It’s no secret that most impactful presentation is the intentionally audience-focused presentation. It’s the presentation that includes minimal, punchy text. It’s the presentation that outlines the key points before adding the finer details. You know this presentation when you see it. Despite its impact, the majority of presenters give presenter-focused presentations. Those presenters probably know who they are too. For those who just nodded their heads and looked down in shame, don’t worry! You can easily form an audience-focused presentation by keeping in mind these 3 ideas.
Your Slides Aren’t for You
This is a common misconception among incoming clients at Ethos3. Far too often we receive decks that contain paragraphs of content on each slide. This is a sure sign that the presenter who formulated the presentation did so with their interests in mind. But, if you are in pursuit of an audience-focused presentation, it requires a different approach. The words you want to speak do not belong on your slides; they belong within the speaker’s notes.
Related Post: The Difference Between Speaker’s Notes and Scripts
Story Isn’t Always Fluff
For some presenters, the thought of including a story within their presentation narrative is asinine. “But we have to tell our audience every single thing about our company! We don’t have time for that fluffy storytelling stuff,” presenters say. Let me change your storytelling paradigm. On any given day, a person consumes 100,500 words through digital means. A recent study revealed that when a storyteller can communicate a message through an identifiable character, more audience members relate and respond to the content. In fact, the story featuring a main character is more impactful than that same story coupled with relevant statistics.
Demonstrate Real Difference
In Ann Handley’s book, “Everybody Writes,” she poses a question that I believe is poignant for any marketer and presenter. If you were to strip every branding element from your website or marketing materials, would your content distinguish you from your competitors? Talk about some truly unique aspect of your business instead of droning on about your excellence in some area that all of your competitors say they are excellent in. Demonstrate differences through case studies and client experience stories if you have that information on record. The best way to show your superiority is through real-life examples. In addition, establish your own voice in the space. Your content does not have to sound like your competitors’ content sounds. Variety is the spice of life – and the spice of brand marketing.
Do you feel equipped enough to create an audience-focused presentation? If not, discover more presentation tips and tricks in the following blog posts:
A Writer’s Guide to Preparing a Presentation
Master the Art of Transitions in Your Presentations
What’s Your Presentation Writing Style? [Quiz]
