What are the top 3 things to remember when delivering a presentation?

The best presentations tell a story that the audience can relate to. We usually align our sales presentations to the Solution Selling (R) sales methodology simply because it makes sense. There are three "acts" - setting the scene (what is the challenge that we are discussing), exploring how those challenges could be dealt with, and then suggesting the best sources of solutions to those challenges.

If possible, do not lean 100% on presentation software. A standard presentation will be recognized as such, and may cause a prospect to feel like just another standard prospect. Mix it up. Involve the audience. Ask questions that help transition from one of your topics to the next. When asking such questions, make them easy, simple to understand.

Use a white board or flip chart to note down answers to those questions, and refer back to them as you continue.

This is not your presentation. It is the audience's presentation. You should be aiming to show how you align with them, while also delivering content of value. An audience will come away happy if they have learned something useful during a presentation that they have been engaged in.

A presentation that will flop is one where the presenter tries to pack too much information in to the presentation time slot. I have seen 70+ page decks, each slide filled with highly technical information, destined for a 45 minute breakout session. If you try to measure the effectiveness of a presentation, I am 99.9% certain that the 70 pager was a flop.

The subject of presentation design is a whole other discussion. For more detailed information, and suggested training, we recommend Mandel Communications.

When ever I'm giving a presentation,

1)What: I have to carefully study the details of the topic I have selected. Better you might be a subject expert.
2)Where (for whom): I'll always think of who are my audience and the knowledge and awareness level of them. Psychology of the audience is important.
3)How: I will make my my presentation in a very clear and easy to understand way, keep an eye on the average person's knowledge level. Better more interactive. I can't expect expert level audience.

There’s a lot of great advice already posted, but I’ll add a few additional ideas. First, I’d like to say that presentations should not be theatrical. Too many times people confuse performing with presenting, which leads speakers down the wrong path of trying to be perfect. It also leads to unnecessary nervousness.

Audiences in most of today’s business presentations don’t want to be wowed. Instead they want to be engaged in the conversation. As a presentation trainer, I redefine presentations as “orderly conversations.” They’re orderly because they should be well thought out and organized. They’re conversations because they need to be executed in a flexible, conversational manner.

That in mind, here are three ideas to help you manage your orderly conversations.

1) Analyze your audience and their wants & needs.
Then craft your content to acknowledge what they know (including their pain points) and address their needs from their perspective. Putting an “About My Company” slide early on makes the presentation about you. Instead, think about their priorities and build the presentation to address them in the order of importance to them. This will help keep things focused on them.

2) Be yourself.
Be the most appropriate and professional self you can be. Try to be someone else and you’ll come across as phony.

3) Engage listeners in the orderly conversation.
Stay focused and in the “here and now” so that you can think on your feet and address their needs as they come up. This requires excellent eye contact so you can actually see their faces and recognize their reactions. It also requires pausing more often than you think necessary. Pausing (and breathing while you do it) gives your brain the time and energy it needs to be smart.

Hope this helps.

The one thing I've learned and practiced that has made the biggest difference was from Mahan Khalsa (Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play). He says "never make a presentation or a proposal to people whose criteria for judging you are unknown to you". This means you must meet with each person in advance - even if it's just 10 minutes on the phone - to find out their criteria for judging your solution. By the time I get to the presentation, I am much more confident and have a "warm" room since I've met everyone already. Presentations improved 200% once I starting following this advice.

3 things... here goes:

1. Context creates Urgency... grab, if not shock, your audience by telling them something about a problem they didn't even know existed. Describe the potential impact on their business objectives. Define a new set of needs and requirements that make the status quo no longer acceptable. You need to engage their old-brain decision-making mechanism. Don't allow it to check out.

2. Contrast creates Value...visualize, literally using a big picture, ideally drawn on a whiteboard or flipchart, the contrast between where they are today, and what they are doing, and where they will need to be and what they will be doing differently and better. Connect the dots between the changing context and your contrasting solution that will guide them from unsafe to safe.

3. Corroboration creates Confidence... tell a customer story about how another company and decision-maker just like them went through the process of realizing the need to change, recognized the change was coming fast, and saw your solution as their key to survival... and share the documented business impact of that success story.

Humans are more adaptive than rationale. They live in a story. You need to simplify your message, present from their point of view, and clearly show what's different about what they can do with you vs. the status quo or competitive alternative.

Julian, a powerful presentation has all of the characteristics of a powerful conversation:

1. the message is a personalized and about the interests of the other

2. in the context of your listers' interests, you demonstrate how or explain why your advice is valuable

3. relative to your message, you clearly convey the benefits of action and the consequences of the alternative.

The message/presentation must provide a “vision” and the steps for the realization of that vision. The delivery of a vision that is embraced is what yields a “knock your socks off” presentation. Therefore, you must KNOW your audience.

Steve
The Sales Standard

Here are a couple of other thoughts. One of the best pieces of advise I got many years ago apply's now;
Tell em what they are going to hear,
Tell em,
Tell em what they just heard.
If you think of this while you are putting your presentation together, it will keep you on track.

I hate standing behind a podium! I find that getting out in my audience breaks down barriers and keeps people engaged.

I tell people that I teach with a crayon and try to keep everything easily understandable by "everyone" in the room.

Be very careful with humor and only attempt if you are confident in your abilities. Early in my career I started a sales meeting off with what I thought was a very funny joke. When I said the punch line you could have heard a pin drop. Not even one smile. I learned a valuable lesson; your audiences time is precious, treat it as such and don't waste one second of their time.

An effective sales presentation will use a story to develop a "pain" or "Concern" that your audience has and will ultimately provide them with a solution. The "pain point" will capture their attention and keep them as you develop your message and provide your solution.

1. That you are telling a story.
2. Your slides should initiate an emotional reaction.
3. It should be fun.

The question is broad, but even for Sales presentations, it needs to be compelling, relevant, and cause an emotional reaction to have the full affect.

Please no death by PowerPoint! Pictures enhance the story that you tell much better than a bunch of bullet points.

Presenting should be confortable and simple. You are presenting because you know the topic better (or with a unique perspective) than the audience. They are listening because they are interested and hope to learn something from you. Three most important points:
1) Know your material and present using easy to understand verbal and visual take home messages.
2) Present to your audience, not at them. Be responsive and engage them.
3) Summarize the topic for easy to remember points.

3 things... here goes:

1. Context creates Urgency... grab, if not shock, your audience by telling them something about a problem they didn't even know existed. Describe the potential impact on their business objectives. Define a new set of needs and requirements that make the status quo no longer acceptable. You need to engage their old-brain decision-making mechanism. Don't allow it to check out.

2. Contrast creates Value...visualize, literally using a big picture, ideally drawn on a whiteboard or flipchart, the contrast between where they are today, and what they are doing, and where they will need to be and what they will be doing differently and better. Connect the dots between the changing context and your contrasting solution that will guide them from unsafe to safe.

3. Corroboration creates Confidence... tell a customer story about how another company and decision-maker just like them went through the process of realizing the need to change, recognized the change was coming fast, and saw your solution as their key to survival... and share the documented business impact of that success story.

Humans are more adaptive than rationale. They live in a story. You need to simplify your message, present from their point of view, and clearly show what's different about what they can do with you vs. the status quo or competitive alternative.

3 things... here goes:

1. Context creates Urgency... grab, if not shock, your audience by telling them something about a problem they didn't even know existed. Describe the potential impact on their business objectives. Define a new set of needs and requirements that make the status quo no longer acceptable. You need to engage their old-brain decision-making mechanism. Don't allow it to check out.

2. Contrast creates Value...visualize, literally using a big picture, ideally drawn on a whiteboard or flipchart, the contrast between where they are today, and what they are doing, and where they will need to be and what they will be doing differently and better. Connect the dots between the changing context and your contrasting solution that will guide them from unsafe to safe.

3. Corroboration creates Confidence... tell a customer story about how another company and decision-maker just like them went through the process of realizing the need to change, recognized the change was coming fast, and saw your solution as their key to survival... and share the documented business impact of that success story.

Humans are more adaptive than rationale. They live in a story. You need to simplify your message, present from their point of view, and clearly show what's different about what they can do with you vs. the status quo or competitive alternative.

Great ideas here. Let me add my two cents.

If the presentation can be shared afterwards, the speaker is not needed. Throw it away.

Tell a story, please. Entertain. People are visual, use images. Use video. Less is more. Less words especially.

Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor
Find New Customers
http://www.findnewcustomers.com