EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS

””

I believe many people think they can deliver

good presentations just because they know

how to use presentation software. That’s not

enough: preparing and giving a presentation is

a great responsibility because the outcome can

totally change how the content will be

perceived by the audience.

The formula to reach the best result is a

multiplication (and not a sum) of three main

factors:

USEFUL x LIKEABLE x INSPIRING =

EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION

If just one of these factors is zero, the final

result will always be zero. And I mean always.

- Federico AttoreFounder and Chairman Tell Well

ONE

The computer is just a tool: the real key to your

presentation’s success is in your head. So start

by creating the storyboard of your

presentation.

Grab some Post-it notes, a black marker and a

whiteboard. Then start by sticking post-its

with:

- general info

- topics to include

- ideas on visual and verbal messages

- speech keywords

TWO

Remember: focus on the benefits for your

audience.

Your public is not there for you but for the

benefits you can provide them with.

Put yourself in your audience’s shoes, walk

with them, breathe with them.

It’s not enough to know their

socio-demographic profile, you also need to

know what keeps them awake at night. There’s

more: a mix of different people may attend a

presentation and you must know how to

segment your audience. The better you know

your audience, the more effective your

call-to-action will be.

THREE

“All roads lead to Rome”, as the saying goes.

In a presentation, all slides and frames must

lead the audience to the core idea you want

to convey. All other messages should support

the idea and help the audience understand it

better.

When you have found your big idea, write it

down in one sentence no longer than two

lines.

Add textFOUR

Stories have always aroused emotions and

strong physical reactions.

Apply storytelling principles to your

presentation by dividing your contents in three

acts:

- Act 1: introduce the setting and find the

turning point

- Act 2: develop the story, raise tension and

add complications

- Act 3: it’s the final act, you must offer the

solution.

FIVE

Choose the software you will use, based on

your audience, on your idea, and on the story

you want to tell.

If your presentation is Zen, rich in images and

with very little text, Keynote is the right tool.

If you want a more institutional presentation

and want to be sure that it can be opened on

any device, then choose PowerPoint.

Finally, if you want to create something

different and you are looking for a

presentation structure with an overview and a

clear storytelling path, then go for Prezi.

SIX

Don’t add graphics to your slides just to

embellish them. Use visual to help your

audience focus on and understand your

message. If possible, use images instead of

words, use diagrams instead of bullet points.

If you are using charts, make them as clear as

possible by removing unneeded labels and

grids. Use white space between objects and

don’t be afraid of empty areas.

Communicate clearly to your audience. Use

two different fonts of different color: one for

titles, one for body texts. It will also give your

presentation a change of pace.

SEVEN

Data may engage or bore your audience.

Therefore, the way you show data and the

visual context in which you put them are

important. If you are showing quantitative

data, don’t take for granted that your audience

will understand their meaning. It’s always

better to link data to something they already

know: saying ‘5 gigabytes’ may mean nothing,

but if I tell you they are enough to save 1000

songs, that will be immediately clear.

EIGHT

You should practice about 1 hour for every

minute of your speech.

Write down a rough draft of your speech and

then turn your speech into keywords. Repeat

your speech many times in front of a mirror,

or ask someone you trust to help you: give him

a glass and a teaspoon and ask him to hit it

every time he hears something he doesn’t like.

Remember that your audience’s attention span

is 10 minutes long. 10, not 11. Many

researches on cognitive functions confirm that.

Therefore remember to change topic every 10

minutes.

NINE

At the end of your presentation you may be

asked some questions. Sometimes they are

awkward and express disagreement with

what you said. Therefore you should try to

foresee the questions your audience

could ask.

Group them by topic and store them in

imaginary drawers. Then give a name to each

drawer. When your audience will be asking

that question, you will immediately know

what drawer to open in order to find the

answer.

TEN

Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who

you are. Tell me what you ate, and I will tell

you how your presentation will turn out.

It may sound strange, but the mental effort

of a presentation requires the proper intake

of sugar and vitamins. Eating light helps us

feeling more dynamic.

The most important food for a presenter is

fruit, because it is rich in water, sugar and

vitamins: energy for our brain.

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