How to Present Well to Convince the Audience
Are you preparing a presentation for your clients or colleagues? If so, you are reading the right article. This article will present good presentation methods so that you can convince your audience more effectively, whether they are clients, colleagues, or any audience. You can find good presentation methods below!
Determine the Points to Convey
The first step is to determine the points you want to convey. This should be done after you have studied your presentation material.
Make sure the points you want to convey are relevant to the audience's needs, whether they are clients, colleagues, or anyone else. The points can be written briefly and clearly understood.
Know Your Audience
To know what points to convey, you must first recognize who your audience is. Are they superiors, clients, or colleagues from the same division as you?
In addition to helping you identify the points to convey, knowing your audience also helps determine the presentation style, whether it will be formal or casual.
Create Slides Using the 10-20-30 Technique
When creating slides for your presentation, you can apply the 10-20-30 technique developed by Guy Kawasaki. To elaborate, the 10-20-30 technique consists of:
- Slides containing no more than 10 slides.
- The presentation lasts a maximum of 20 minutes.
- The font size used on the slides must be 30.
With this technique, you can create engaging slides and an effective presentation.
Master Presentation Equipment
Don't just rely on slides during your presentation. Also, use various equipment that supports your presentation, from laptops and projectors to handheld remotes. Master all these tools to support your presentation.
Besides making it easier for you to display slides, mastering these tools will also prevent you from panicking, especially if the equipment starts to malfunction or doesn't work.
Add Something Interesting to Your Slides
To avoid monotony in your slides, you can add something interesting to them, such as animations or videos. Fortunately, the latest version of Microsoft PowerPoint can help you incorporate these interesting elements.
Pay Attention to Appearance
In addition to slides and presentation tools, appearance is also an important aspect to consider. Make sure you wear neat clothing so that the audience feels comfortable watching you present.
Also, ensure that your appearance matches the material you are presenting. This also applies when you are presenting online.
Make Eye Contact with the Audience
When presenting in front of an audience, don't forget to make eye contact with them. Especially if the audience you are facing is relatively small. The eye contact you make can make the audience feel acknowledged.
However, avoid making eye contact that is too intense. Intense eye contact (especially if it becomes too sharp) can make the audience feel intimidated.
Eye contact can also be made with a larger audience. The way to do this is to look at several audience members representing the corners of where they are seated.
In addition to eye contact, smiling at the audience is also important. The smile you give can create a friendly impression on the audience.
Start with an Engaging Opening
One key to a successful presentation is the opening. The more engaging the opening of a presentation, the more successful your presentation will be.
Therefore, make your presentation opening as interesting as possible to ensure its success. There are several methods you can use to create an engaging presentation opening. You can choose one that fits best. Some of these methods are:
- Opening with a Question
This first method can prompt the audience to respond to your question. This method indirectly fosters interaction between you and the audience.
Make sure the question you ask is an open-ended question, meaning it should elicit diverse answers beyond just 'yes' or 'no.' Ensure the question is still relevant to the material you are presenting.
- Opening with an Inspirational Quote
You can also open your presentation with an inspirational quote, whether it comes from a book, novel, movie, or even a quote you create yourself.
Ensure that the quote you use is related to your presentation material. This method is flexible. If there are no relevant quotes, you don't have to use this method.
- Opening with a Story
If you are good at storytelling, this method is very suitable. This method is not only used by presenters but is also commonly used by hosts.
Opening a presentation with a story can help the audience visualize the narrative you present. Gradually, this will connect them with you, making them interested in listening to your presentation.
To use this method, ensure the story is relevant to the presentation material and can touch the audience's hearts.
Show Enthusiasm
When delivering each point of your presentation, make sure to show enthusiasm. Demonstrating enthusiasm makes you appear excited in front of the audience, which will also carry over to them.
However, don't be overly enthusiastic to the point of appearing exaggerated in the eyes of the audience. Ensure that the enthusiasm you show is balanced with engaging presentation material. This will make your presentation even better and more successful.
Don't Forget to Stay Relaxed
While you should show enthusiasm, don't forget to remain relaxed during your presentation. Staying relaxed can help you remain calm and in control during the presentation, especially if it is your first time presenting.
There are several ways to stay relaxed during a presentation. One way is to take deep breaths before starting. If your presentation is semi-formal, you can move around during the presentation. Just ensure that your movements are slow and calm so as not to distract the audience's concentration.
Act Professionally
Regardless of who your audience is, you must remain professional. This applies before, during, and after the presentation.
One example of a professional attitude is arriving on time before the presentation. Arriving on time ensures that the presentation runs according to schedule and does not keep the audience waiting too long.
Thus, here are several good presentation methods to engage your audience. I hope you can practice them when you present. Wishing you a successful presentation!
Author: Anggie Warsito
