I came across a fantastic video recently entitled, Every Presentation Ever. This parody, brought to you by Growing Leaders Inc. and Habitudes for Communicators, includes nearly every blunder and annoyance that creeps its way into 99% of presentations (just my educated guess). I posted it on the Presentation Advisors Facebook page a few days ago. Watching it made me cringe, knowing that these mistakes aren’t a product of PowerPoint or the content, but because the presenter doesn’t know the very basics of effective presentation design and delivery.
However, I didn’t want viewers to get a chuckle and just move on. Instead, I want them to learn from these ever-so-common mistakes. So here are ten lessons that will help you become a better presenter (in order of their appearance in the video).
1. ARRIVE EARLY TO PREPARE
The presenter is fumbling with his notes, computer and such as the attendees walk in, finally admitting he doesn’t know what to do with his self. My rule of thumb is to show up at least 60 minutes early (if possible) to allow myself enough time to set up, give my presentation a technical run through, and make any last minute changes before anyone even shows up! That way when people start to arrive I’ve freed myself from the confines of technical preparation and I’m able to greet my audience, have discussions, get to know them and even create some allies (which can be useful later in your presentation).
2. YOUR OPENING IS CRUCIAL!
The first few minutes (even moments) of your presentation are crucial. It’s probably the only few minutes you’ll have the entire audience’s attention (aside from those arriving late). Be very careful how you treat your opening. While his joke “doesn’t quite land,” I don’t necessarily think humor is a bad way to open a presentation. I even included it in my post about ways to start your presentation. However, it’s a bit dangerous, especially if it’s a true joke with a punchline. Maybe consider turning it into a humorous (yet relevant) story. Regardless, don’t use this time to talk specifically about who you are and why you’re so important to them. Trust me, they don’t care. It’s all about your audience. Feel free to spice up your opening but make sure it adds value.
3. DON’T MAKE FUN OF YOUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS
This is obvious, right?
4. “JUVENILE SLIDE TRANSITIONS TO SPICE THINGS UP” ONLY MAKE YOU LOOK UNPROFESSIONAL
Yes, I have a thing against nearly all animations and slide transitions. Fade and wipe are on my good side. Everything else is pretty much on my bad side. I just don’t see the need. If you want to reveal different parts of your slide, Fade is all you need. If you want to create the appearance of motion, Wipe is surprisingly good. Your text does not need to spiral, boomerang, or star wipe in. Remember, simplicity is key to effective PowerPoint design.
5. DON’T READ YOUR SLIDES
Ah yes, he reads his slides word for word WITH his back turned to the audience. I’ve walked out on presentations I paid to be in attendance for when I saw the presenter read her slides. I can read just fine all by myself, and so can your audience. Not only that, but it proves that the presenter doesn’t know what they’re talking about. If you still find yourself reading, here are a few tips to help you stop.
6. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, THEN PRACTICE SOME MORE
Notice he forgot his fourth bullet-point? That’s because he didn’t practice and, thus, didn’t know his content inside and out. This is a slap in the face to your audience who is sacrificing their time to listen to you speak. Know your content and DEFINITELY know what’s on each slide.
7. DON’T USE CLIP ART…EVER
My eyes!! They’re burning!!!
8. BE PREPARED FOR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. No presenter is perfect, nor any presenter’s laptop. Things break all the time. Don’t worry about the mistakes, just make sure you recover from them professionally and as quickly as possible. Don’t allow them to derail your entire presentation. Oh, and switch your desktop background to something clean or generic, not you and Santa.
9. BE CAREFUL WITH LISTS
Lists are tough. They can be useful, but unfortunately lead you down some dangerous paths like reading off your slide, cramming a list onto a single page, or forgetting what comes next. If you have a list, try separating each item onto its own slide with its own visuals, allowing the item its own time to shine (and be remembered).
10. CONCLUSIONS ARE MORE THAN JUST RESTATING YOUR TITLE
“In like a lion, out like a lamb” doesn’t apply here. It’s actually the opposite. In a presentation you want to come in like a lion and go out like a lion as well. How do you do that? Well, there are a number of options. I know after all the content I’ve presented, I’m lucky if my audience remembers just a few things. So I like to make sure review the most important takeaways from my presentation. If they remember nothing, hopefully they’ll remember those few things. I’ve also concluded with a video or a story. One thing to note – don’t let the Q&A be the ending to your presentation. It’s important to field as many questions as possible, but always have prepared a few closing remarks so your audience leaves with the content YOU want them to leave with.
Are there any lessons I missed? What common mistakes did they miss (like cliche stock photography)?
