Crafting A Presentation That Works For You

⌛  By Kaylin R. Staten ⌛

In business, especially in the public relations industry, presentations are a tool of the trade.

As a business owner, I have given a myriad of presentations throughout my decade-long career. Each presentation, even if it’s the same topic, has its own way of being different. I’ve presented on PR and writing topics; given workshops; asked for donations; given live interviews on the radio, TV, and online; presented reports during meetings; pitched to new (and previous) clients; and more.

As much as many of us don’t like presentations, interviews, and the like, you cannot get anywhere in a communications field without having to do them at least sometimes.

In today’s Back To Basics blog post, I will highlight six ways you can give an impactful presentation from start to finish:

Figure out a presentation style.

Once you have a topic chosen, you will be able to see which type of presentation will suit the topic at hand. Your content will naturally lend itself to your chosen presentation type and style.

Here are the types of presentations:

• Visual: You use a mixture of talking with your audience and giving them slides, videos, and other content to supplement your discussions

• Freeform: Instead of sharing slides, you use stories to spice up your presentation; this is usually a more short presentation style.

• Instructor: You are able to teach your audience using more complex messages and content to keep your audience engaged.

• Coach: You use your energy and charisma to also keep your audience engaged and feeling connected with you; often, you use motivational wording and calls to action.

• Storytelling: Speakers use emotions to tell stories and use real-life examples that make an impact and illustrate points during a presentation.

• Connector: You show that you are no different than your audience members, creating an aura of relatability and authenticity through a Q&A format and hand gestures.

• Lessig: You use a presentation deck, but you go through each slide in 15 seconds and used in tandem with what you are saying (think teleprompter).

• Takahashi: You do your presentation without some type of software, usually because it’s not available

Which presentation style sounds the most like you? You can use one style for your presentation or mix and match to craft your own personal style. I usually gravitate toward visual, instructor, connector, and storytelling.

Create an outline.

This could look differently for each of us, depending on how in depth we want and need to go. As I have gotten more experience in my field, I usually forgo this step entirely. If you need to create an outline, make sure to have the following key items: thesis statement (your main idea), your hook for the beginning, at least three main points, supporting points and research, and your conclusion. If you’re creating a marketing or business presentation, you’ll want to include statistics, testimonials, a call to action, and other components that would be relevant to your target audience.

Plug in all information into a program.

This may not be needed for a more extemporaneous speech or presentation, but you could want to prepare a visual presentation in PowerPoint, Google Slides, or another program. You don’t want this visual approach to take away from what you are saying, so keep the wording short on each slide. The 10-20-30 rule, created by Guy Kawasaki gives you a clear blueprint on working with slideshows: keep your slideshow short with only 10 or so slides, keep your presentation to 20 minutes, and use a text above 30-point font.

Practice.

This doesn’t work for everyone or every situation, but practicing your presentation can help you feel more prepared. I talked about this during this week’s week Mental Health Moments blog post, but I wanted to reiterate it here. Do whatever you need to do in order to lessen anxiety. After all, public speaking is one of the most common fears, and it can really inhibit our successes during the actual presentation. So, run through your presentation. Use note cards or a written outline if you need to. Record yourself and then play it back (this is a phobia in and of itself). Get comfortable with your content. Of course, you may work better without practicing. Do whatever feels right to you. I use a blend of these methods. Sometimes, I want to know exactly which slides are next and how I will talk about them. Other times, I feel like I allow the wind to carry my thoughts during the presentation. Both methods have their places.

Give the presentation.

During the presentation, use your passions and/or humor to cultivate an experience for your audience. While all of us are not naturally charismatic, it does help to find a nugget of inspiration within your presentation and use your passion to your benefit. Work it into the hook, or introduction, of your presentation to engage your audience and allow them to take a more interesting journey with you. Engage them by asking questions individually or as a whole. You want to maintain a balance of being entertaining (or at least not so boring that people are looking on their phones the whole time) and informative. Use eye contact, even if that means you are looking beyond your audience and onto a back wall. We’ve all heard the advice of imagining that your audience members are in their underwear, but honestly, that is just distracting! Also, please... do not directly read from your slideshow or put full sentences on the slides. They’re meant to supplement what you have to say or summarize your key points — not to serve as the novel of your presentation.

Analyze what worked and what didn’t.

This can be a cumbersome task, but it doesn’t have to be. Take some time to reflect on what worked during your presentation and what could have gone smoother. Even if it’s just 15 minutes on your way home or a written report you can continue to view and share with your team, taking that time to reflect will help you in the future. You will see what needs to be included and what resonated with your audience. What did they laugh about or seem to be engaged with during your time together? What seemed to bore them, and was it remedial information for the most part? A pre- and post-presentation survey can also help you gauge what they knew beforehand and learned during your presentation, especially in more of the instructor-student format. The important thing is to remember to be honest with yourself during this analysis.

Kaylin R. Staten, APR, is an award-winning, accredited public relations practitioner and writer based in Huntington, WV with 18 years of professional communications experience. As CEO and founder of Hourglass Media, she uses her compassionate spirit and expertise to delve into the heart of clients’ stories. She is a recovering perfectionist, mental health advocate, wife, Luke’s mom, cat mom, and Leia Organa aficionado. Connect with Kaylin on LinkedIn.