some presentation tips

I’m going to skip over the common presentation tips like practice a lot, talk loudly, etc, and go straight to a list of things that are important, but far less obvious:

• Vividly paint a problem your audience has, then tell them how you will solve their problem. At the end of the day, what you are trying to sell is the promise of a better life.

• Try to connect to your audience emotionally. Be passionate about your topic.

• Tell a story. Some ideas: a personal story, a story about other people, or a story about successful brands or companies.

• Make your presentation surprising. e.g. “Did you know that the greatest mountain range on Earth lies not above ground, but beneath the ocean?”

• Your slides should be aesthetically pleasing, filled with images and occasionally simple words and phrases.

• Mix up your presentation to make your message stick. Use live demos, video clips, physical props, etc.

• Make data contextual and relevant to the audience.
  “5GB of storage” doesn’t mean much. “Able to store 1,000 songs in your iPad” is mind blowing.

• Don’t stand behind the podium. Stand so there’s nothing between you and your audience. Use hand gestures. Pause in between key points. Vary your volume.

• After your presentation, your audience will be looking for the right words to describe what they just saw.

• Make it easy for them and give them a memorable phrase of your choosing. Plan your presentation around this key message / memorable phrase. For example, Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone by giving the media a ready-to-use headline: “Today, Apple reinvents the phone.”

• Video record your practice presentations, so you can focus on areas of improvement.