Make a memorable PRESENTATION

When preparing your presentation keep in mind the fleeting nature of oral communication.

          Focus on a simple clear message. Be brief, sincere, enthusiastic and seated.

          Having carried out recall exercises in many countries I am now in a position to share tips on simple ways to make your next presentation more memorable.

The five best tips to make your next  presentation memorable

* Select a topic relevant to your audience

          Get to know to whom you will be talking to.

          Aim to appeal to their beliefs, attitudes and values.

          What are their wants and needs?  What do they really want to know?

          What will they gain from your presentation?

            Tell your audience before you start if you will be giving out a handout.

* Don’t make too many points

          Try to make no more than about three points and make them three times.

          Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them your message with facts and recommendations illustrated with memorable stories.  In your summary repeat your main points once again.  

* Use visual aids

          A good visual aid can be memorable.

          If you are showing a picture of an environment,  a good visual can save you thousands of words.  

          If you are using words, numbers, pie charts or graphs they must be simple, bold and seen by all.  

* Be entertaining

          Lace your presentation with stories and humour. Make your stories brief, clever and memorable.  Spice them up by sharing your feelings and emotions. Try to act out events.

* Conclude with a summary

             Make your summary loud, clear and simple. It must be well prepared. Finish strongly working up to a climax. Your first and last statements are the most important.

               After finishing give a simple handout containing a summary of your message and your contact details.

–Geoffrey Moss (mossassociates.co.nz)

” Eighty percent of a presentation is preparation.”

Source: “Persuasive Ways. ‘Tricks of the trade’ to get your ideas across”. First published by  Moss Associates Ltd., New Zealand and in Chinese by the Shanghai People’s Publishing House, the Singapore Institute of Management, Kogan Page Ltd, U.K and in Hungarian by Bagolyvar Konyvkiado.  Also published as the “Secrets of Persuasion” by Cengage Learning Asia and as an e-book and sold by Amazon.com.