[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_image src=”http://www.melroseinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/shutterstock_136093025.jpg” align=”center” admin_label=”Image” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” animation=”off” sticky=”off”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]Marketing expert Seth Godin makes a great point in one of his latest blog posts: the point of a presentation is to make change happen. If your presentation is not designed to create some sort of change — budget approval, understanding new data, etc. — then there is no point.

Use this one overarching rule to help you through every step of presentation development and delivery.

5 Rules for a Great Presentation

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1. Know your goals – What is the change you are trying to achieve? Although this may seem like a simple question, you’d be surprised at how many presenters don’t start with this most basic concept. Yes, most presentations are created to convey information, but what else do you want to get from it? Are you trying to get a customer to take the next step in the sales process? Are you trying to convince your team to adopt a more efficient approach? You want your audience to walk away not just having learned something, but also wanting to do something.

 

1. Know your audience – In order to convince your audience to take action, you need to know what makes them tick. Are you presenting to a decision-maker, an influencer, or somebody who just wants to increase their knowledge base? If you are making a sales pitch to an associate who doesn’t have the authority to sign on the dotted line, think about how you can change your presentation to drive them to take action in a different way.

 

1. Know your message – After you understand your audience and have defined the most realistic goals for that group, craft a simple message to use throughout your presentation. Keep it consistent and use it frequently so it’s easy for your audience to remember the action you want them to take.

 

1. Know your hardware – If you are setting up the presentation room, make sure you know how all of the hardware components work together before you arrive. Bringing the wrong cable or having a remote control run out of batteries is a sure way to distract both you and the audience. If you can’t smoothly deliver the technical components of your presentation, you won’t be able to achieve your larger goals.

 

1. Know your software – Convincing people to take action is no small task. Use all of the tools at your disposal to drive your point home. This includes making the most of your presentation software. Are you using built-in animation tools to highlight important text or images? Have you created a simple, elegant template that does not distract from the content on the slide? Take the time to learn what is possible, then use the most appropriate tools to make your presentation both effective and memorable.

 

Creating a great presentation can be challenging, but if you approach it with the primary goal of making change happen, all the other pieces will fall into place. MelroseMAC is here to help you with the hardware and software pieces so you can focus on content and delivery. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.

What was the objective of the last presentation you gave?

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