July 2015

What’s Your Presentation Style?

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Rick E

The big moment in any creative professional’s life: the pitch.

Your chemistry meeting went well. You have a handle on the brand, and they asked for a big idea.

Since then, the team has been slaving away for weeks. After several late nights, endless cups of coffee, arguments, creative differences, brilliant ideas, and a lot of hard work, your masterpiece is finally ready to be unveiled to the world.

It all comes down to this.

Does the way you present your idea reflect the work you put into it?

Be the Best Presenter You Can Be.

Everyone corresponds to a particular presenter type: Storyteller, Counselor, Coach, Teacher, Producer, and Inventor.

We have the strengths and weaknesses of one of these basic types, although we may exhibit some traits of another.

If you can understand your presenter type, your pitch’s success rates will go up. You’ll know your strengths, be able to face your weaknesses, and figure out how to present your work in its best light.

Storytellers, Counselors, Coaches and Teachers.

In our initial findings, fewer than 20% of presenters are Storytellers, Counselors, Coaches and Teachers.

However, they have more natural ability as public speakers, with Coaches and Storytellers making up the majority of senior executives and entrepreneurs.

Because they have “the gift of the gab,” the Coach and Storyteller connect well with and inspire audiences.

The Counselor and Teacher are well-structured and organized in their delivery, but they can become either distant or dry.

Storytellers often ramble and confuse people rather than clarify.

Counselors that don’t allow their personality to shine through feel a little didactic and dry.

Inventors and Producers.

This is the majority of the presenting population, and it includes many creative people.

These are the ones that, according to Jerry Seinfeld, would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.

They’re usually the introverts who don’t feel a need to be the center of attention, and don’t seek to have the spotlight on them.

Inventors and producers have a gift for words, but it doesn’t come quickly to them onstage. They may even feel blocked just searching for the right word in a presentation, a scary moment that nobody ever wants to experience during a pitch.

Let PowerPoint Be Your Wingman.

You aren’t alone on the stage, because there’s a cure.

Let PowerPoint be your wingman.

If, like a Counselor, you’re not very engaging, make sure your slides can involve the audience and evoke the right emotions.

In case you’re all over the place like a Storyteller, make sure your deck follows a solid sequence so your audience can easily keep up with you.

Should you be an Inventor who’s a little unsure of your words, let the presentation carry the talk-track for you without making it into a teleprompter.

Knowing these six styles and dealing with their shortcomings will help you become the best presenter you can be.

Want to take part in our research, find out what type of presenter you are, and learn how to improve your presentation style? Head on over and take our quick survey.

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Author Bio

Gavin McMahon is a PowerPoint obsessive. He’s a founding partner at fassforward Consulting Group, and blogs about PowerPoint, communication, infographics and message discipline at makeapowerfulpoint.com. You can tweet him at @powerfulpoint and connect with him on Google+.

Move Along Now: Transition Devices for Guiding Presentations

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Rick E

Getting well-organized and researched content into your presentation can take time and drain your energy. But that’s not even half the battle yet. You can’t simply take this information as is and verbally and visually present it to an audience.

You need something to make them work together, and this is where transitions come in handy. They build links and connections that make different ideas and points cohesive. These devices are effective for guiding presentations into coherent outputs that your audience will understand.

Transitions are used to outline and unify your speech’s major ideas. They make your words flow more smoothly, serving as bridges from one point, sentence, or paragraph to the next. You can continuously state facts and points in a logically organized manner, but without transitions, you’ll sound stilted or nonsensical.

University of Cincinnati’s Rudolph F. Verderber (1994) classifies internal transitions as follows:

Complementary Transitions

This may be the most common use for transition statements. Complementary transitions add one idea to another, reinforcing points in your speech. They also demonstrate similarities or parallels between different things.

Examples:

also
in addition
just as important
not only

Use these to present evidence or to strengthen previous statements, especially important ones.

Causal Transitions

These transitions emphasize a cause-effect relationship between ideas. They also establish a correlation between your data and a point that you wish to prove.

Examples:

as a result
consequently
therefore

Use these to fluidly move from one point to another without surprising your listeners.

Contrasting Transitions

This transition type shows how two ideas differ from each other. Introducing opposing points can emphasize strengths or reassure audiences of perceived weaknesses.

Examples:

in contrast
in spite of
on the contrary
conversely

This might work effectively to present a twist in your pitch. Use this to highlight important differences between the ideas in your discussion.

Chronological Transitions

Chronological transitions show the time relationship between ideas. They can also be signals for moving from one point to the next. They’re vital for showing movement and injecting coherence into otherwise disjointed thoughts.

Examples:

at the same time
as soon as
at least
before

Use these transitions to display relationships within the same section or point.

Conclusion

Transitions unify your speech’s different sections, turning a flood of ideas and information into a stream of organized thoughts and theses. Use transitions in your deck to guide the switch from one slide to the next. If your audience can follow what you’re saying, you’ll land those sales one after the other.

Looking for experts in presentation planning? Contact SlideGenius now and receive a free quote!

References

“How to Organize Your Ideas with a Presentation Storyboard.” SlideGenius, Inc. September 1, 2014.
“Types & Examples of Transitions.” KIM’S KORNER FOR TEACHER TALK.
“The Pyramid Principle: Tips for Presentation Structure.” SlideGenius, Inc. December 21, 2014.
Verderber, Rudolph F. The Challenge of Effective Speaking. Belmont, California: International Thomson Publishing, 1994.

Featured Image: “Forth Bridge” by SR Photies on flickr.com

Public Speaking: How Diction Affects Your Presentation

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Rick E

Everybody’s miscommunicated at least once in their life. Among many reasons, one of the most overlooked is inappropriate word articulation. It’s never on purpose: many times we speak without realizing that we’re mispronouncing words.

Diction can help or hinder your entire pitch. Aside from the lack of practice, planning, preparation, or an overabundance of filler words, diction affects your audience’s overall understanding of your presentation. We often forget how this mistake distorts our message.

According to speech coach Lisa B. Marshall, diction covers two main things: choice of words and enunciation.

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Good Diction vs. Poor Diction

Choosing the right words and pronouncing them correctly gets your message across and makes your voice sound more professional.

Unfortunately, many public speakers struggle with poor diction or mispronunciation. They barely pay attention to the difference between what we hear and what our audience hears, causing them to unintentionally mislead their audience.

These words might confuse your listeners and prevent them from getting the message clearly.

A few examples of these words include:

“I dunno.” instead of “I don’t know.”
“Probly” instead of “Probably”
“Havta” instead of “Have to”
“Shoulda” instead of “Should have”
“Gonna” instead of “Going to”

Causes of Poor Diction

In his article in And Now Presenting, Oliver Holmes points the cause of poor diction to the fact that people become so used to it that they unconsciously let this speech mistake slide.

While we’re focused on what to say and how the message flows, we barely notice how our diction affects our message delivery. Your speech can also be distorted by dialect, regional speech patterns, and speaking too fast.

Ways to Improve Your Diction

Record yourself and look for words that you have trouble pronouncing. Read print materials and observe how you articulate words. Practice reading your presentation and identify areas for improvement.

Open your mouth wider and read sentences aloud to hear words repeated and pronounced clearly. Record yourself several times, and always compare your latest recording to your last. Practice by asking a friend to listen to you and give you feedback. This helps you see what to improve and what to avoid.

Recite tongue twisters to practice enunciating words quickly. Record yourself and spot mumbled words. Repeat this process until you can easily pronounce those problem words.

Conclusion

Knowing the right words to say and how to pronounce them make you sound more professional and increase your confidence as a presenter.

Record your speech to spot words that you unconsciously mumble. You can also ask your friends and family for help in identifying any hard-to-understand parts of your diction, making you more aware of your common mistakes and preventing you from miscommunicating with your audience.

A clearly delivered pitch is a pitch that’ll get definite sales results. Let SlideGenius help you out with your presentation needs!

We redesign PowerPoint presentations.

Get your free quote now.

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References

“Avoiding Filler Words in Your Corporate Presentations.” SlideGenius, Inc. May 11, 2015. Accessed July 30, 2015.
Holmes, Oliver Wendell. “Presentation Tip: Carve Every Word.“ ‘Professionally Speaking…’ June 13, 2013. Accessed July 30, 2015.
Marshall, Lisa B. “Diction.“ Quick and Dirty Tips. February 20, 2009. Accessed July 30, 2015.
“What You Need to Achieve Presentation Success.” SlideGenius, Inc. February 15, 2015. Accessed July 30, 2015.

Presentation Tip: The Power of Voice Projection

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Rick E

An effective presentation isn’t measured by how loudly you speak. Speaking too loudly distracts your audience because it’s noise that hinders successful communication. Projecting your voice means speaking clearly and confidently.

This gives your audience the impression that you’re capable of holding a one-on-one conversation, a group meeting or a speech in front of a crowd.

How Your Voice Influences Your Pitch

Your voice dictates whether your speech is powerful or not.

If you speak loudly, you’ll be regarded as a confident person with a strong personality. If you’re soft-spoken, others view you as shy or quiet.

This is why voice projection and word articulation work hand-in-hand.

Consider these three elements of voice projection for your next sales pitch:

1. Personality

To be yourself is letting your audience feel the real “you.”

Showing your true self makes them feel that you’re reliable. Thus, what you say becomes more authentic to them.

Your voice also reflects part of your personality as you reveal your personal experiences.

Don’t try to project someone else’s voice. Your life – and you – are unique. Use this to your advantage.

2. Passion

Anyone can make a speech without being passionate about it.

Passion differs from the message you’re conveying. If you don’t know why you’re planning for your presentation, it means you lack passion.

Imagine how professional actors project and deliver their lines naturally yet powerfully.

Bring your passion into your presentation to make your voice heard.

3. Strong Vocal Physique

Deep breathing helps people feel at ease. This is a breathing technique that produces a resonant voice, similar to how singers use their diaphragm, the muscle used for breathing.

Take a few deep breaths before speaking. Once you’re relaxed and comfortable, you can speak more naturally and with power. This technique takes some practice since it involves the use of air. By breathing deeply, you can produce strong vocal tones without shouting, helping you speak better without getting tired.

Conclusion

It’s not just what you say, but how you say it that can convince clients to work with you.

Combine your personality, passion and strong vocal physique to sound more powerful in your sales presentations. Practice, practice, practice to master voice projection.

Speak with full confidence and clarity to land those business deals.

References

How to project your voice

Speak Up! A Guide to Voice Projection

http://www.booher.com/booherbanter/presentation-skills-speak-up-we-cant-hear-you-3-tips-on-voice-projection/
https://blog.udemy.com/how-to-project-your-voice/

Featured Image: Pixabay.com

Professional PowerPoint Designers and Cost-Effective Results

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Rick E

PowerPoint has become a standard in today’s business communications. It’s used in any type of industry, from startups to big-scale. Although it helps convey messages, professionals tend to use this tool by following a standardized format: stagnation.

A stagnant medium means everything looks the same. Everyone starts to rely on templates, and no one stands out. While PowerPoint’s user-friendliness makes it easy to create slides for any type of presentation, that also makes it more susceptible to uninspired decks.

However, there are some experts in the field who are equipped with the proper skills and knowledge to pull off a stunning deck for their clients. Availing the services of these professional PowerPoint designers can help you rise above the rest. Here’s why:

Professional Slides Make You Look Good

A team of dedicated and experienced designers, copywriters, and marketing consultants give you the best presentation deck possible, ensuring you always look your best. Designs are custom-made to suit your company’s needs, while still being in line with your image and branding.

With this important responsibility off your shoulders, you can breathe easily and concentrate on your responsibilities as the presenter.

Save Time and Money

Having a professional team means you can get your slides whenever you need them.

If you’re usually in charge of making your own slides, you can instead put your efforts into something more productive. If you’re in charge of a team, you won’t have to disrupt the process or wait for a member to be free to start your deck.

Having to occasionally design presentations in-house disrupts an employee’s regular workflow. According to Demand Media’s George Root III well-planned task delegation is necessary for more efficient work output. This means that you need experts in the specific fields for faster, optimized work.

Outsourcing a team of professionals on standby means your people can concentrate on what they do best: working to further improve your product or service. With disturbances gone, office efficiency is boosted, saving both time and money.

Increase Returns

Nothing beats output done by experts. When you hire professional PowerPoint designers, your presentation’s quality will always match that of your company’s, allowing you to convert more opportunities into revenue and making your business grow.

Amazingly well-made decks ensure consistent positive feedback, maximizing returns for you and your company.

Conclusion

No matter how good of a presenter you are, you’ll always need a presentation deck that reflects your skill and talent, as well as those of your team and your company’s brand message.

Though they have become too standard for their own good, PowerPoint presentations are still your gateway to effective business communication. Hire a professional PowerPoint designer now and make your business stand out.

Still unconvinced? Contact us now, and let our team of professional PowerPoint designers change your mind.

References

Root, George. “Importance of Teamwork at Work.” Chron. Accessed July 24, 2015.
“Your Brand Should Be In Your PowerPoint Designs.” SlideGenius, Inc. July 8, 2014.

Metaphors: Powerful Literary Tools in Business Presentations

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Rick E

“Think of a metaphor as a connection or a bridge between the new and the familiar.” – Peter Jeff

Metaphors are powerful literary tools of comparison that link things, ideas, and concepts. They’re great for expressing connections and can trigger quick or surprising response. You’ve probably used them in normal conversations, or read about them in literary works.

However, metaphors can lend an added value to your business presentations as well. Citing Lakoff and Johnson’s Metaphors We Live By, Six Revisions’ Sabrina Idler takes off with the idea that the human mind processes conceptual ideas as metaphors. This may largely be because metaphors translate the abstract into something tangible and familiar to the audience.

Discover how to make your business presentations more interactive with metaphors.

Stimulate Creativity

Running out of words to explain your key points? Pick a metaphor that fits your message.

How would you narrate the way your organization reached its goal of meeting new clients? One interesting way your audience can relate to you and your story is by choosing a metaphor that’s directly associated with your organization.

For example, using food metaphors might work for a restaurant or food manufacturing business. This also helps you avoid arbitrary metaphors your listeners might not get, as well as cliches they’ve heard a thousand times before.

Create Deeper Impact

Since metaphors are thought-provoking, they create a deeper impact on your audience. They dig into their subconscious, as well as their emotions, causing them to react to your message differently. They also bring out the most candid moments in participants who pay close attention to your speech.

Like sharing a personal story or an interesting anecdote, speech metaphors make you appear more relatable and human. Hard facts and data can get stale after a while, so a healthy dash of the creative in your pitch will definitely wake up your listeners’ senses.

Power to Persuade

With combined creativity, meaning, and impact, metaphors make you more persuasive and help you win businesses. Because metaphors engage the right brain, they appeal to people’s emotions and put them at ease. This makes them less wary of sales pitches, and more open to listening to what you have to say.

Use this language in a way that differentiates you from your competition, simplifies a complex situation, and delivers your presentation idea vividly to succeed at creative persuasion.

Conclusion

Speech metaphors don’t only facilitate understanding, but also enhance audience participation. Practice thinking and speaking in a metaphorical way to add a little drama to your business presentation.

Looking for PowerPoint experts to help you on your presentation needs? Give us a call at 1-858-217-5144 or request for a free quote from SlideGenius today.

References

“5 Reasons Why Metaphors Can Improve the User Experience.” Six Revisions. 2012. Accessed July 28, 2015.
“Engage a Disinterested Audience Like a Presentation Expert.” SlideGenius, Inc. May 5, 2015. Accessed July 28, 2015.
“How to Use the Persuasive Power of Metaphors.” Enchanting Marketing. 2013. Accessed July 28, 2015.
“Presentation Ideas from Ancient Greece: Pitching With Pathos.” SlideGenius, Inc. September 4, 2015. Accessed July 28, 2015.

The Power of Repeating Words and Phrases in Presentations

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Rick E

The more you listen to a song, the faster you recall its entire lyrics and melody. Repetition helps strengthen the listener’s memory. Soon you’ll be able to associate the repeated lines with anything that’s vaguely related to it. Use this powerful technique to enhance your pitch.

When done correctly, repeating certain words and phrases in your speech makes a lasting impact. Before you tackle this technique, you must first learn how to effectively engage your audience.

Audience recall is another issue. Will they remember key ideas even after the presentation?

What is Anaphora?

Anaphora is a Greek term meaning repetition of words or phrases at each succeeding sentence’s beginning. This rhetorical technique is used for more powerful and memorable political or motivational speeches, like Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. He repeated the words “now is the time,” each with different actions such as “lift our nation,” “make justice,” and “rise from the dark,” all to convince his listeners to take action.

Another example is Winston Churchill’s “We Shall Fight Them on the Beaches” during World War II. He reiterates the clause, “We shall fight…” seven times in the passage, each with a different location to show that his country would see the war to the end. This allowed the audience to recall the presenter’s focus and the message itself.

Brand communications expert, Carmine Gallo cites Steve Jobs in his speech, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish”, where Jobs demonstrated how this sentence structure allows speakers to effectively command attention. He, himself, even applied this approach in 2010 at Stanford University.

Applying this technique to your sales presentation highlights your message’s important points. To convince your clients to purchase your product, use emphasis to lead to brand retention.

Ways to Use Repetition in Your Speech

Point Out Your Main Idea

Establish your main points before reiterating them in your speech. Prioritize the most important idea down to the least significant one. When doing your speech, list down the key ideas to avoid misleading your audience.

Filter Unnecessary Points

Don’t include out-of-topic statements. After listing down the main idea, remove unnecessary information that might confuse your audience. Say only what needs to be told to get the message across.

Show What Matters

Include visuals or stories which exemplify your main points to give your audience a deeper understanding of your key ideas. Give appropriate illustrations which clarify and support your main points.

Use a Different Style

Try expounding on one key idea in different ways and tell only what’s relevant. Don’t add too many details if they don’t add any concrete or useful information for your audience. You can be creative and still impart your message clearly by being focused.

Add Humor to Your Pitch

Include jokes in your speech to give them a break and a moment to absorb your message. Humorous stories also awaken your audience’s interest and release the serious tension.

Involve Your Audience

Let them restate main points and share their ideas. This makes them more interested to listen and learn from you. Valuing their presence shows that you care about them, making them care more about you.

Provide a Visual to Represent Key Ideas

Offer your audience something that they can take with them. Aside from your PowerPoint visuals, showing concrete examples such as props or any tangible objects gives them further explanation about the subject matter. This helps them recall the speech’s main point.

Repeat Your Main Point

Go back to your key points before ending your presentation. Repeat your key message to ensure that your audience recalls the speech’s most significant ideas.

From Repetition to Retention

Repeating your main points provides your audience with information that you want them to remember. The more you address and repeat your key ideas, the more they keep these in mind. Once you establish an interesting point in your presentation’s beginning, keep emphasizing main ideas that your audience will remember.

SlideGenius is ready to help you make your presentation more convincing and powerful.

References

Gallo, C. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience. New York. McGraw-Hill, 2010.
“Rhetorical Figures in Sound: Anaphora.” American Rhetoric. Accessed July 28, 2015.
“The Art of Props: Why Your Presentation Might Need It.” SlideGenius, Inc. 2015. Accessed July 28, 2015.
“Winston Churchill Speech – We Shall Fight Them on the Beaches.” Presentation Magazine. Accessed July 28, 2015.

How Much is a Professional PowerPoint Design Worth?

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Rick E

“How much will a professional PowerPoint design set me back?”

We hear this question a lot. Because of the program’s user-friendliness and the misconception that substance trumps design, presenters often misuse PowerPoint and come up with slides that bore their audience to death. The presentation tool has been constantly evolving and coming up with new features to make creating a more engaging deck easier even for the most unversed users.

At the same time, the cost of investing in one expertly-made deck can reap plenty of returns. Let’s talk about what you can get for three different pricing selections, from low to high.

Budget-Friendly (USD 1,000 to USD 5,000)

A budget-friendly presentation design is ideal for businesses with limited funds. This affordable package fall into two categories—a simple redesign of an existing deck, or a completely new yet bare-bones deck.

You won’t get subpar quality despite its low price range. You’ll still get the best out of your content, and a fleshed out deck states your purpose and speaks for your brand. However, don’t expect a lot of flourishes, animations, or additional branding advice

A professional PowerPoint design is an investment. Don’t settle for less.

If you’re ready to go to the next level, the next price point might be more appropriate for your needs.

Fine-Tuned (USD 5,000 to USD 15,000)

As most clients’ choice, it’s a versatile service that meets most business needs, big or small.

More slides cost more time and effort. The wider price range has a bigger chance of optimally meeting your presentation needs. Costs in this price range depend on the amount of copywriting, design, and multimedia efforts you’ll request. If you need more, you’ll get more.

Have a bigger budget than this? Let’s go above and beyond the usual presentations and dive into the best of the best.

All-In (USD 15,000 to USD 50,000)

This range includes multi-deck projects and large decks with more than a hundred slides. You get a lot of value with expertly-designed slides that don’t pull any creative punches while maximizing both graphical and written content.

If you’re a start-up looking to break the mold, this package provides a complete branding overhaul that exceeds a standard PowerPoint deck’s limitations. You can also get a library of custom-designed ready-to-use slides. Get your money’s worth and more with this great investment. All it takes is one big push to get the ball rolling.

You need to spend money to make money. Talk to a presentation specialist and find out what best fits your need for a professional PowerPoint design. Contact us now for a free quote!

References

“How to Avoid ‘death by PowerPoint‘.” BBC News. December 18, 2015. Accessed July 27, 2015.
“If You Don’t Want To Spend Money On Yourself, Why Would Others?” SlideGenius, Inc. July 17, 2013. Accessed July 27, 2015.
“Your Brand Should Be In Your PowerPoint Designs.” SlideGenius, Inc. July 08, 2014. Accessed July 27, 2015.

2 Ad Agency Tips to Address Sales Presentation Risks

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Rick E

Every business activity has its risks. Marketing campaigns may not get needed profits, and clients reject proposals for advertisements.

Each pitch is an investment and a risk. You spend time putting together information, buying market data prominent research agencies, or hiring a professional PowerPoint designer to put it together for you. There’ll always be resources to invest in, all to get your client’s approval.

How do you convince clients to risk investing in you?

In his book Cutting Edge Advertising, Jim Aitchison writes about how ad agencies tackle this problem by taking a fresh idea and a different way of selling products from the competition. To challenge the risks of giving a sales pitch, listen to your consumers, then propose a new message that uses what you learned.

1. Listen to Your Clients

Everyone has a story to tell, even consumers.

Effective advertising and marketing strategies are based on how a brand’s consumer base behaves. Getting to know how the consumers feel, what their stories are and how to respond to them are all crucial parts of crafting relevant messages that sell.

Clients are no different. Consulting them before planning your PowerPoint deck lets you know what your clients need from you. What are the business objectives they need to fulfill? What are their cost concerns, implementation and estimated profits?

2. Take the Creative Step

Take that information, match it with your most relevant offer and present it in a fresh and interesting manner. Guide presentation techniques about time and slide limits with your data.

As Aitchison writes: “Present something the audience will recognize as themselves, their lives, their dreams, but with a twist, so they are actually startled by it, or will get an extra insight from it”. Great examples of this technique he cited include the Nike Shox TV ad and Steve Jobs’ introduction of the iPod Nano in 2005.

What to Take From This

Everything will have risks, especially with your business and sales presentation.

Identifying these risks gives you time to plan in advance. Knowing what to expect, how to talk to your clients and how to pitch your products in an interesting PowerPoint deck makes all the difference. A small moment of your time saves you from the usual headaches of making a winning sales pitch.

It’s an investment worth making, and a risk worth taking. Talk to the right people to get you started.

References

Apple Music Special Event 2005-The iPod Nano Introduction. Apple History Channel. Accessed July 27, 2015.
2000 Vince Carter Nike SHOX Commercial/Jumping Over Gary Payton. YouTube. Accessed July 27, 2015.
“5 TED Talk Secrets for Persuasive PowerPoint Presentations.” SlideGenius, Inc. 2015. Accessed July 27, 2015.
Aitchison, J. Cutting Edge Advertising: How to Create the World’s Best Print for Brands in the 21st Century. Singapore; New York: Prentice Hall, 2004.

Recipes for a Humorous But Effective Corporate Presentation

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Rick E

Speakers with the innate ability to insert humor into presentations effectively engage and entertain people. While not everyone is a natural at funny yet effective speeches, you can still bring that therapeutic feeling to your audience.

Your clients already have enough problems to deal with outside your corporate presentation. Give them some reprieve by injecting a little humor into your presentation while proving that you’re the answer to their needs. You don’t have to make fun of yourself to give your presentation an ice breaker.

Speech coach Avish Parashar suggests five steps to adding humor to your presentation. Once you’ve identified what tickles the listener’s funny bone, it’s time to put these into action by incorporating a few techniques. We’ve borrowed three of his humor basics and expounded on them below:

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Wordplay

Wordplay is wittily substituting words that sound similar but mean different things. Play with words to lighten up your discussion.

Popular food bloggers and book authors Janet and Greta Podleski are masters of this literary technique. They always use wordplay in their cookbook and recipe titles, such as “Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry” instead of “Eat, Drink, and Be Merry,” “Lord of the Wings,” “Nacho. Nacho. Man,” and “Another One Bites the Crust.”

Even the most serious audiences get tired of straight data, especially in hours-long presentations. Have pun making your audiences smile for even a second. They’ll appreciate the brief reprise from word-heavy slides and complicated numbers. Memorable and witty words also make them remember your story better.

Puns

Puns lie within the realm of wordplay. They’re done by connecting different ideas in a way where the words are deliberately confused with each other. Talking about an intricate financial report? Try this joke: “A bank manager without anyone around may find himself a-loan.”

Puns aren’t limited to those already made by other people. Experiment and make your own puns that fit your presentation’s message. Some of the best marketing campaigns used terrible puns. They may elicit some groans, but let’s face it: they’re easy to remember, which is great at making your audience remember you after the presentation is over.

Exaggeration

Advertisers exaggerate ideas to attract consumers, making things ridiculously humorous while empowering brand images. Exaggeration delivers a product pitch while at the same time catching your viewers’ attention because of how over-the-top you can get.

Most people don’t talk about a typical day at the office, but they do talk about bizarre incidents. Present an idea in ways that are so unusual that audiences will be compelled to remember and talk about it outside of the conference room.

Conclusion

Presentations aren’t meant to be boring. The more monotone you get, the more likely your audience will tune you out.

Mix things up and engage your audience by putting some comic elements into your speech. Whether you use clever wordplay, puns, or exaggerate ideas, a more humorous delivery is often more memorable than a straight-faced presentation.

Let SlideGenius help you with your presentation needs. Give us a call at 1-858-217-5144 or submit a form to request a free quote today!

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References

“Incorporating Humor into a Presentation.” SlideGenius, Inc. August 15, 2013. Accessed May 14, 2015.
Parashar, Avish. “5 Ways to Add Humor to Your Presentations Without Being a Comedian.” Speak and Deliver. June 16, 2011. Accessed May 14, 2015.

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