You're creating a business presentation. How can you ensure it's a hit with your audience?

Your presentation is nothing but a story. It should follow elements of storytelling viz. characters >setting>theme>Plot>conflict>resolution. Be concise and to the point and avoid very busy slides. Each slide should have a takeaway.My MBA professor for marketing told us “The presentation should be like a miniskirt, it should arouse the interest but should cover the subject”

When it comes to presentation, there is no “one size fits all” approach. Every presentation needs to be tailored differently. We often design presentation in a way we want to present information, however the correct way should be thinking about the how the audience will consume the information. Thinking about - 1. Who is my audience” - a CEO, a class of students or a bunch of corporate professionals ? 2. Where am I presenting- is it virtual or F2F? Is it in a big hall or a small room? 3. What am I presenting - what is the absolute key message I want my audience to take away? And then design your slides, never make them too busy, visual dissonance can kill your msg. Keep it simple, keep it concise.

I always start with building a storyboard of the presentation. I start with what is the overall story I want to tell, what will be the call to action, what decision I'd like to make during the presentation, and what are the desired next steps. Then I clearly define my audience, their goals, their level of support (based on past experience). With all this information, I then define what content is required to reach my ultimate goal. This is a document that I then review and share with my key collaborators and make any necessary adjustments. This is the basis of everything else I do.

Ahoy, Presentation Pioneers! Let's swim back to Arabella the shark, this time crafting her own undersea presentation. Arabella didn't just jump into a whirlpool of facts and figures. First, she pondered her purpose: 'Do I want to inspire young guppies or advise wise old whales?' Knowing her target audience, Arabella tailored her presentation, ensuring every bubble and coral graphic resonated with her sea-audience. Her success wasn't measured in mere nods but in the ripples of action her words created. Arabella's story is a beacon for us: know your purpose before you design your slides. It's about connecting with your audience, not just dazzling them with data. Whether inspiring action or imparting wisdom, a clear purpose is your compass.

- Know the content and key massage of the slide - for example, think about what problem you are solving from the audience - Avoid going into too much detail even if you have done a lot of work on the topic and want to show it - work with back up slides in case of detailed questions - have a storyline - where do you come from and where do you want to go with your strategy

En la creación de una presentación de negocios, conocer a tu audiencia es clave para garantizar el éxito. Investiga sobre quienes estarán presentes: sus roles, niveles de experiencia y expectativas. Adaptar tu contenido y tono a sus intereses y necesidades específicas hará que la presentación sea más relevante y cautivadora. Comprender su perspectiva te permitirá abordar preguntas potenciales y destacar aspectos que resuenen con ellos. Con esta atención personalizada, no solo captarás la atención de tu audiencia, sino que también establecerás una conexión más significativa, incrementando las posibilidades de éxito de tu presentación de negocios.

Ensuring your business presentation is a hit with your audience starts with knowing them well. Understand their interests, needs, and preferences. Tailor your content to address their specific concerns and align with their expectations. Consider their level of expertise and adjust your language and tone accordingly. Incorporate relatable examples and engaging visuals. Invite audience participation to keep them involved. By understanding your audience, you can deliver a presentation that resonates, captures attention, and effectively communicates your message, increasing the likelihood of success and positive reception.

Absolutely do you need to understand your audience. You need to understand how they measure success, how their performance is measured, what are the key deliverables of their teams, and (most importantly) are they are supporters or opposers of the topic you are going to presents. For all the opposers in your audience, it will be important that you understand how their opposition will manifest and, if possible, adjust your content and pre-meeting socializing to this opposition.

Knowing your audience is key to a successful presentation. Understanding their interests, knowledge level, and expectations allows you to tailor content and language appropriately. This fosters a connection, making your message relatable and engaging. Addressing their specific needs and concerns increases the likelihood of capturing attention and resonating with the audience, ultimately leading to a more impactful and successful presentation.

A simple and clear structure is essential for a successful presentation as it enhances audience comprehension and retention. It provides a logical flow that guides the audience through your message, preventing confusion. A well-organized structure helps convey information efficiently, ensuring key points are easily grasped. Clarity aids in maintaining audience focus, fostering engagement. When your presentation follows a straightforward structure, it allows the audience to absorb and remember the content, contributing to a more impactful and memorable presentation that resonates with the audience.

Quando se fala sobre apresenta??es de negócios, n?o é comum pensarmos nos pitchs-deck que as startups e companhias em busca de investidores utilizam. Elas oferecem uma abordagem eficaz para cativar e envolver o público. Essas estruturas costumam incluir elementos claros, como a descri??o do problema, a proposta de valor única da solu??o, dados de mercado, modelo de negócios e métricas-chave. Ao seguir essa estrutura, os apresentadores podem comunicar de maneira concisa e persuasiva, destacando os pontos-chave que capturam a aten??o e geram interesse, essenciais para o sucesso de uma apresenta??o de negócios. Vale a pena estudar alguns exemplos pois est?o sendo as apresenta??es melhor aceitas atualmente.

To make a business presentation truly impactful, it's crucial to tailor it to your audience and the context. For example, if you have a brief slot or need to immediately grab the audience's attention, start with your key findings or recommendations. This approach flips the traditional structure but can be highly effective. I once presented to a time-constrained executive team and led with the results. This sparked their interest and led to a deeper discussion on the analysis behind them. Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all format; it depends on who you're speaking to and the meeting's purpose. Being adaptable and audience-centric is key to making your presentation hit the mark

In my experience, simplicity is the mother of attention. In current social dynamics time, and thereby attention, is the currency of the new entertainment/consumer optimization economy. So when presenting to your audience, as good as it is to know them, it's even better to show them that you understand the commitment they are making by providing you the opportunity to present to them. So do it right, do it thoroughly, do it fast, do it once.

En la creación de una presentación de negocios, asegurar el éxito implica utilizar una estructura sencilla y clara. Organiza tu contenido de manera lógica, dividiéndolo en secciones definidas: introducción, desarrollo y conclusión. Utiliza vi?etas y gráficos para resaltar puntos clave y mantener la atención. Una estructura simple facilita la comprensión, permitiendo que tu mensaje sea absorbido eficazmente. Evitar la complejidad innecesaria ayuda a evitar confusiones y mantiene a la audiencia enfocada en los aspectos más importantes de tu presentación, asegurando así su éxito.

If you have a strong storyboard, then the task of creating a simple AND effective presentation will be easy. The storyboard provides the overall structure as well as the key content that supports your story. From there, it's a matter of figuring out how to simplify the concepts and asks, and then decide on showing only the information that is pertinent to reaching your goal.

Use visually appealing and professionally designed slides. Incorporate visuals, graphics, and minimal text to support your key points. Ensure that your slides enhance, rather than distract from, your verbal delivery.

In my experience, this depends almost entierly on the audience. I've done presentations without any animation because some of my audience considers that gimmicky and distracting. So, I think visuals have to be used if they help tell the story and they are not distracting from your story... all from the point of view of the audience not the presenter.

En la creación de una presentación de negocios, asegurar el éxito entre tu audiencia implica el uso sabio de ayudas visuales. Incorpora gráficos, imágenes y diagramas relevantes para complementar tu mensaje y hacerlo más impactante. Mantén la simplicidad para evitar la saturación visual, centrándote en elementos clave que refuercen tus puntos. Las ayudas visuales efectivas capturan la atención, refuerzan la retención de información y hacen que tu presentación sea memorable. Al utilizarlas de manera estratégica, aseguras una presentación exitosa que conecta con tu audiencia de manera visualmente impactante.

Strategy presentations don't have to be boring! That isn't to say that they need to be filled with fancy graphics. However the number of presentations i've seen in my career that have missed the mark in reaching their audience because there is some unwritten rule that someone, somewhere, made up that presentations to the Board or Senior team need to be filled with lots of words.

Visual aids enhance presentation impact by complementing verbal content, catering to diverse learning styles. They simplify complex information, aiding audience understanding and retention. Well-designed visuals capture attention, making the presentation more engaging and memorable. Charts, graphs, and images can convey data more effectively than words alone. Visual aids also serve as a powerful reinforcement, emphasizing key points and creating a more dynamic and persuasive presentation. Integrating visuals enhances audience connection, contributing to a successful and impactful presentation.

Do not read what is in the slide - if that was your intention, then you never needed a meeting in the first place. People can read your slides offline with some speaker notes. Synthesize what is on the slide and convey that in a few minutes. Maintain high awareness to discern if people are understanding your point. Some indicators that people are NOT following your point: - too many basic questions - impatience (looking at watches, cell phones, doors, ceilings, etc.) - no discussion or curiosity - no action from the meeting - when you ask them something, answers come as a "yes" not an "ok". They are not the same... - digression from the topic

Para garantizar el éxito de tu presentación de negocios, la práctica y el ensayo son fundamentales. Dedica tiempo a familiarizarte con el contenido, perfecciona tu entonación y trabaja en la fluidez de tus palabras. La práctica te brinda confianza y te permite ajustar el ritmo para mantener la atención de la audiencia. Ensaya frente a colegas o amigos para recibir retroalimentación constructiva y pulir cualquier aspecto que pueda fortalecer tu presentación. Con una preparación meticulosa, te sentirás más seguro al enfrentarte a la audiencia, asegurando un impacto positivo y una conexión efectiva.

Practicing and rehearsal are integral to presentation success. They familiarize you with content, boosting confidence and reducing anxiety. Repetition refines delivery, ensuring a smooth and coherent presentation. It allows you to gauge timing, making adjustments for a well-paced talk. Practice enhances non-verbal cues, like body language and eye contact, fostering audience connection. Familiarity with your material enables adaptability, addressing unexpected challenges with ease. Overall, rigorous rehearsal sharpens your delivery, creating a polished and confident presentation that resonates with the audience.

For all C-Suite and Customer facing presentations, I always do dry runs where I invite an audience of people that are not familiar with the content. This allows for testing how easy it is to digest the information presented and also provides a forum for my invitees to play devil's advocate.

Knowing your material and being able to confidently present it without reading from a script or slides is key to engaging your audience! Remember to take a breath and it is not about being perfect.

I like my slides to be valuable as a takeaway and ask my audience upfront what questions they have about the topic. While normally I will get about 80% in the presentation, it shows you respect the audience and it unearths interesting topics and discussion. If you don’t get through your slides it’s for the best and they have something they can use at home.

Tell stories to communicate your point. Audience members are more likely to listen intently when the presenter engages the audience with a relevant story to support the point being made.

Use. Creative. Prompts. Here are some of my favs from HBR Harvard Business School ?? “Raise your hand if X, Y, or Z” “Who here has X” “As you know…” “Today, you will learn…” “What if you could…” “Picture this…” to help them visualize the future.” “Remember when…” or “Think back to when…” to bring them back to the past. Oh… and ignore the common of advice of imagining the audience in their underwear. That would probably be distracting. ??

Ensure a successful business presentation by knowing your audience's needs and tailoring content to resonate with them. Craft a compelling narrative with a clear structure. Use visuals strategically to enhance understanding. Engage the audience through questions and interactive elements. Rehearse to refine delivery and manage time effectively. Address potential concerns proactively, showcasing solutions. Foster a positive atmosphere through enthusiasm and authenticity. Gather feedback for continuous improvement.

Q: You're creating a business presentation. How can you ensure it's a hit with your audience? A: Don’t present. We’ve all been there. There are 30 slides ready for an hour-long meeting. They’re full of insightful information and valuable ideas. And they’re professionally designed. Because you’ve invested much time & and effort in creating them, you will not rest until you’ve presented them all. Yet, when the most senior decision-maker in the room wants to engage in a conversation, it's a sign to stop relying on your presentation and get into a Q&A that will get to the real purpose of the meeting.