At one time or another, most of us have sat through PowerPoint presentations that were, to put it charitably, a bit dull. A procession of charts, text, and pictures passed before our glazed eyes without really imparting a great deal of information.
So, if you find yourself in the situation of having to make a presentation, what can you do to dial down the dullness quotient?
1. Give each person in your audience a tablet.
If your audience is of a manageable size, pass out tablets to everyone. This is a great way to get them interested and involved. They can peruse all of the information and data at their own pace, rather than staring immobile at a screen. They can focus on the areas that are important to them.
2. Be brief.
Brevity is of the utmost importance here – presentations should be short and to the point. There is no better way to turn off and lose your audience than with a presentation that is too long, where the presenter drones on interminably. Your audience has most likely already done some research on the topic at hand, and so is looking for some new and fresh information from the presenter, not a history lesson.
3. Get your audience involved.
One way to do this is by taking questions. Another way has already been mentioned – using the tablets, which are excellent for interactive presentations. Not only that, they may be able to demonstrate whatever service, app, or product you are talking about.
4. Match your style to the audience.
You should know whether to use a more formal or casual style when giving a presentation, depending on your audience. Is it appropriate to tell a joke?
5. Make eye contact.
This by now is pretty much common knowledge among public speakers. It is important to make eye contact to connect with your audience. Where people sometimes get into trouble is that they continually focus on only one person or place. This will obviously make that particular person a bit uncomfortable. It is important to shift your gaze to different areas and different people in your audience.
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