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5 tips to avoid boring presentations !

It still happens that presentations don’t go as well as planned and that the audience is thinking about other things instead of listening to what the presenter has to say. Usually, it isn’t the content that’s a problem, because the presenters are often the captains of their industry. People with a story. So, what is the problem then?

Present Savvy puts forward the most important tips:

CONTENT:
TIP 1.

Structure = key

A good structure is the base of every presentation. A clear structure can give a clear overview for the audience to follow the story.

It’s essential to make it clear to your audience, from the beginning, what to expect and how your presentation is built. Through visuals, you can demonstrate a structure without talking too much about it, which can be boring.The most well-known method is the head-body-tail method:

  • Head you tell something about the topic and you give an overview of what you will be telling. Here you have to take the chance to create a good opening. An impressive video is an easy way to make a first impression.
  • Body, this part contains the actual message. It’s the core of your story. Here you tell what you want to tell or you give the arguments to support your story. Also, in this part, it’s important to keep a structure. You could do that by showing a beautiful or appropriate picture at the beginning of each new subject, or by showing a part of the agenda again.
  • Tail, people say: you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Well, this also applies for the last impression. What do you do or say to keep your audience thinking about your message again when looking back? Summarize your story one more time. Get to a conclusion and give recommendations if there are any. Give your audience something tangible. Nice tools are mindmaps, a moodboard of your presentation, or a gadget like a brochure with an LCD-screen.

You could close with a quote, an impressive picture or a funny video. Give them something! Touch their hearts.

Topics
Healthcare solutions
TIP 2.

Humour = attention

Humour is a powerful communication tool. It draws the attention, makes your presentation an experience and it leaves a positive memory. It’s important that you create a’rapport’. ‘Rapport’ (said rappoor) is a term often used for presentations; it means ‘intimate relationship without an intimate relationship’. Do something unexpected and be funny. You can do that during the opening (the head), so you catch the audience’s attention immediately. A lot of people report something that’s based on studies, effects and results, which is pretty boring. Get a teaspoon of curiosity, an ounce of wonder and a great pound of humour.

Humour comes in many ways:

  • Anecdotes
  • Quotes
  • Funny images
  • Definitions /abreviation
  • Signs


Surprises are not BORING. Use humour to attract the attention of your audience!

We just have our own rituals
TIP 3.

Design = must

Different researches have shown that we perceive and understand information better when it’s visually shown. A good design helps you to create clarity, peace and structure for your audience. Sheets that are too full and endless enumeration doesn’t tend to inspire! Look at the information: what do you want to communicate? Think about a clear visualisation. But be warned: when you emphasize the design instead of the communication, the effectiveness of the message will be lost. The visuals must strengthen your story, not the other way around.

It’s important to:

  • Use one calm theme for your presentation. When it contains a lot of colours, the audience won’t like it. One theme also creates recognition and connections will be made.
  • Use a clear font and font size. This will make it easier for your audience to read the message. Without a good, readable font, your audience will be distracted.
  • Avoid too much content. It’s better not to use too many words and to avoid moving objects as much as possible. A good balance between text and pictures is important.
  • Avoid too much content. It’s better not to use too many words and to avoid moving objects as much as possible. A good balance between text and pictures is important.
  • Images. Choose 1 style in images (i.e. not animals, children, businessmen mixed together) KEY: Use quality imagery that looks professional (no blurry pixelated images).

"Creativity is not a talent, it is a result of a process”

Fotogrid
TIP 4.

Visuals = food for brain

The human brain has a visual mind set. That’s how humankind evolved. It began with our ancestors who learned to survive by visually observing their environment. Think of cave drawings and maps; 90% of the sensory stimulation that we receive is through our eyes. The combination of observing and thinking is essential to process information, to understand the message and to remember it. For instance, data. Data usually contain patterns that become visual when visualised. Patterns can show a change, distribution, or a correlation. Developments that demonstrate this are, for instance, the popularity of infographics and the increase in video and photography on social media.

Thus, visualisation is like ‘food for the brain’; a trigger to record information and to seek and keep the attention of your audience.

Pictures and videos also tend to get 100% more involvement. And did you know that the most popular presentations have about 37 more pictures? What be better reason to use visual content to get and keep the attention of the audience. And be honest:

This or That
TIP 5.

Target group = priorities

Of course, it’s important that your presentation fits your target group. The jargon, pictures, jokes, length and immersion differs per target group. Students have other interests, needs and preferences than senior managers of a multinational, for example.

Make sure you know who your target group is, e.g.:

  • Soort organisatie: geef je de presentatie intern/extern?
  • Demografische gegevens: wat is de achtergrond van de doelgroep, welk opleidingsniveau bijvoorbeeld?
  • Verwachtingen: wat is het belang van de presentatie? Is de doelgroep vooraf geïnformeerd?
  • Wat is de samenstelling van de groep? Zijn het bijvoorbeeld een groep chirurgen of zijn het investeerders?
  • Denk na over leerstijlen: ieder persoon heeft een andere manier van leren. De ene persoon hecht meer waarde aan visualisatie en de ander is getriggerd door data en tekst.
  • Aandacht voor zintuigelijk prikkelen. Laat iets zien, laat iets horen, laat iets voelen etc.

What else?

Do you follow these tips against boring presentations? If you need some help, you can always contact us. We can help you with some extra tips or we can make some sexy presentations for you.

Have fun making your own presentation!

Download the Mindmap ‘Presentations’

Inspirational tips

Here are some platforms and websites to get you inspired:

 

Sources

  • INNOVATIVE PRESENTATION
    Author: Ray Anthony, Barbare Boyd

  • VISUALIZATION: USING VISION TO THINK
    Author: K Card, Jock D Machinlay, Ben Schneiderman

  • THE BACK OF A NAPKIN
    Author: Dan Roam

  • THE POWER OF VISUAL STORYTELLING: HOW TO USE VISUALS, VIDEOS AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO MARKET YOUR BRAND
    Author: Ekaterina Walter

  • HUMOR IS HET DOORBREKEN VAN VOORSPELBAARHEID
    Author: Sander de Vries

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