Content is King! How to effectively present your points during a presentation [Speak on the Shoulders of Giants]
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SURE-FIRE WAY #3: CONTENT IS KING
It’s difficult to imagine how anyone could have possibly made speeches in the past without the use of PowerPoint.
Every great presenter knows how reliance on PowerPoint makes for powerful presentations.
And on that note, the notion of having “only 3-bullet points per slide” is a rule that has come and gone. In today’s technologically advanced world, audiences can absorb so much more. Today, they appreciate PowerPoint slides with at least 10-20 bullet points per page.
Also, be sure to read every bullet to the audience, word for word, as people also enjoy being read to at length. It’s quite nostalgic for the audience as being read to reminds them of bedtime when they were children.
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Did you think there was something off about this week’s public speaking tip?
Hold on! Keep reading.
One of our firm’s education arms, the Institute of Strategy and Valuation, published an article titled, “10 Sure-Fire Ways to Improve Your Presentations: A Light-Hearted Look at Public Speaking.”
Addressing the fear that goes with presenting in front of people, the article presents a humorous look into public speaking—including this week’s sure-fire tip.
We are well aware of the stress everyone goes through when they need to represent their brand or company in front of an audience.
If we could avoid being put in that position, we would.
But… that shouldn’t be the mentality!
According to the article, “If we want to be leaders or achieve anything meaningful in our lives, we will often need to speak to groups, large and small, to be successful.”
Public speaking is an important, learnable skill, we just need to practice.
Yes, it’s easier said than done so we’re here to help and share with you some useful tips!
Looking at this topic from a humorous perspective (instead of the usual serious and fearful way), we know that sure-fire way #3 means the opposite.
CONTENT IS KING.
Choosing and including the right CONTENT is a valuable aspect of presenting.
The “useful trick” from presenters that sure-fire way #3 is stating is definitely something you should avoid doing.
A good speech or presentation must contain meaty content that your audience will find useful and informative.
While providing a healthy amount of information would make for a quality presentation, it’s also important to make sure that you don’t overload them with information.
Avoid putting too much content. It would be very difficult for your audience to retain all of the information.
Instead, make sure that you only have around 3-5 bullet points per slide during a presentation. Your audience would be able to absorb that much better.
When presenting information to your audience, you don’t need to read every line from your slides.
Instead, focus on the more important details that would help complement the key points of your speech or presentation.
It’s also more effective if you know these pieces of information by memory. Your audience would be able to tell that you put in the effort to do some research and provide facts.
Your bullet points are there to support your content, and the best way to use this is by seamlessly transitioning from one point to the other, without even needing to glance on these points once.
Your audience does NOT like being read to. It would only make your speech and presentation feel dull and uninspired.
If the information you want to present might be too lengthy or complicated, the best approach is to simplify and make it more relatable to your audience.
You can apply this to great effect when talking about numbers and statistics. Last week’s helpful tip, the POWER STAT, taught us to make our statistical data easier to understand.
For example, instead of saying “480 yards”, you can use “4 soccer fields.” It would help paint a clearer and simpler picture.
Having quality content can really elevate your speech or presentation because you’ll provide a wealth of useful information that reinforces your important points.
This adds more weight and impact to what you’re saying, making sure that you have a speech or presentation worth watching!
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Wednesdays: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants”
In a meeting with one person
…a boardroom with five people
…or a huge venue with hundreds of people
—whatever the situation or setting, it’s very important to learn and eventually master the art of public speaking.
No matter what, you always need to effectively get your message across.
What good is a presentation with awesome content if you don’t deliver it properly?
Every Wednesday, we publish different tips, insights, and secrets on how you can improve your presentation skills to captivate your audience and lead interesting discussions.
The need for great presentation skills applies EVERYWHERE.
(Small meetings with your team, big meetings with your boss, an important marketing pitch, speaking engagements for events with a big audience, etc.)
Learning these skills is not just for the corporate world. Being in other industries such as the Arts, Information Technology, Medicine, and Education while knowing how to present well will definitely give you an edge.
Have that advantage.
Hope you’ve found this week’s public speaking tip interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Wednesday’s Speak on the Shoulders of Giants!
Cheers,
Kyle Yu
Head of Marketing
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
Powered by Valens Research
www.valens-research.com
