We know how wildly demanding presentations can be, inside the Advertising industry and across all communication fields. Presentations might be our equivalent of “the big game,” and it’s time we treat it as such. Whether it be a new business pitch or your regular quarterly client review, these moments give your team and organization a moment to shine.
There aren’t many skills as important as being able to present publicly. If we are able to share information in a way that helps others understand as easily as 1-2-3, then success is more likely on our side.
Without a doubt, there are countless ways to prepare, but we’ve got your back. Like anything, practice makes perfect (and some say only perfect practice does), so test out these 4 tips for crushing any presentation.
Stories are the original presentation. Since the beginning of campfires, we humans have gathered around to give full attention to those who can weave a tale. All this time later, nothing has changed, so consider a narrative which puts our audience in the shoes of a hero or someone struggling.
Your marketing campaign for their product is the solution to our hero's struggle. And what client doesn’t want to be the hero, too? As long as you connect the details and contrast your story with what your facts are, your audience will be more glued to their seats.
Outlines can be tedious, but nothing will help you arrange your presentation’s story more easily. Your A, B, C and so on are your slide titles, with each component underneath serving as notes. Here’s an extra tip: mark down here what you want to remember. Since you can’t (and shouldn’t) memorize everything, note which lines are most important.
When developing your slides, start in Slide Sorter, and use your outline to give a high-level view of the presentation’s flow, as well as how certain sections can be rearranged.
You don’t have to imagine them in their underwear, but you’ll definitely want to put yourself in their shoes. Ask yourself what they care about. What are they expecting, and how are they expecting it delivered? What do they want to know about the most?
Use the information and details you have about your audience to craft a tale customized to their wants and needs, their brand values and RTBS, or any goal they have along the way.
We are ever grateful to be on a team full of pros and industry veterans. This may be your 1,000th presentation or it may be your first. Regardless, rehearsal is such a serious key to success, we don’t even have a joke about it. Time and time again, we’ve seen what happens when one or all fail to rehearse for the big day. We get out of sync, lose confidence, and over-rely on our notes. Rehearsal gives the team fluidity and the presentation overall clarity.
Speaking of clarity, record yourself, and practice slowing down before presenting. It may feel awkward at first, but you’ll want to go more slowly than what you perceive of yourself. In the moment, a speech can feel like forever, but you may be speaking as fast as a bullet train. Your self-recording will help you dial in perfectly.
These tips only scratch the surface of becoming a better presenter. We’ll keep gathering our tips and best practices to show you how Creative Noggin reaches success. Remember: make it your own along the way, have fun, and show your audience how much you appreciate their listening. Till next time!
