Presenting your work in front of an audience could be exhilarating, nervous, or both. Some people are natural born entertainers who thrive before attention but the other majority, me included, have to plan things out extra carefully to feel remotely ready. 

You’ve probably heard about a few rules of thumb when it comes to delivering a presentation; don’t read off the slides, use a lot of images, talk slowly and clearly, etc., etc., etc. These are all good advices but I think there are a few more tricks to the art. This post is for those who are in the process of experimenting different ways to make a good presentation great.  

As a disclaimer, all of these insights are derived from my experience working within a corporate setting where I presented to leaders, project sponsors, customers, partners, and colleagues. If you’re presenting to a different group of audience, the same insights may or may not apply! So do take the points with a grain of salt. 

You probably put in hours to do the work and prepare the content to a point where you could recite any detail at any depth when someone nudges you with a question. You might even be itching to go into the nitty gritty of the work because you know its that good. But doing this might be the easiest way to lose your audience. 

Every audience usually has a very specific set of wants and needs as they walk into the room. Your goal should be focused on meeting their needs instead of showcasing every aspect of your great work. Here are a couple different groups that will look for different packagings.

Those who are involved in the day to day operations might want a more detailed breakdown on specific operational topics that are closely related to their work.  

Always be ready to dive into any level of detail when asked but keep the visuals clean and simple so the audience can focus on you and not the figures. This principle applies even when you have a complex figure or data table on the screen. Highlight or emphasize the essential components and allow the audience to focus on your story.  

Here’s also a quick way to self-check if you’re packing in too much information. Ask yourself these questions:

• If this detail is missing, will the story still make sense?
• Do I need to deviate from the main storyline to describe this?
• Do I risk being short on time if I decide to cover this?
• Is there a chance that the audience might say “so what?” after they hear it?

If you find yourself answering yes to any of these questions, just remember the golden rule of thumb: “Less is MORE!”

Nancy Duarte wrote in her book Resonate the following quote:

“The audience does not need more facts; they need more meaning. Stories give facts meaning.”

Mic drop.

But seriously, this is probably the most important strategy you can bring into your presentation. Regardless of the content or context of the presentation, you should build in an effective story that the audience can easily follow. This story will be what resides even after the figures and numbers fade away. 

If you’re struggling to build a story, don’t over think it. An effective story could be as simple as how you and your team approached the work that you’re presenting or even an example scenario illustrating the user journey. Here are a few storylines that I often utilize in my presentations. 

User or customer journeys following a set profile, or persona, works really well if you’re trying to illustrate a new idea or product. Working in the healthcare field, I often use physicians, nurses, or other care team members that will most likely be a primary customer. If played well, this method will not only earn you the audience’s attention but also their trust. 

Personal anecdotes, experiences, or observations are also a great way to draw the audience into your story. Add in some humor into it and it can be not only a great way to start your story but also break the ice a little and make yourself a little more personable. The biggest issue I run into with this tactic is the uncertainty of how much you could share about a past client or an organization. I try to avoid any negative connotations into the story or reveal too much around the potentially sensitive business contents but this shrinks the already small pool of personal stories even further. You can enlarge this pool to pull in stories you’ve heard second hand, but I’d still be cautious of over using such stories as they might hurt the authenticity of the entire presentation. 

Examples from the industry, the same organization, a published article or book, news, blogs, or even social media posts can all serve as examples. Bringing in a widely known story and drawing parallels or comparisons served me well in various presentations. Stories of how Toyota gained success through Kaizen or AirBnB revolutionized the hotel business while Uber disrupted the transportation sector are all great stories that everyone knows, and I’ve used in my presentations. 

Everybody talks about how important it is to know your audience but it’s equally important, if not more important, to have a clear understanding of what outcome you’re shooting to achieve. This will help you determine the best strategies and tactics, and ultimately cut out the fluff in your presentation.

• Do you want your audience to take away some insights and be done or would you like them to reach back out with more questions?

• Are you trying to educate a group or are you trying to get feedback?

• Is the goal to leave the audience with something or take something from them?

Imagine being the owner of a digital solution company and going into a room with a group of potential buyers or business partners.

If I were to try selling my product immediately to the audience, I’d focus on telling an engaging story using the user journey, pair it with plenty of details that will answer frequently asked questions, then end with a very clear set of next steps for those that are interested.

On the other hand, if I were trying to find business partners and investors, I might start with a personal story to illustrate why I’m passionate about what I do and ending with a note to reach out to me for an elongated engagement. 

Knowing what you want is also crucial in the sense that it’ll keep you engaged in your work till the end as well. Don’t be the person that’s ‘just saying’. Speak with meaning and intent. Make sure your presentation serves you as well as your audience.  

There’s much more than pretty slides that needs to be considered in delivering a successful presentation. I think it’s more an art than science and as such, everyone will develop their own styles and perspectives around it. I hope this post was helpful for those who are looking to perfect your art. If there are other topics you’d like to learn more about or have any questions, please leave a comment below! You can always reach out to me directly through email in the About TH tab. 

Thank you for reading!