourpresentationandmedia
filesinthesamefolder.Thenifyouhavetoswitchlaptopsbecauseofanemergency,drag
thefoldertotherootlevelonthetargetcomputerandallyour medialinkswillstayintact.

Carryasetofannotated6or9uphandoutstohelprememberkeypresentationpoints.
Thiswayyoucanrehearseinajamwithouttheneedforyourlaptop.Presenterswhove
snatchedaudienceravesfromthejawsofpotentialdisasterwill tellyoualittlecontingency
planninggoesalongway.Payspecialattentiontotransitionslidestomaintaincontinuity.

Tapeyourbusinesscardtothetopofyourlaptop.Similarlaptopscangetinadvertently
switchedwhilegoingthroughairportsecurity,asurpriseyoureallydontneedwhenyougo
tobootupyourcomputermomentsbeforeabigpresentation.

10

Ifyouregularlyuseaudioorvideoinyourpresentations,travelwithanemergencybagof
patchcordsandconnectors.Thatway,incaseofafaultycableoranunderequippedhotel
AVdepartment,youhaveabackupplan.(Includeministereo,phono,and1/4 jack
adaptors.)

11

Ifyourecheckingluggageanddonthaveanadequatetimebufferbeforeyoupresent,
besuretotravelinasetofclothesyoucouldwearinapinch.Jeansmaybemore
comfortabletotravelin,buttheimpressionwillbelessthanprofessionalifyourluggage
doesnotarrivewhenyoudo!

Overcoming Anxiety
12

Knowyourpresentationmaterialinsideandoutandpracticeuntilyouown it. This

defusesabigchunkoftheanxietyunpreparedpresentersoftenexperience.Forevery60
minute,highstakespresentation,besureyoupracticenolessthantwohours.Youllneed
evenmorerehearsaltimeifyourepresentingasateam.

13

Setupasearlyaspossibleforyourpresentation. Lastminuteemergenciesoftenoccur
(screeninthewrongplace,noAV,chairssetupincorrectly,projectorissues).Ifyoure
sweatingupastormatthemomentyouraudiencearrives,youwillhavenorecoverytime
andyourharriedeffortswillbeyouraudiencesfirstimpressionofyou.

14

Takeabriskwalk. Bottledupadrenalineoftenturnsintonervousordistracting
presentationhabits.Burnoffthatexcessenergyandthenreturn totheroominsufficient
timetocenteryourthoughts.Thiswillequipyouforamuchmoreconfidentstart.

15

Presentersusuallyfindthefirstfiveminutesoftheirpresentationsmostdifficult.While
audiencemembersarecomingin, strikeupapersonalconversationwithseveralsothey
areknowntoyouwhenyoustart.Establishwarm,initialeyecontactwiththoseindividuals
andthenspreadittothosearoundthemtohelpyoueaseintotheimportantopening
momentsofyourpresentation.Besuretonotgetfixatedonjust afewfriendlyaudience
members.
5

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Overcoming Anxiety

(cont.)

16

Oftentimesdisasters inourearlypresentationexperiencespredisposeusforfeelingsof
inadequacy.Ourmentalprogramming oftenneedstoberewired. Ifthisisyou,takea
fewminutestheeveningbeforeabigpresentation,closeyoureyesandmentallywalk
through thefirstfewminutesofasuccessful presentationtobegintoreprogramyour
oldthinking.IfitsgoodenoughforanOlympicathletewaitingatthetopofagiantslalomto
mentallyskithecourse,itsgoodenoughforus!

17

Getlostinyourmessage,notyourself. Ifyougetallwrappedupinwhetheranaudience
willlikeyou,chancesaretheywont.Butifyouputallofyourfocusandnervousenergy
insteadintoensuringyoudeliveramessagethatresonateswithaudiences,oddsareyour
presentationwillsucceed.Bottomline:loseyourselfinyourcontentanddelivery,not
whethereveryhairisinplaceoreveryverbalticeliminated,andyoullfindgestureswill
naturallystarttofallinplace,therightwordswillcomeandyoullmakeapositive
impressiononaudiences.

Handouts
18

Thebestpresentationvisualsmaketheworsthandouts. Presentersoftentrytosavetime
bycreatingcomplexPowerPointfilesthatcanalsodoubleashandouts,butyouneedto
thinkofyourprojected contentandyour printed orleavebehind contentastwodifferent
animals.Thatsbecauseslidesaredesignedtobeskeletonoutlinesthatpromptthespoken
word,nottellthewholestory,whilehandoutsnaturallyrequire moredetailandsupporting
data.
IfyouwillbeusingPowerPointasyourhandouts,createyourmorecomplexversionfor
handoutsfirst,thendoaSaveAS versionwhereyoustripout80%ofthedetail,integrate
moreimageelementsanddistilldowntextbasedinformationforyouractualpresentation.

19

Besuretoincludeallyourcontactinformationonyourhandouts.Ifyouraudiencedidnt
getabusinesscardfromyou,yourhandoutsmaybetheonlysourceofcontactinformation.

20

Manyhandoutsendupbeingleftbehindbyaudiences.Tosaveafewtrees,createaPDFfile
ofyourhandoutsandoffertoemailthem toanyoneprovidingyouabusinesscard.You
mightalsoprovidethemasadownloadfromyourwebsiteandincludeaURLonyourfinal
presentationslide.

21

Provideabibliographyofwebresourcestosupportyourpresentationtopics.Todays
audiencesactivelyutilizeInternetresourceslikearticles,blogs,slidesharingsites,Twitter
accountsofsubjectmatterexpertsandothervaluableonlinetools.

22

Formoreprofessionalleavebehinds,buildyourhandoutsinanMSWorddocument. Using
theFile>SaveAsoptioninPowerPoint(andselecting.png fromthedropdownoptions),
exportspecificslidesandpastethemintoyourworddocument.Thenaddmore
comprehensivecommentary.ThePowerPointthumbnailgivestheman importantvisual
reminderandtheWorddocumentenablesyoutoincludemorespokendetail.Theend
result amuchmoreprofessionallookinghandout!
6
101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Storytelling
23

Heresasimplestorytellingformat forshapingstoriesthatlandwithimpact.
(FromDougStevensonsbookNeverBeBoringAgain)

SettheScene
IntroducetheCharacters
BegintheJourney
EncounteranObstacle
OvercometheObstacle(ornotobstaclesarentalwaysovercome)
ResolvetheStory(Issuesdontalwaysresolve)
MakethePoint(Yourstoriesneedone)
Askthemakethemthink question

24

Theresearchisin peoplewillforgetyourbulletslidesandrememberabrief,welltold
story.Goodstoriesshouldbepracticeduntiltheycanbedeliveredintwominutesorless.
(Evenifyouplanalongerstory,itwillbebetterwhenyouadheretothisdiscipline.)Without
atimerestraint,storiesoftenmeanderandfailtogettotheir importantpoint.Also,avoid
readingpersonalstoriesverbatim,sinceitsdifficulttomakethemfeelauthenticwhenread
wordforword,evenforthemostaccomplishednotesusers.

25

Thebeststoriescomefromourownpersonalexperiences,nottheretoldexperienceof
others.Createapersonalstoryjournal ofyourlifeexperiencesandtheimportantlessons
youlearned.Thenwhenyouneedagreatstorytotieinanimportanttopic,justpullastory
fromyourpersonaljournal.Indexthembylessonslearned.(ie.GuysatBestBuy Makingthe
ComplexSimple.)

26

Britishresearchhasshownthatpeoplewholiveout theirstorieswiththeirbody
language andgestures are30%morememorable thanthosewhosimplystandandtell
theirstory.Dontjusttellem astory,showem thestorytoberememberedlonger.

27

Thebookendstoryprovidescontinuitytoapresentation. Startwithastorythatsetsthe
contextforyourpresentation,butdontattempttoresolvetheissue.Deliveryour
presentation.Thenclosewiththeopeningstoryandhowtheissue resolved.This
approachtiesinyourpresentationelementsmuchmoreeffectivelyandinsuresyourfinal
pointswillberemembered.

28

Foragreatresourceontheuseofstoriestocommunicatevalue, cultureandother
importantpoints,checkoutDavidArmstrongsclassicbook,ManagingByStorying Around:
ANewMethodofLeadership.Itsahighlypracticalguideonhowtocreatestoriesthat
makeimportantpoints.

29

ConsiderusingthePhraseThatPays. DougStevenson,masterstoryteller,talksabout
howgoodspeakersandstorytellerswilloftenintegratearecurringexpressionorphrase
thatmayormaynotbeselfevidentduringthepresentation.Afterbeingusedfourorfive
timesandbeinggivengreaterandgreatermeaning,itwillstick inaudiencesmindslong
afteryourpresentationconcludes.Needagoodexample?PresidentBarackObamas
speechfollowingthe2008NewHampshireDemocraticprimary Yeswecan!
101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Presentation Message Shaping

30

Thevastmajorityofpresentationmessagesintendedtopersuadeandinfluenceareoften
presenterfocused.Savvyaudiencesquicklyseethepresentationforwhatitis more
aboutthepresenterthanaboutthem.Heresaneasy7stepmodelforcreating
presentationsthatconnectwithhearts&minds:
1)Identifythechallenge(Pain)
2)Quantifytheimpact(Morale,productivity,profits,turnover)
3)Specifytheneed(Need)
4)ProposetheSolution(Solution)
5)QuantifytheBenefits(Value)
6)Sellitsadvantage(Differentiation)
7)SubstantiateYourClaim(Validation)

31

TheprincipleofRecencyPrimacysaysthatpeoplearemoreinclinedtorememberthe
firstandlastfewminutesofapresentation.Forthatreasondontrushyouropening.Set
expectationsquicklyandcreatemessagingcontextwithastory.Closewithawellpaced,
singleslidesummaryandconcludingstoryrelatedtoyoursolutiontodrivehomeyour
point.Spendatleasthalfyourrehearsaltimeontheopeningandclosingfiveminutes!

32

Alterthenatureofyourpresentedmaterialeveryseventoeight minutes.Theprinciple
ofhabituation meansourbrainsbegintocheckoutwhenthestimulusinfrontofus
doesntchange.(Monotonevoice.Bulletslideafterbulletslide.Staticdelivery.)Using
audienceinteraction,facts,audio,video,stories,propsandothermessagingvehiclesto
constantlychangeupthestimuluswillkeepyouraudienceengagedandparticipative
frombeginningtoend.Onesingleapproachguaranteesaudienceboredomandmessage
detachment.

33

Knowhowyourmessagingapproachimpactsyouraudienceandtheir responses:
Factualmaterial (Text,data,charts).Usedtoprove,inform,justify.Generallyhasimpact
onshorttermmemory,oftenengagesthedefensivepartofthebrainandhaslow
persuasivevalue.
Emotional/relationalmaterial (Stories,props,video,audiencediscussion...).Usedto
move/restrainactionorbehavior.Impactslongtermmemoryandhashighpersuasive
value.

34

Onesizefitsallpresentationsrarelyconnectwithanaudiencebecauseofpeoples
uniqueneedsandissues.Takethatcoreproductpresentationandusehyperlinkingto
customizeyourapproachontheflytoyouraudience.Insteadofdraggingthemthrough
60minutesofpresentationmaterialthatonlytouchesonfiveminutesofrelevantneed,
clickandjumpearlyontothematerialthatsimportanttothem.Youcanalsocharta
numberofuniquepathsthroughthesamesetofslidesusingPowerPointsCustomShows
option.Youraudiencewillthinkyoucreatedthepresentationjustforthem!
8

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Presentation Message Shaping

(cont.)

35

Strivetomakethreepointsthatstickratherthan10pointsthatleavenolasting
impression. TheRuleofThree isonethemostpowerfulconceptsincommunication,and
holdsthatwecanonlyretainsmallchunksofinformationatatime.Presentershavea
tendencytotrytowedgetoomanykeypointsintopresentations, makingthem
unnecessarilylongorwordy.Identitythethreetopthingsyouwantyouraudiencetoknow.
Then,asyoureshapingorrevisingyourpresentation,constantlyaskyourself,Isthisthe
mostimportantissue,thebestexample,themostcompellingwaytomakemypoint?

36

UseaLatitudeofAcceptance diagramduringplanningtolocatekeyaudiencebelief
systemindicators.Forexample:
Openminded____I_____I____I____I____I_____I____I____I_____Skeptical
Itsunrealistictothinkyoullcreatemorethana1020%shiftinanaudiencescollective
thinkingorcorebeliefsystems.Forexample,acompanythathasneveroffereda
managementfeedbackmechanismbutsuddenlyofferspersonalluncheswiththepresident
maybemetwithskepticism.Thebelief:managementisindifferent.Theapproach:
incrementalmessagingovertimecreatesstepstowardsalongtermchangeinbeliefs.

Getting Good Feedback

37

InDistinctions2009PresentationImpactSurvey,69%indicatedtheyreceivedlittleorno
constructivefeedbackontheirpresentations.Findsomeoneelseonyourteamtobea
presentationfeedbackpartner.Honestandconstructiveinputiscriticaltobecominga
betterpresenter.Hereshowtostructureyourobservations 3thingsyoudidwell.3
thingsthatwilltakeyoutothenextlevel!
86%ofbusinesspresentersbelievetheyareeffectivecommunicators.Only17%oftheir
audiencesagreed. TheLeaderVoice.Selfawarenessisthekeytomeaningfulchange.

38

Discretelysetupavideocamerainthebackofyournextpresentationandletitrun.
Whenyouplayitbackduringaquietmoment,lookfordistractingbehaviorslikenervous
hands,happyfeet,pacingorlookingbackatyourslideswhentalking.Simplybeingawareof
theseissuesallowsyoutoworkononeortwooftheminyournextpresentation.

39

Providinggoodinputtoothersisoftenadifficulttask becauseweoftenlackan
understandingofafewfundamentalsthatdramaticallyimpacthow weareperceivedas
presenters.Ifthatdescribesyouandyourteam,itmaybetimetoseekoutsomeoutside
professionalassistance.Forideasonhowtofindagoodcoach, checkouttheDeliverySkills
andResourcessectionofthistipsguide.

40

Manycompaniestodayaremakingpresentationskillsapartoftheirannualemployee
evaluationprocessbutdonthaveanyformalmeasurementtools. Checkoutthislinkfora
PDFfilethatcanprovidesomehelpfulmeasurementquestionsfor aninternalemployee
presentationskillsassessmentprocess.www.distinctionservices.com/assesspres.php
9

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

PowerPoint Best Practices

41

Goodpresentationvisualsaremostoftenstrikinglysimple andrequirethepresenterto
addmostofthevalueandmeaning.Applythe7secondruletoyourslides.Itshouldtake
youraudiencenolongerthan78secondstoscantheslideandreturntheirattentionto
you,thepresenter.Morecomplexslidescanbeaccommodatedwith animationaslongas
youbuildyourscreencontentin78secondsofscannable material.

42

Animationissimplyanobjectinaction,buttheactingobjectshouldneverbetext.
Objectscanmoveinyourpresentations,buttextshouldremainstationary.Consider
selectingasimplenonmovinganimation(fadeinfast)fornearlyallobjectandtext
animationelements.Keepinmindthisgoldenruleofusingmultimedia:Ifanactiononly
servesitself,itisuselessbecausetheaudienceonlytakesinterestintheaction,andnotin
theinformation.

43

Considerhowmanytextslidesyoumightreplacewithamorevisuallystimulatingimage.
BreakingawayfromanumbingparadeoftextonlyPowerPointslideshelpstokeepand
sustainaudienceinterest.Oneslidewithapictureshowingtheimpactofatornadoona
Kansashomewillcommunicateinfinitelymorethanadozenbullet slides.Showthepicture
thenaddthespokencommentary.Thewindsassociatedwithalevel3tornadocandrive
strawthrougha4inchpost.Anditcantossatwothousandpoundcaraquarterofamile.
Thelessonhere:moreimages fewerwords.

44

Bulletedtextslidesshouldbetalkingpointsonly,notusedasateleprompter Makeno
mistake heavytextslidescanmakeeventhebestpresenterabulletreader. Hereare
severalwaystoknowifyouruseofbulletedslideinformationhasrunamok.
Areyourbulletswrappingaroundtoasecondline?Youreprobablytryingtosaytoomuch.
Disciplineyourselftoedittextcontentdowntoaonelinetalkingpoint.
Areyouusingsubbulletsorsubsubbullets?Thesearemostoftensimplyadditionaltalking
pointsandshouldntbepartofyourvisual.Addingthiskindofdensetextcauses audience
tocheckoutfast!Doyoutrytotalktoeverybulletontheslide?Cultivatetheartoftalking
totheessenceoftheslide.Speakgenerallyabouttheprimaryfocusoftheslideandonlycall
outabulletortwotomakeyourpoint.
Doyourbulletsrundownthelengthoftheslide?Dontexceedfivetosixsinglelinesof
bulletedinformation.Ifitsnecessarytotalktothemall,considersplittingthemupover
severalslides,thenaugmentingwithrelevantimages.

45

Rapidslidelayoutcanoftenbefacilitatedbyworkingfromhigh levelthoughtstomore
granularpresentationslidedetail. Spendingalotoftimecreatingoneslideafteranotheris
likemowingthelawnwhileonlylookingthreefeetinfrontofthemower.Thepathyoucut
willmeanderjustlikepresentationmessagingoftenwanders.

10

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

PowerPoint Best Practices

(cont.)

Createyourinitialtitlesideandyourconcludingsummaryslide first.Thenusingtheseven
stepmodelintheMessagingsection,layoutonlyslidetitlesfortherestofthepresentation.
(Nobodycontentatthattime.)Askyourself,doesthemessageflowwelltowardsthe
conclusion?Thenoncetheflowisvalidatedwithtitles,begintoaddimagesordetailthat
supportstheslidetitlebutkeepinmindthe7secondrule!Yourpresentationwillcome
togethermuchmorequickly!

46

Ratherthanastandardbluebackground,considerwhiteinstead.ManyWebsitesare
designedwithwhitebackgroundstohelptext,graphicsandother designelementsstand
out,andthesameapproachcanbeeffectiveforpresentations.Simple,unornamented
backgroundshelpotherelementsofyourpresentationreallypop. Inaddition,as
projectorshavebecomebrighter,itsnolongernecessarytoturnoffthelightsinrooms,
avoidingtheproblemofhavingglaringwhitebackdropsindarkrooms.

47

Badpackagingdestroysgoodmessaging. Whenwasthelasttimeyouboughtacaroran
expensiveproductbasedonaflyerthatwascoveredwithdistortedpictures,typosand
playfulclipart?Probablynever.Inthesameway,yourPowerPointpresentationneedsto
exhibitthesameprofessionalstandardsfordesignthatareexpectedfromotherimportant
toolsinyourorganization.(Thinkprint,website).Youcanputgreatmessagingintoavery
amateurlookingtemplatesurroundedbypixilatedandblurryimagesandcompletely
destroythepresentationsimpact.Youcantseparatemessageviabilityfromthequalityof
thecontaineritsputin.

48

Dontgetfontstylecrazy. Youmayhavecorporatestandardsthatincludesomeartsy
fonts,butinthepresentationmediumthereareonlytwoconsiderations:readabilityand
portability.Themostartisticcorporateseriffontsareoftenthemostdifficulttoreadona
presentationscreen.EvenatraditionalTimesRomancancauseeyestostrain.Theother
challengeisthatspecialtyfontsdontalwaysstayembeddedandstrangelinewrappingcan
mysteriouslyappear.SticktothebasicslikeArial andspendyourtimeandenergyshapinga
crispmessagesurroundedbycleanandrelevantimagery.

49

TospeedPowerPointdesign,avoidtheblankslide syndrome. Oneofthebiggest

challengestimestarvedpresentersfaceisfindingenoughtimetodedicatetoslidedesign.
Soratherthanstartfromscratch,chooseaslidedesignthatalreadyworksandtailoritto
meetyourspecificneeds.Thisworksbestwhenyouhavealibraryofgraphicscommonly
usedinyourorganizationspresentations.Itseasiertostartwithanexisting,successful
graphicandcustomizeitthantostartwithablankpieceofpaper.Ifnothingelse,your
libraryofimageswillgetyouthinkingvisually.

Web-based Presentations
50

Dontusepollsjustforpollingsake. Makesurethosemultiplechoiceortrue/false
questionsareintegratedwithyourtopic.Youmightpolltolead intodiscussionofanew
topic,forexample,thenusetheresultstoguidetheensuingconversation.

11

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Web-based Presentations

(cont.)

51

Visualsinwebinarsneedtobeevensimplerthanintraditionalpresentations.Audience
multitaskingisyourbiggestobstacleinwebbasedpresenting,sokeepyourslidesvisually
richandmoving(orbuilding)onamuchmoreaggressivetimeline.Neverspendmorethana
minuteonasinglevisual.Ifyoufindyourselftalkingforthreetofourminutesormoreona
singleslide,thatemailwindowonparticipants desktopswillbegintocalltheirnames!

52

Vocalmechanicstakeongreaterimportanceinwebpresentations, sinceyourvoiceisthe
primaryconduitofcommunication. Assuch,vocalimperfectionswilljumpoutandcall
attentiontothemselves.Amonotonevoiceissimplytooeasyto tuneout,andspeakingtoo
quickly,tooslowlyorarticulatingpoorlyareothercommonverbalviruses toavoid.Puton
thatwirelessheadsetandstandandgestureasyoudeliverthepresentation.Youraudience
willheartheaddedenergyinyourvoiceandmakeitjustthatmuchmoredifficulttoget
distracted.Vocallyspeaking,youneedtobeanenhancedversion ofyourselfandthat
meansemphasizingenthusiasm,clarityandwarmth.

53

Tokeepyouraudienceengaged,changeuppresentationstimuluseverysixtoseven
minutes. Movingbetweenelementslikepersonalstories,compellingstatistics,co
presenters,highqualityimages,audioelements,linkstowebresourcesorbriefonline
demosarejustsomeofthewaystokeepthingsinteresting.Also,webpresentationsshould
bemuchshorterandmoreconcisethantheirfacetofacecounterparts.A60minuteface
tofacepresentationshouldbecomea3540minutevirtualone!

54

Trialrunsarevitalwithwebinars. Presentingplatformsvarysoitsimportanttodetermine
theircapabilitiesupfront.Doesthewebinarplatformallowpresenterstousedual
monitors?Howarepollingquestionsenteredintothesystem?How clearistheheadset
sound?Makesureyouusethesameconnection,computerandheadsetinyourtrialrun
thatyouwillusethedayofthepresentation.

55

Nomatterhowzippyyourwebconnectionorthatofeachparticipant,thereisalmost
alwaysaslightdelaybetweenwhenyoushowthenextslideandwhenparticipantsseethe
slideontheirscreens.Thechallengeisyoudontknowwhenparticipantsareseeingthe
newslideunlessyousetupasecondPConyourdeskandconnectthatPCasaparticipant.
Thatway,youcanadvancetothenextslideandkeeptransitioningwithwhatyouresaying
untilyouseethenewslideontheparticipantPC. Nowyoureexperiencingwhattheyare.

56

Buildvirtualrelationshipsquickly. Putapictureofyourselfonyourtitleslideandleadoff
withapersonalstorythatgivesthemsomeinsightintowhatmakesyoutickandwhyyoure
passionateaboutyourtopic.Trustisalwaysabyproductofpersonalinsight.

57

ConsiderusingWebcamsharingfeaturesbeforeandafterapresentation,soparticipants
canconnectyourfacetothecontent,orduringthosetimeswhen youaskquestions.Consult
yourwebhostingconsultantaboutthisuse.Youllwanttoavoidstreaminglivevideoduring
thebodyofyourwebinarsinceitcannegativelyimpactthequalityofyourpresentation.

12

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Web-based Presentations

(cont.)

58

Exercisecautionwhenusinganimationandhyperlinks. Animationsthatworkwellinone
webinarplatformmightnotworkinothers.Andwhilehyperlinksmightworkinanormal
presentation,theymaynotbeclickable incertainwebinarplatforms.Toavoidthelatter
problem,considerplacingyourlinksintextchatwindows.

59

LetyouraudienceknowupfrontyouwillbeprovidingaQ&Aopportunityattheend.
Also,encouragethemtosendtheirquestionsviaemailforapostpresentationresponse.If
questionspileupattheendofyourpresentationandarenotanswered,attendeeswillfeel
theyreceivedlessvaluefortheirtime.

Room Set-up
60

Thepresenterisconsideredthemostimportantelementofapresentation,butthelocation
ofthepresentationscreenoftensendsaverydifferentmessage.Thescreenisoftenplaced
inthecentermiddleoftheroomforcingthepresenterintoacornerandsettingupanunfair
competitionforyouraudiencesattention.Wheneverpossible,movethescreenintothe
upperrightfrontcorneroftheroomtosendthemessageyouarethefocusofthe
presentation,notyourvisuals.Theaddedspaceupfrontwillalsoallowyoutomovemore
comfortablyandbetterengagewithyouraudience.

61

Withoutavisualreferencetoseeyourslidesandconfirmslidemovement,itisalmost
impossiblenottoturnyourattentionfrequentlybacktothebig screen.Thisconstant
engagementdisengagementwithyouraudienceisoneofthemostcommoncomplaints
audienceshaveforpresenters.Placeyourlaptoponachairortableinthefrontrowsoa
briefglanceisallittakestogetyourbearings.Youwillappearmuchmoreincontrol.

62

Themostdifficultroomsetupforconnectingeffectivelywithyouraudienceoccurswhen
youaretrappedbehindanimpersonallecternorpodium.Importantbodylanguageis
effectivelynegatedandyoureyeswillspendmoretimestaringdownatyournotesthan
lookingatyouraudience.AlthoughmostAVdepartmentsdefaulttothisroomsetup,
theyremorethanhappytoaccommodateapresenterwhowouldlikeawirelesslapel
microphoneandthepodiummovedoffstage.Thebiggestreasontheyarenotavailable?
Thepresenterdoesntask.

63

Getsetupandreadytogoatleast30minutesbeforeyoupresent. Thenwalkthe
availablepresenterspacetogetcomfortablewiththeroom,learnwherenottostandso
youdontgetbetweenaudiencemembersandthescreenandmarkthesqueakyplaceson
thestage.Nothingismoreirritatingthanarecurring,noisydistractionforyouraudience.

64

Roomlightingcanoftenwashthecolorandcontrastfromyourpresentationvisuals.
Cannedorflorescentlightingaboveyourpresentationscreenwillwashoutyourprotected
images,leavingthemlessappealing,flatandwithmoremutedcolors.Youwillfindmost
supportstaffhelpfulinsimplydisconnectingthatspecificfixturetomakeyourvisualspop
onscreen.
13

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Delivery Skills and Resources

Beinganeffectivepresentertodayisnotaboutexecutingonabunchofhighlevelskills
flawlessly,ratheritisaboutdoingjustafewsimplethingsconsistentlywell.Herearefour
areastofocusontorefineyourskills:

65

EYES Mostpresentersscantheiraudienceandrarelymakesustained, purposefuland

individualeyecontact.Turnyourpresentationintoaseriesof oneonconversationsand
youraudiencewillsenseamuchmorepersonalconnection.

66

HANDS Nervousnessoftenexhibitsitselfinhandsfindingveryanxious thingstodo.

(Clasping,wringing,clutching).Betweengoodgestures,developthedisciplineoflettingyour
handsreturncomfortablytoyoursides.Itmayfeeluncomfortablebutwilllooklessnervous.
Remember,youraudienceseyestraveltowhereverthehandsgo.Trynottoletyourhands
getstuck formorethanafewsecondsandavoidkeepingyourarmslockedatyoursides
asifyourelbowswerenailedtoyourribcage.Makegesturesbigandmeaningful.

67

MOVEMENT Presentersoftenwillsaytheywanttobeperceivedaspassionate,energetic
andenthusiastic.Unfortunately,mostdolittletomoveinwaysthatcreatethatimpression.
Andiftheydomove,itoftenappearsasnervouspacinginstead. Practicecomfortable,
relaxedmovementsbetweenthreespots center,leftandright.Thekeyisstayinglong
enoughineachspotthatyouappeartobewellanchored.Considermovingwithslide
transitions.

68

VOICE Astrong,confidentvisualpresenceneedstobereinforcedbyastrong,articulate
andvarieddelivery.Presentersareoftenthelastonestohearthenervousuhms and
ahhs thatcreepintotheirconversation.Theseawkwardfillerscanbecomevery
distracting.Recordyournextpresentationandsimplylisten,dontwatchit.Thebrainwill
ofteninsertthesenervousplaceholders asitattemptstobuysometimetoaccess
information.
Trytobemoredeliberateinyourdeliveryandinsertnaturalpauseswhereyouretempted
toinsertanuhmm.Striveforconversationalbehaviorandtoneinamonologuesetting.
Dialoguebehaviorfeelsliketwopeopletalkingacrossakitchen table natural,comfortable
andopen.

69

Audienceswilloftenreflectbacktheenergylevelofthepresenterinfrontofthem.Ifyou
arealowenergypresenter,youwillcreatelowenergyaudiences (andinteraction).Forthis
reason,practicebringingamuchhigherlevelofenthusiasmtoyourpresentations.Itmay
feelalittleuncomfortable,butthisenhancedleveloffocus,energyandconfidencewillhelp
youappearmoreprofessionalandincontrol.Theaddedpassionwillnotbeviewedas
phony,ratheranenthusiasmtheywillfindrefreshing.Theywill getenergyfromyou!

70

Sometimespeertopeercoachingfailstoidentifyandresolvepresentationbehaviors.There
willbetimeswhenyousimplyneedtoseekoutprofessionalpresentationskillscoaches.
Theynotonlywillhelpyouidentifykeyissuesbutalsooffersomeseasonedinsightonhow
toaddressthem.Lookforthesethingsinaprofessionalpresentationskillscoaching
organization:
14

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Delivery Skills and Resources

(cont.)

Selfawarenessiscriticaltopersonalchange.
Videotapingmustplayacentralroleinanycoachingexperience.
Findacompanywithasolidtrackhistoryandcheckitsreferences.
Anyonecanfillascreenwithclientlogos.
Customizationforyourteamsneedsshouldbeastrongconsideration.
Findsomeonewhounderstandsyourindustryandcantune trainingforyou.
Trainingisneveracheckinabox itsanoutcome.
Berealisticaboutthetimeitwilltaketocreaterealbehavioralchangeinindividuals.
Knowhowtheywillprovideposttrainingsupport.
Skillswillatrophywhenthereisnoreinforcementandnoaccountability.

Using Sound & Video

71

Asmuchastodayspresentationtechnologieshaveevolved,technicalissuescanstillpopup.
Whenusingintegratedmediaelements,understandthataudiofilesgenerallylinkor
embed intopresentationsandvideofilesgenerallyonlylink. Alllinkedfilesmustalways
accompanythePowerPointfileanditsalwayswisetokeeptheminthesamefoldersoPPT
(orothersoftware)canfindthemmoreeasilyincaseofanemergencytransfer.
Embeddedmediafilesarecontainedwithinthefilebutalsoincreasethenativefilesize
accordingly.DontinsertaCDqualityaudiofilewhenalowerqualityaudioelementwilldo.

72

Alwaystestvideolinksbeforeeachpresentation.PowerPointwantstocreatetriggers for
embeddedvideobutitlimitsyouroptions.(Playwhenyouenter slideorplaywhenyou
clickon thevideo)Toplayonanymouseclick(morepractical),deletethetriggerfrom
CustomAnimationandADDEFFECT>MOVIEACTIONS>PLAY(onaclick.)

73

Makesureyouknowhowaudioclipswillbeplayedfromyourlaptopduring
presentations.(Yourownspeakersorhousespeakers?)Ifyourlaptopaudiois maxedout,
youwillnothaveanoptiontoadjustvolumelevelsyourselfduringthepresentation.When
testing,setyourlaptopaudiolevelat70%andletthesoundtechadjusttheexternalmixer
forthehouse.Thenyoustillhavesomelaptopcontrolofhouse soundlevels.

74

Tominimizehavingtomakemanyindividualvolumechangesfromyourlaptop,adjustaudio
levelsforsoundandvideofilesinyourpresentationwithinPowerPointsotheyarethe
same.ClickonthemediaelementinyourCustomAnimationmenuandselectasettingstab
untilyouseeasmallspeakericon.Thegoalshouldbetosetallyouraudiolevelssothey
soundtoyourearasbeingthesamelevel.
15

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Using Sound & Video

(cont.)

75

Whenyoureplayingavideo,watchitwithyouraudiencelikeitsthefirsttimeyouve
seentheclip. Ifyouappearboredordistractedbecauseyouveseenitamilliontimes
before,itwilldevaluetheclipsimportanceforviewers.

76

ManypresenterstodayplayexcerptsfromHollywoodmoviesduring presentationstomake
points.Beawarethatthistypeofpublicviewing mayrequireasmalllicensing
agreementtoavoidviolatingcopyrightlaw. Visitmplc.com tolearnwhenandwhereyou
mustobtainaninexpensivelicensetokeepyououtoftroublewiththemoviemakers!

Personal Influence
77

Textanddataisrarelyinfluential.Makingalastingimpactonaudiencesrequiresalso
appealingtotherightsideofthebrainwherelongtermmemoryresides.Thingslike
personalstories,theuseofprops,audio&videointegrationor interactivegroupdiscussion
arealltoolsforfosteringmessagesthatwillberememberedlongafteryourpresentation
ends.Rememberthatwhatbringsdatatolifeistheemotionandrelationshipbehindthe
information.

78

Landmarkresearch(Iyengar &Lepper,2000)foundthatwhenweofferpeopletoomany
choicesoroptions,itactuallymakesitmoredifficultforthem todecide.Inapresentation,
ifweprovidetoobroadarangeofvariationsinourproducts,services,budgetsorother
areas,decisionmakingbecomesmoredifficultforaudiences,not easier.Choiceisnot
alwaysagoodthing.Limittheoptionsyouwantyouraudienceto consider!

79

Areyoubetteratpointingoutaudiencepain thanarticulatingacrispsolution?
Researchshowsthatunlessweofferupaclearandwelldefinedpathtoresolvetensionfor
theissuesweveraised,wemayactuallybeparalyzing ouraudiencesdesiretotakeaction!
Besuretoconcludewithsomeveryspecificthingstheycandotoresolvetheirpain.

80

Psychologistscallittheprincipleofinoculation.Whenthereisapreexistingissuethatis
knowntoyouraudiencethatthreatenstoderailyourpresentationmessage,tackleithead
onearlytodefuseitsimpact.Forexample,Lastquarterwemissedanimportantproduct
introductiondeadline.Butbecausewedelayedintroduction,wewereabletocreateabetter
productthathasseveralimportantfeaturesourcustomersdesperatelywanted Ifyou
donttakethisapproach,youcanbesuresomeonewillaskanembarrassingquestionduring
Q&Athatwillbeyouraudienceslastimpression.

81

Audiencesrarelyrelateverywelltopeoplewhocomeacrossastoopolished.And
perfectionshouldneverbeourgoalaspresenters.Wearemostinfluencedbyauthentic
peoplewhosharechallengessimilartoourown.Ourgreatestpositionofinfluenceisin
comingalongsideouraudiences,notspeakingdowntothemassubjectmatterexperts.

16

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Personal Influence

(cont.)

82

Peoplearegenerallymorepersuadedbywhattheymaylosethanbywhattheymaygain.
(RobertCialdini,Influence:Science&Practice)Yetwecontinuetofocusonsellingtheupside
ofourideasandsolutions.Understandingandarticulatingthepainaffectneedofanissue
(beforeofferingsolutions),createsimportantcontextandisan effectivewaytohelpan
audienceinternalizeaneededsolution.

83

WhydidresponseratesgoupdramaticallywhenTVinfomercialschangedtacticsfrom
operatorsarewaiting toifoperatorsarebusy,pleasecallagain?(RobertCialdini,Yes)
TheansweristheprincipleofSocialProof.Whenmanypeople(justlikeyouraudience)are
makingthedecisionwereproposing,theyfeelmoremotivatedtomakeasimilar
decision. Inyourpresentations,utilizecasestudiesthatarecloselyassociatedwithyour
audiencedemographictomovethemtowardsyoursolution.

84

Tomoveahighlydiverseaudience(jobtitles,personalexperiences,variousindustries)
aheadtogetherinitsthinkingordecisionmakingcanbeachallenge.Helppeoplefind
commongroundasagroupfirst.Considerusinganaudienceinteractionquestionordata
pointthataffectseveryoneintheroomandguidesthemtowardanacknowledgementof
sharedexperiences.Thenrelatethattoyourtopicandtheaudiencesdifferenceswill
becomelessimportanttothem.

Better Sales Presentations

85

Goodsalespresentationsshouldbemoreabouttheissuesthatkeepyourprospectawake
atnightthanyourneedtoarticulateyourproductorservicefeaturesindetail. Prospects
careonlyabouthowyoucanhelpthemsolveproblems,notthenewwhizbangattributesof
yourproductorservice.Contentwithoutcontextismeaningless. (Seethe7 stepmodelin
theMessagesection)Whenyoucansolveacustomerproblemorremoveapain,you
becomearesourceinsteadofavendor.

86

SalescallsdonotalwaysrequireaPowerPointpresentation.Anexploratorydiscussion
withouttheuseofasinglepresentationslidewilloftenprovidetheinsightneededtoshape
awelltargetedsecondcallpresentationthatbuildstrustmorerapidly inrelationships.

87

Seatedpresentationsmaybethenormformanysalescallstoday, butinastudydonebythe
WhartonSchoolofBusiness,whenpresentersstoodtointeractwithvisuals,flipchartsor
props,buyers inthestudywereoftenmorelikelytobuy. Standingaddsmoreenergy
andpresencetoyourinteractionwhenitcanbedonenaturally.

88

Goodelevatorpitchesarentwhattheyusedtobe. First,elevatorsarealotfasterthese
daysandsecondly,busyexecutivesareusuallyontheircellphones.Foracrispelevator
pitchusethisformula:Personalintroduction.ThenYouknowhow (theissueorproblem
companiesexperience),wellwe (yoursolutionanditsvalueproposition)andtheresults
are (theimpactyourcustomersareexperiencing).Offeryourcardandasmile.
17
101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Better Sales Presentations

(cont.)

89

Oftentimesagroupoftechnicalmanagersandexecutiveleadersaretogetherinthesame
presentation,makingitdifficulttotargettheirspecificneeds andrespecttheirtime.Start
thepresentationbylettingthemknowthatthefirst10minuteswillbeahighleveloverview
ofyourproduct/service/ideaandthenyoullbetakingatwominutebreak.Ifparticipants
receivedalltheinformationtheyneeded,theycanfeelfreeto leave.Iftheywanttodoa
deeperdive,thenext30minuteswillprovideadditionaldetail. Everyonewillloveyou!

90

Toomanysalespresentationsendbecausetheyrunoutofslides. Createasuccinct
summaryslidetocloseyourpresentation,andknowitsslidenumbersowhenyour
presentationiscutshortbythatdriver decisionmaker,youcansimplytypeintheslide
numberofyourconcludingslide(inPowerPoint)andjumptoacrispconclusionandcallto
action.Itwillmakeyoulookverypolishedandprepared!

91

Wanttoknowhowtogettheattentionofseniorleveldecisionmakers? Findouthow
theyaremeasuredintheirjobs(profitability,marketshare,campaignexecution)then
targetyourpresentationtothosemetrics.Thatwillgreatlyincreaseyouroddsofgaininga
followuppresentation.

92

Mostsalespeoplehandoutcolorfulbrochures,slickflyers,andglossypostcardsabout
themselvesandtheservicestheyoffer.Buttheserarelyprovidevaluetotheaudience,and
oftenendupinthecircularfile.Thinkinsteadaboutofferingmaterialsthateducateoroffer
insight.Distributewhitepapers,specialreports,publishedarticles,checklists,andtip
bookletsthatwillhavealongershelflife,andkeepyouinprospects consciousness.

93

Thinkaboutwaystoextendandrepurposeyourinpersonpresentations.Withtheriseof
socialmediaandexpandingweboptions,presentersneedtolookbeyondtheroomwhere
theypresenttogettheirmessagestopotentialprospectsandcustomers.Digital
technologiesmakeiteasytorecordpresentationsandpostthemonpresentationsharing
websites,andyoucanconvertPowerPointintovideotouploaditaswell.Youmightalso
blogaboutyourpresentationtopics,thenprovidealinktorelatedpresentationsyouve
made.

94

Whenrespondingtoaudiencequestions,seektoturnloaded questionsintoneutral
ones. Forexample,someoneinanaudienceofsalesprospectsmightask,TheresalotIlike
aboutyourproduct,butwhyisyourpricesohighrelativetothecompetition? Asa
presenter,seektochangethatto,Letmetrytoexplainhowwearriveatourprice
structureandhowitactuallycreatesgreatervalueforourcustomers.

95

Rememberthatyou andyours aretwoofthemostpleasingwordsintheEnglish

language.Researchshowsthatthesetwopronounswillperkyouraudiencesearsasifit
wereaGermanshepherdhearingitsbelovednamecalled.Thesewordstendtobeabsentin
salesdemonstrationsthattrytoappealtoasbroadanaudienceaspossiblebyusing
impersonal,cookiecutterlanguage.Butwhenyousayyou,yoursorevenyourcustomers
name,youinvolveanaudienceasifitsparticipatinginthedemo.Insteadofsaying,here
arethebenefits, tryhereishowyou benefit, andratherthansayinghereshowitcan
boostabottomline, usehereshowitwillboostyour companysbottomline. Itsa
simplebutpowerfulchange.
18

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Rehearsing a Presentation
96

Makeadistinctionbetweenpractice andrehearsal.Practicemeanssittinginyouroffice
oronanairplanereviewingyourslidesorscript.Rehearsal,on theotherhand,meansbeing
uponyourfeet,usingthesamegestures,eyecontact,pacingandinteractionwith
supportingvisualsyoulluseinyouractualpresentation.Toooftenpresentersoverwork
what theyaregoingtosayduringpractice,andunderworkhow theyaregoingtosayit
duringrehearsal.Peoplewhothinktheyneverneedtowalkthroughaspeechphysically
usuallyarethosewhofallshortofaudienceexpectations.

97

Spendasmuchtimerehearsingtheinvisibleasvisiblecontent.Mostpresentersspendthe
majorityoftheirtimereviewingPowerPointslidesandothervisuals thevisiblecontent
audiencescanseeandreadforthemselves.Theyspendfarlesstimepracticingtransitions
betweenslides,personalstories,analogiesandelaborationofslidetext theinvisible
contentthathasasbiganimpactonpresentationsuccessasPowerPointslidequality.

98

Rehearsewhileyourpresentationisstillinaformativestage togetanearlysenseofwhat
contentmightbetrimmed,modifiedorcondensed.Thatwayyoulllimittheamountof
panickylatestageeditsorchangesyoullhavetomaketostaywithinatimelimit,switchup
slideorderorwhenyourealizeyouveusedthreewordyexampleswhenonewouldsuffice.

99

100

101

Consideraseparaterehearsaljustforyournonverbalconversation. Onceyourcontent
isingoodshape,determinehowyouregoingtostand,tomove,andwhereduringthe
speechyouneedtodowhat.Thisisntaboutgettingthewordsorpositioningperfect,but
ratheraboutcreatingafeel forthespeechasanextensionofyourbody.
Spend30%ormoreofyourpracticetimeontheopeningfiveminutesandconcludingfive
minutesofyourpresentation.Ifyoudontestablisharapidconnectionwithyouraudience
basedonpersonalstyleorcontentrelevance,youwilllosethem forthenext55minutes.If
youdontwrapupandconcludewellbyleveragingacrispsummaryandframethe thought
inarelationalcontext(oftenaconcludingstory),youwillbeforgottenbythetimetheyget
backtotheirdesks.Dothosetwothingswellandyouwillbea muchmorememorable
presenter.
DontconcludeonaQ&Asession. Q&Acanbeagreattimeformessageclarificationand
audienceengagement,butitalsorunstheriskofcreatingafinalunfortunateorawkward
impression.Ifyouhaveanantagonisticorofftopicquestioner, heorshecantotallyderail
theendofanotherwisegreatpresentation.Alwayshaveaprepared30secondwrapup
commentafterQ&Athatsumsupthevalueyoudeliveredtoyouraudiencethatday.That
wayyouwillalwayshavethelastword.

19

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations

Reading recommendations
Distinction Communication, Inc.

PresentationZen SimpleIdeasonPresentationDesignandDelivery
GarrReynolds

Nationallyrecognizedexpertsin
professionalpresentation
messaging,advanceddesign,
andcriticaldeliveryskillscoaching

slide:ology:TheArtandScienceofCreatingGreatPresentations
NancyDuarte

Formoreinformation on
Distinctionsprofessional
services
www.distinctionservices.com
Orcallusat503.554.1203

PresentingtoWin:TheArtofTellingYourStory
JerryWeissman
MadetoStick:WhySomeIdeasDieandOthersSurvive
ChipHeathandDanHeath
ManagingByStorying Around:ANewMethodofLeadership
DavidM. Armstrong
ToolsofEngagement:PresentingandTraininginaWorldofSocialMedia
TomBunzel
TheLeadersVoice
Clarke&Crossland
BeyondBulletPoints
CliffAtkinson
TheLeadersGuidetoStorytelling
StephenDenning
MetaphoricallySelling:HowtoUsetheMagicofMetaphorstoSell,Persuade&
ExplainAnythingtoAnyone
AnneMiller
SpeaklikeaCEO:SecretsforCommandingAttentionandGettingResults
SuzanneBates
Influence:ScienceandPractice
RobertB.Cialdini
HowtoMindReadYourCustomers:UsingInsightsfromPsychologytoIncrease
SalesandDevelopBetterBusinessRelationships
DavidP.Snyder
NeverBeBoringAgain:MakeYourBusinessPresentationsCaptureAttention
DougStevenson
Talkingfrom9to5:HowWomen'sandMen'sConversationalStyles AffectWho
GetsHeard,WhoGetsCredit,andWhatGetsDoneatWork
Deborah Tannen
20

101 Inside Tips for More Successful Presentations