How To Make An Effective Presentation
A good presentation: It's not all about technique
At training seminars on idea development for new next-generation enterprises and products, there are times when I ask for participants to divide into several teams and give presentations to present their ideas. At one particular company, I was observing this type of presentation. One time, there was a team who made a presentation that included the results of an original survey they had conducted. They had even devised a way for the survey respondents to provide impartial opinions.
I was astonished, both in regards to the statement, "We conducted a survey," and in regards to the fact that they had organized a survey at that stage. It was clear that this team was very serious in pursuing their ideas.
During this presentation, what impressed me as a listener were not the survey results, but that the presentation allowed me to clearly imagine how the team's ideas were implemented and actualized. Yes, the gathered quantitative data was convincing, and I am certain that an audience would be drawn in by the assumed customer, or the "real opinions of the customer." But what stimulated my imagination as a listener, and thus most impressed me, was that the team members not only took the data and used it as the basis of their main point, but that they sorted, examined, and connected the real opinions to their own ideas. By doing this, they turned their ideas into a more interesting and tangible concept.
Effective presentation: Two key points
It is often said that visual materials are important in presentations. However, the audience's ability to grasp a clear, concrete image shouldn't be reliant solely on visual materials. On the contrary, couldn't a strong visual image interfere with the audience's imagination? This is just as true in training seminar idea presentations as it is in any other presentations.
When it comes to ideas about new enterprises, new products, and innovation, it is important to excite the audience and stimulate their imagination. There are two key points on which to focus:
- You need to convey your passion for the project at hand.
- You need to impress upon the audience that you have the ability to overcome the various obstacles that come along with a new venture.
In other words, although it is important to pay attention to the structure and technique of a presentation, it's also necessary to devote energy toward refining ideas from all angles in order to be better able to give them a concrete shape. This is especially crucial when presenting ideas, as new ideas are being imparted which the audience will use.
Your ideas are a gift - how will you present them?
When presenting ideas during any type of presentation, you are offering your ideas as a "present" to your audience. Would they happily receive your gift? You could also consider the audience as your "customer"; they will not buy your product based solely on your sales pitch and product explanation. Examine the positives and negatives of your ideas fully, and refine them so that they are more intriguing. In the process, your confidence will deepen and your enthusiasm toward convincing your audience to adopt your ideas will grow. If, on top of that, you add technique, it seems certain that your presentation will be successful.
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