You're a consultant with an important presentation coming up. How can you make sure it's a hit?

One advice I would give to this consultant is to focus on 3 things: know your audience, know your passion, know your stuff. Know your audience: what do they care about? what do they already know so you don't have to focus on? is there any stakeholder that needs to be pre-wired in advance? Know your passion: what are the key points that you'd like to land? what are your areas of conviction, that you believe are needle movers? what previous experiences you can refer to in order to make your point stronger? Know your stuff: this is obvious, but be prepared to respond second order questions, as well as know any shortcomings or blind spots of the work.

Having a clear understanding if the purpose and ensuring to call that out at the beginning of the meeting is extremely important. Plan the meeting to address that purpose no later than the first 10 mins of the meeting. Make it flexible enough to tweak the agenda based on how you read the mindset of the audience at the meeting. Have clarity on what outcome from the meeting would make it good, average or bad from your perspective, and target the good outcome.

Firstly wear a bowtie. Bowties are cool. Then throw out all the facile advice you've been told and tell it to them straight. Like a pear cider made from 100% pears.

Define your goal clearly at the outset to ensure the success of your presentation. Whether you want to educate, persuade, or inspire your audience, be sure to clearly state your presentation's goals. Make sure that the tone, substance, and delivery style of your presentation all support these goals so that nothing falls short and your presentation accomplishes its goals. Having a clear understanding of your purpose and the results you want to accomplish can help you create a presentation that is both powerful and engaging.

Before the presentation, try analyze the audience, their needs... Any information you may gain would be helpful. If not able to get time or good info, then have a series of questions in the beginning, get the pulse of the audience, then be frank with them about not having enough info earlier, summarize your findings, and then talk about the point... They truly appreciate you !

Focus on the 'audience experience'... What will your presentation feel like through their eyes? No one wants another 50 slides of dense reading, narrated by an expensive consultant... Use video, use props, use images. Keep the PowerPoint to a minimum.

Weaving a compelling narrative can truly elevate the impact of your presentation. Storytelling is a powerful tool that allows you to connect with your audience on a human level, making your message more relatable and memorable. It creates an emotional connection with your audience, fostering engagement and active participation. A simple slide or 2 is always a great addition. But creating an experience that resonates with your audience and leaves a lasting impression can make your presentation a hit.

Knowing the audience and the context helps ensure effectiveness of the conversation. Where possible, gather as much information as possible around audience and context. This understanding will also help realign the discussion if it is getting derailed.

Success of an effective presentation depends completely on the planning and preparation by the presenter. Often experienced presenters ignore this vital aspect of preparedness. Prior knowledge of the audience and their reasons for attending the presentation helps in curating the content and the delivery. It is a misconception that the effectiveness of any presentation depends on the power point used. Presenting without any tool is more difficult. Brevity of expression is paramount along with a tone and body language which displays respect for the audience makes a presenter acceptable. That is the key to effective presentation

Condense your content to the essentials and simplify your explanations. Even knowledgeable audiences benefit from accessible concepts. The goal of presentations is clear communication, not showcasing brilliance. This approach fosters understanding and encourages meaningful discussions.

Your slides should support your story, not BE your story. A complex slide might look great to you and help you explain something, but it also becomes a focus for your audience. When that happens, they stop listening to you and try to understand the slide. At that point, you’ve lost them. Tell stories, use anecdotes, interject some humor, if you feel comfortable, and your audience will stay with you till the end.

Best thing I have to offer? Begin with your last slide and work forward. The entire purpose of the presentation is to generate an action. Anything else on a slide or distracts from driving to that action is noise. Example: Once I led a junior consulting team through generating their slides for a series of IVR improvements. First thing on the discussion is the call center hours, something we had no ability to affect in this analysis. Knowing where you want to land and tying everything back to that point keeps you focused and driving to the A-Ha moment where action is compelled. Works every time.

Please remember the slides are an aid. The presentation is to be done by you and not by the slides. Do not put everything on the slides and read out aloud. I am sure your audience can read what’s on the slides. As a presenter you need to bring perspective beyond what is on the slides. This also allows you to look at the audience and make eye contact and they feel you are speaking with them

I think 'know your content' should come well before designing your slides. In my view this is key... what if the tech doesn't work? What if the audience wants to take you off on a tangent? Slides are a support act to the presentation. Content is key.

Life is to short to listen to somebody reading out every word on a slide without adding any color or additional information, not to mention an anecdote or two.

I use the "Trinity of Thought" method, which involves thinking in threes, with three themes, drilled in no more than three levels. Say what you want to say, say it, and then recap what you just said.

Prepare and practice, but above all, be you and be genuine. If you tell a compelling story you are passionate about, your audience will be engaged. Enthusiasm is contagious. Why are you presenting if you're not excited by what you are presenting? When you are genuine, you don't have to memorize; you know the story, and it flows. Sure, you have to practice; you have bullet points, but your tone and pace take care of itself when you have conviction about your topic. I've always found that if I can frame a thesis or a presentation with a solid opening and close, the presentation or paper virtually writes itself.

Prepare, prepare, prepare. Practice makes perfect. Its always tempting to wing it especially when seeing senior staff doing it over an over in front of clients with little to no context and absolutely smashing it. But it takes experience and practice to get to that level. Until your there, over prepare and gain confidence by smashing client presentations because you were prepared

Lots of practice! Practice speaking with confidence, know your slides by heart so you don't hesitate or search for words to say. Keep eye contact with the audience and engage the audience wherever possible

Allow for pauzes (5-8 min break per 45-60min), add a few light jokes or movie quotes to keep the audience's attention. Surprise your audience by asking them something that was on a previous slice, to check who is still awake. ;-)

I had some horrific experiences with equipments, and learnt in a very painful way. When I practice, it is usually on my laptop and see on the monitor. But when you attend a webinar/seminar at a hotel, office, or other venue, there are projectors, speakers, etc., connected through various technologies. Showing up is usually takes about 15-20 mins easily. Then someone has to come and set-it up. So, better to turn up early, have the set-up ready is the best option.

To add a bit more, consider incorporating a tech rehearsal into your prep routine, ideally in the actual venue where you'll present. This can help you familiarize yourself with the environment and iron out any unforeseen issues. Additionally, having digital copies of your presentation accessible via the cloud, plus a USB drive as a physical backup, ensures you're covered on all fronts. Remember, confidence in your presentation also comes from knowing you've got a handle on the tech side of things. This way, you're not just prepared; you're unflappable!

Do your research into who you are presenting to. What do they care about? what are their pain points? Explore the unique parts of your expertise that can help them that they may not have heard before. Tell it as a story to make it relatable to them, evoke emotion and transfer it to memory. Finish with one achievable call to action.

Simplify and have one to a maximum of three ideas to present to your client. I've seen too many pitches with too much information and lack of a clear red thread. We overestimate the capacity of the audience to absorb information in one go. And if you pitch to a multi-cultural group of people, it's even more important to have a clear and simple red thread.

For a consulting presentation to be a hit: 1. You should have a clear understanding of the problem(s) 2. Analyze the depth of the problem through data 3. Present logical, practical solutions As long as you don't create super text heavy slides and you can solve their problem...that is what the audience care about from a consulting engagement. Don't throw buzz words and include as much information and data from the client team. The last thing a company will want is a fancy deck that they can't use.

Do research on the organization's needs, desires, and constraints so you can provide curated content that matters to your audience. Also try to find out who the decision maker really is. Once you have done that research, you can prepare your presentation. Prepare your content to appeal to the audience. Not everyone responds to anecdotes; rather, some people respond better to data and conclusions supported by them. During the presentation, if asked a question to which you have no answer, please admit it and offer to find out.

I would suggest if you are speaking at a conference that you stay for the whole day! Get to know your audience at morning tea and lunch or anytime before you present! Then you can better engage during the presentation and show that you understand their needs!

Ensuring presentation success hinges on engaging the audience with relatable stories. These should be carefully selected to resonate with the presentation's content, illustrating key points and capturing the audience's attention. By weaving relatable narratives into the presentation, you leave a lasting impression and maintain audience engagement throughout. #PresentationSkills #Engagement #Storytelling

HOW THEY FEEL ! People will forget what you said but they will always remember how you make them feel. - Make them feel inspired -Make them remember key message -Make this key message backed by story , numbers and image -Make them feel wanting more when you make it a short & crisp flow.

Two quick personal tips for a killer presentation: First, nail the first 30 seconds. Think of it as your presentation's movie trailer. Grab your audience early; don't bore them with intros about you or your company. They're here for insights, not a company bio. Second, remember your audience's attention is a finite resource. Treat it like precious currency. Avoid cluttering your message with distractions—like flooding diners with bread at a restaurant. Keep it focused, engaging, and valuable. Less is more!

Some of the best presentations that I've seen or been involved in have one thing in common, authenticity. Speaking about real situations and scenarios, in plain language that people can connect with is key to an impactful presentation. One other thing, remove any barriers between you and the audience, physical or otherwise - maintaining a connection is pivotal to effective engagement.

A few modern effective tips.. To ensure a standout presentation, integrate storytelling with data visualization for a compelling narrative. Use modern presentation tools like Prezi, Canva for dynamic visuals and interactive elements that engage your audience. Incorporate short, impactful videos or animations to illustrate key points, and use real-time polling or Q&A apps like Slido to foster interaction. Articulate your message with clarity and confidence, leveraging the power of pause for emphasis. Practice with VR-based public speaking simulators to refine your delivery in various scenarios. Finally, personalize your content to resonate with your audience's interests and challenges, making your presentation memorable and impactful.

Agreeing with the former six principles that make up for a great presentation, I would add that every successful speech requires a compelling story behind. The audiences are tired of technical, well structured and supported materials and what they are looking for are stories that capture their hearts. Thus, storytelling is at the core of every successful presentation. Before preparing any material or script, every speaker needs to answer a simple question: What is the story I want to talk about? It has to be embedded into the typical sixty seconds “elevator pitch”. Start with this before spending much time with the rest.

We need to remember that most adults have some level of experience or skill that will apply to what you are working on or presenting. It's easy to assume that you are teaching them about a specific topic, process, etc. However, that isn't always the case - especially in business. It is important to remember that for ADULT learners, you need to be sure to let them share about their "real world" experiences and how they've used their skills. This helps for them to feel like they are a part of the presentation, and it pays respect to the things that they already know. One last thing - You have to be present and listen to what's being shared or discussed to make sure that no one gets off track or shares something that's inappropriate.