When you’re delivering a presentation in the boardroom or stage, you don’t want your audience to start zoning out and giving you zombie-like stares.
They may look docile, but the minute you finish, these people could end up swarming to the door, eager to leave.
That outbreak is the last thing you want to cause as a presenter.
How do you go about avoiding it?
A visually compelling PowerPoint that highlights your strengths is a great way to keep them engaged, but making one is never easy.
The best ones are usually made with teamwork and relevant information about your offers.
Let’s take a look at how we can avoid a zombie-audience outbreak:
1. Know Your Team
Each member of your team will always have a specialty (Michaelson & Michaelson 2010, 23).
One of them might know where to get the best information for your deck’s content, while another might be good at writing your script.
Learning to work well with your colleagues will save you loads of headaches and save your energy when it’s time to present
2. Know Your Tools
A highly visual deck makes great impressions, but knowing the other tools and your presentation area are equally important factors.
Simple things like testing out your screens, projectors, and your lapel microphones can save your presentation from technical difficulties later on.
Make sure your deck is formatted to run on the screen you’ll be using for the boardroom. You’ll avoid projecting misplaced graphics because of working with in wrong screen resolution.
3. Know Your Moves
Presentation techniques are another thing to master.
Nothing induces a mass zombie-like look faster than a person standing still and droning on during the whole pitch.
To master your moves, you need to look into two things: your body language and your speaking style.
Are you the type of presenter who likes to tell stories? Or will you take the time to know your audience?
Whichever style you prefer, always remember to employ appropriate body gestures and avoid slouching.
Putting on a professional look and a lively persona is one of your most effective weapons against zombifying your own audience.
One Last Thing: Teamwork Always Works!
It’s hard to survive a presentation that makes you or your audience looking like the walking dead.
In these situations, working as a team will always get you through.
By working together with your sales and marketing teams, you’ll be able to get the info you need to make your presentation as comprehensive as you can.
Mastering your tools will prevent any technical delays that can bore your audience.
Honing your presenter’s techniques can keep everyone’s eyes on you and focused on what you have to say.
Who knows? By following this guide, you might even prevent yourself from looking like a zombie when you step into the boardroom.
References
Michaelson, G., and Steven Michaelson. Sun Tzu: The Art of War for Managers: 50 Strategic Rules Updated for Today’s Business. 2nd ed. Avon, Mass.: Adams Media. 2010.
