Giving a simple presentation is hard. It is. When someone tells you to keep it simple, I would imagine your head spins a bit. What does this mean? You have a presentation to give and you have all of this information to convey, you have to keep things compliant and you only have 20–45 mins, if that, to convey your message, close a sale or keep the stakeholders happy…so what do you mean simple? Well, here are a four suggestions to help get you started on the path to simplicity:
Keep your end in mind. If you could pick one thing for your audience to remember, what would it be? What is the one thing you want them to remember above all else?
Engage your audience. Get them to perk up and listen differently. Ask a question and get a show of hands or a verbal shout-out!
Be clear about your objective and what you want from your audience. If you want a sale, then you probably want them to trust you. So make your objective all about building trust and not about you or the sale itself. This will change your content and how you choose to present it.
Tell a story. We all love a good story and if you can connect your message to an emotion, then most of your job is done!
Lastly, enjoy yourself and don't forget to put yourself in the shoes of your audience.
I hope these help you think a little differently about your next presentation. Please feel free to reach out anytime! I am more than happy to offer you free resources to help you on your public speaking journey!