Are you on the hook to give an end-of-year presentation? Then you’re in the right place to learn how to amaze your audience! In Part 1 of the YES! Your Human Resources Solutionseries on how to give a great presentation, we talked about how to plan your presentation, from choosing a killer topic to practicing it to perfection. In Part 2, we’ll talk about how to infuse that topic with fantastic visuals and interactive strategies to keep the audience tuned in. And remember, our presentation tips are good all year long!

PRODUCING YOUR PRESENTATION

Your presentation is planned out, practiced, and ready for the next step: production. Try these engaging strategies to make your presentation pop!

• Make wise use of presentation software. A series of carefully planned clicks can make or break your presentation, so choose wisely.
  • DO NOT use your slideshow as an outline. During the planning phase, you carefully plotted your talking points on note cards, and you practiced exactly how you’ll deliver each one. Your slideshow should add understanding and heart to your talking points, not simply rehash them. This means you cannot expect to wow your audience with a list of boring bullet points. This also means you must never read verbatim from your slides. Your audience doesn’t need a visual play-by-play of your spoken points; let your presentation’s message speak for itself, and don’t waste the audience’s time with unnecessary repetition.
  • DO offer handouts. If you’re really attached to bulleted lists, you can still prepare one, just deliver it as a paper handout or upload it to your website.
  • DO use a strong visual on each slide. Remember, your slideshow is supplementing your presentation, not supplanting it! Use an engaging photo or graphic to support key talking points. Think about sprinkling in some humor where appropriate. Also make sure each slide illustrates just one point in your presentation. People can get overwhelmed if they’re asked to take in several points at once. Associating images with words increases recall and retention, so be sure each slide packs a visual punch that supports your talking points.
• Create a hashtag for Twitter and Instagram. Get your audience talking. At the beginning of your presentation, feature a slide with a hashtag your audience can use to discuss the presentation online. Ask them to post ideas or quotations that resonate with them. Try working a challenge into your presentation, where the winner is determined by the Instagram photo that best captures an idea in your presentation. People love to participate!
• Consider physical demonstrations. Visual aids can make even more of an impact when they’re allowed to jump off the screen. Try using a prop to change the pace of your presentation and focus the audience’s attention. You can use props to make an emotional impact, an effective metaphor, or a funny joke. Whatever the intent, props are memorable, as they ask the audience to engage in a way beyond simple listening. Use them to hit home key points.

Now that your presentation is planned, practiced, and wrapped in a neat audio-visual extravaganza, it’s time to move on to the third and final phase of the process: actually presenting your presentation. Join us next week, when we’ll discuss delivery methods that are sure to dazzle.