Tag: audience engagement

Dig into Your Presentation Audience’s Key Learning Styles

audience engagement

learning styles

Neil Fleming

Rick Enrico

VARK

May 08, 2015

Audience members have different learning preferences. As a presenter, make sure you can meet their varying needs to maximize engagement and comprehension.There are many ways to categorize personal learning styles including the Jungian theory on personality types. Fleming’s VARK model is the simplest yet most comprehensive approach that best suits understanding varying modal preferences.[sg-blog-modules module=three]

VARKing Up the Right Tree

Neil Fleming, a research enthusiast and teaching expert in secondary and teacher education at the Lincoln University, New Zealand, devised this model to tailor to individual’s learning needs. Before creating a pitch, you have to make sure you’re barking up the right tree.Visual learners are the most recognizable group. They prefer to learn by visualizing information in the context of images, graphs, and videos rather than written forms. Use your learner’s strengths by incorporating more imagery like visual words, illustrations, diagrams, motion pictures and other materials in your deck.Aural learners learn best by hearing information instead of visualization. They prefer listening to recordings, podcasts, and even your public speaking voice. Tap into this learning style by making sure you have a loud, clear voice that everyone can hear.Reading and writing learners understand by looking through the information. They’re more likely to focus on text than images. Make your presentation visually accessible to them by balancing your slide’s content with the right amount of text-based information or make use of printed handouts.Kinesthetic learners have a hard time focusing during lectures because they express themselves better by physically moving.Spice up your presentation.Create a dynamic and lively presentation flow to keep their attention. Engage your listeners with motion activities or demonstrations to reinforce audience participation.

How is VARK beneficial?

This learning preference model makes you mindful of your audience’s behaviors and attitudes as you discuss.You can’t please everybody, but you can make a well-balanced presentation technique to grasp your audience’s interest. Your presentation’s success relies on being flexible to handle all audience types.Feed your learners with a fusion of visual information, public speaking, and applied activities.

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References:

“Biography.” VARK-Learn. Accessed May 8, 2015.”Creatively Explain Statistical Concepts in Presentations.” SlideGenius, Inc. June 29, 2015. Accessed May 8, 2015.Cherry, Kendra. “Are You a Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, or Tactile Learner?” About.com Psychology. April 10, 2015. Accessed May 8, 2015.Cherry, Kendra. “Learning Styles Based on Jung’s Theory of Personality.” About.com Psychology. Accessed May 8, 2015.”Presentation Tips: 5 Quick Steps to Audience Engagement.” SlideGenius, Inc. December 16, 2014. Accessed February 17, 2015.

4 Crucial Skills for a Better Investment Presentation Q&A

audience engagement

effective pitch

presentation q&a

May 07, 2015

Convincing clients to accept your proposal is a feat in itself because while you can establish its relevance and support it with facts, they’ll always have questions after you deliver your investment presentation:How much will implementing your proposal cost? How long will it take? Who will be involved?Don’t worry about the Q&A of your investment pitch. Idea presentation is also a form of marketing and advertising.[sg-blog-modules module=one]Audience persuasion is this practice’s lifeblood. Knowing how to address these concerns is the final hurdle that every presenter must pass.As this article addresses the final parts of your presentation process, allocate the information you need in your PowerPoint’s the index section.

Getting Started

Addressing the clients’ concerns show them that your proposal is superior to the competition.Ensure that the idea was well-formulated to account for perceived inconsistencies.Northwestern University’s marketing expert Philip Kotler (1972) shares four planning skills to reinforce ideas during the final stages of your investment presentation:

Planning the Product

Your product is your proposal. It’s the thing you want to pitch to your audience.Do you want to introduce a new gadget in an expo? Are you pitching a stock investment plan? Are you presenting a recommendation from your earnings’ reports?Define your product in such a way that clients know exactly what you’re offering them. This should be reflected in the way you package and present it.

Determining the Price

Cost is a big factor in whether your client will approve your proposal or not.Audiences need to see how their budget (if they give you one) will be allocated, and how much they’ll profit. While they do have the spending power, they prefer cost-effective solutions that give the best value.Getting past this particular point requires you to accurately identify what it would take for your clients to invest time and money in your idea.Listing down your costs or presenting graphs to outline how you’ll spend their money presents a clear picture of how the expenses will play out.

Planning the Distribution

Once you’ve established the product and costs, how do you plan on making your product available?After impressing your audience with your offering’s features and benefits, tell them where and how they can get it.Will it be available in major tech shops? Can people only get it at the Apple Retail Store? Will it be exclusively available online? Planning for this often ties in with the concerns of costs.

Promoting Interest

Keep your idea’s benefits in mind. Keep your audience interested by specifying exactly what they can get out of your proposal. Focus on powerful suggestions such as:“This insurance plan will provide coverage against a wide variety of accidents, all for a fraction of the competition’s costs”“This new processor will allow your phones to use more apps at the same time, increasing your productivity”.Clients and their businesses are not only responsible for maximizing their profits, but also for maintaining a strong and lasting customer interest. The more well-defined your idea is, the more convinced clients will be.–Accurately defending a pitch is a crucial investment presentation skill.When the client’s approval is on the line, your audience will appreciate a speaker who not only focuses on the style of presenting but also stands by his or her topic well enough to convince others to invest in it.[sg-blog-modules module=two]

References:

Kotler, P. (1972). A Generic Concept of Marketing. Journal of Marketing. Vol. 36, No. 2.”Using Common Values in PowerPoint Presentations.” SlideGenius, Inc. April 21, 2015. Accessed May 5, 2015.”The Question to Answer for Effective Business Presentations.” SlideGenius, Inc. May 25, 2015.

Spending the First 3 Minutes of Business Presentations

audience engagement

first three minutes of a presentation

presentation introduction

presentation tips

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

May 06, 2015

Your overall presentation depends on your introduction.Before you proceed to your actual content, keep in mind that the first three minutes are crucial: your introduction can either connect or distance you from your audience.The message you want to convey can be affected if your opening can’t catch their attention.

Develop a Sense of Belonging

Create a sense of belonging among your audience.Don’t alienate them with jargon-filled rambling or stiff delivery. Encourage them to warm up to you by creating a relatable image. Tell a story to ease any lingering tension, or start with a quote or anecdote that’s directly related to your pitch.Let these be the takeaways to your main points. Intimidating the audience with an austere environment will only push them farther away from you.Develop a catchy and memorable introduction to get their attention before you discuss the content.

Establish Eye Contact

Looking directly at your audience gives them the impression that you’re interested.Separating yourself from other people through not only your speech, but also your body language, is not only suspicious but also makes you look like an unreliable source. Commanding attention means connecting with your listeners not only through speech but in your physical presence as well.Glancing at them one by one is not necessary, but least building and maintaining eye contact is important. This builds rapport.

Answer the Audience’s Hidden Questions

Why am I here?Maximize the first three minutes of your business presentations by including the benefits that your listeners can get from your subject.Briefly mention the most important points to give them an overview of your core message. Your purpose is to give them reasons to listen and take actions, not just to sit for nothing.Some members might not notice that they have these questions in their head, but the best way to address this is to practice all the above reminders. If you answer their questions positively, you’ll achieve their expectations.

Tell a Story

Nothing beats the power of storytelling.Aside from the actual content, you can structure your content with a definite hook, line, and sinker. Since we’re still discussing the introduction, use it to build up the meat of your discussion. Pique your audience’s interests with something that they can relate to and leave them wanting more.Personal stories will help ground you in people’s eyes, and make them more inclined to listen to you. Don’t be afraid to let your human side show in front of them in the form of these stories. People are more inclined to listen to someone who understands them, so make them feel that in your opener.–Applying these tips will help you get over your anxiety of not making a good impression.Your goal is to entice your audience with a powerful and striking introduction. If you fail to do this, you’ll have a harder time making them listen to the rest of your presentation. Make those first three minutes count.

References:

“How to Take Tough Questions Like a Presentation Expert.” SlideGenius, Inc. July 16, 2015.”Fine-tuning Your Presentation’s Core Message.” SlideGenius, Inc. November 11, 2014. Accessed May 6, 2015.”The First 3 Minutes – How to Quickly Connect with Your Live Audience.” Appirio. April 29, 2014. Accessed May 6, 2015.

Engage a Disinterested Audience Like a Presentation Expert

audience engagement

presentation tips

public speaking

May 05, 2015

Sometimes, a well-designed presentation isn’t enough to engage a disinterested crowd.Your speech’s success still depends on how well you command interest. By exuding confidence and credibility, how you look and carry yourself will leverage your power to convince.[sg-blog-modules module=one]Looking your best is your top priority, but you also have to avoid distracting or making your listeners tune out. Here are five simple ways you can keep their attention like a presentation expert:

Dress for the Part

Even before you utter a word, your listeners judge you based on what you wear. The right clothes highlight your competence and integrity, while inappropriate fashion choices might divert the attention from your speech or discard your credibility.Don’t wear distracting clothes with bright neon colors and conspicuous patterns. Stick to neutral and pastel colors, and lean towards shirts with solid colors.Make sure brand logos are unobtrusive, as they draw unnecessary attention.Always gauge the level of formality required of an event and dress appropriately. Wearing a tuxedo to a simple sales pitch is unnecessary, while wearing a bikini to a conference is highly inappropriate.Revealing outfits are perceived by most cultures as a sign of promiscuity, thus reducing your perceived credibility. Too many layers of clothing, on the other hand, put more distance between you and your audience, making you seem guarded and stiff

Win with Your Body Language

Successful presenters use their body language to look more credible. They also use it to enhance and complement their message. Conversely, inappropriate or unnecessary movements will make you appear nervous, unprepared, or unqualified in your field.A powerful stance demands attention and ensures that people stay tuned in to your pitch. Make sure to stand straight but relaxed, to communicate confidence and authority, as slouching or hunching over suggests lethargy and weakness.Appropriate hand gestures and motions also highlight important ideas. Use only deliberate movements and gestures that complement and enforce your speech’s purpose.Exaggerated or uncontrolled gestures risk eliciting laughter instead of retaining attention.Avoid motions and hand gestures that divert attention without meaningfully contributing to your message. For instance, don’t make a closed fist or point at your listeners. These actions are interpreted as signs of aggression, and may unintentionally break the flow or even offend.

Simplify, But Don’t Over-Explain

People don’t like being bombarded with words that don’t directly contribute to the message.You want to have a smooth flow that aptly tackles your major points. Don’t break the flow by lingering on ideas that might easily be understood without further clarification.Gauge how technical your approach needs to be by knowing the crowd beforehand. Simplify your content while still supporting your thesis, but don’t expand on every bit of information on your slides.An informed assembly won’t want to be spoon-fed information. Over-explaining concepts or ideas they already know will only bore and tune them out.Ensure that your message is engaging and easy to grasp in order to inform, entertain, or persuade them.Presenting on energy efficiency to a crowd of environmental scientists probably won’t need explanation of specific jargon to their field. However, if you’re presenting the same topic to politicians and policy-makers who aren’t as familiar with the subject, you’ll need to simplify and explain those terms.A streamlined presentation engages listeners effectively, while a protracted arrangement will bore and tune them out.

Speak Up, But Don’t Shout

An audible voice and clear enunciation make or break your delivery, but being audible doesn’t necessarily mean being loud.What’s important is your vocal projection. What you say should be clearly heard without strain on the part of your listeners.Also, consider the size of both the gathering and the venue, and know if your voice will be electronically magnified (via a microphone) or not.Practice speaking in front of three different groups: one of fifty, one of eight, and a single person. This helps you adjust your voice’s loudness for different circumstances.All speakers want to be properly heard, but none would wish to be seen as unpleasant or boorish.

Don’t Step into the Light

Just because deck and presenter work together doesn’t mean that they should physically meet.There’s no greater sin than stepping into the projected image.A moving shadow on your screen is a great distraction that ruins your design’s fluidity. Having visual elements projected on your person is highly unflattering, and might have unintentional comic results.Use a laser pointer or pointer stick to direct attention to important elements.Blogger and educator Lisa Nielsen also suggests a free and simple pointer for any occasion: the computer’s mouse cursor.–A well-made presentation does a lot towards conveying your message, but it hardly matters if you can’t command people’s full attention or if you commit errors which ruin your credibility.Don’t take all the previous tips as ways to compensate for a lackluster deck. Instead, use these to complement and boost a good one by ensuring that your audience will be active listeners and willing recipients of your message.[sg-blog-modules module=two]

References:

“Body Language: Signify Intent with Movement.” SlideGenius, Inc. October 20, 2014. Accessed May 5, 2015.”How to Dress for a Public Speech.” UCCS. Accessed May 5, 2015.Moore, Matthew. “Stress of Modern Life Cuts Attention Spans to Five Minutes.” The Telegraph. November 26, 2008. Accessed May 5, 2015.”Occam’s Razor and Simplifying Presentation Content.” SlideGenius, Inc. July 30, 2014. Accessed May 5, 2015.”The Ten No Nos of Teaching with a Projector or Interactive Whiteboard.” Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator. Accessed May 5, 2015.”Your Voice Is The Most Valuable Presentation Tool.” SlideGenius, Inc. January 27, 2015. Accessed May 5, 2015.

Does Your New Business Idea Have Potential?

audience engagement

business

business idea

business presentations

Diffusion of Innovations

pitch deck

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Jan 30, 2015

So, you finally have the next billion dollar business idea.You might think that this sets you off for greater things, but the real challenge is only about to start. There are plans to make and perfect as well as investors to impress.You have a long road ahead of you.[sg-blog-modules module=one]Before anything else, you need to make sure that your business idea has potential. After that, it will be much easier to convince others to consider your plans and take you up on your offer. As the old saying goes, “ideas are a dime a dozen.” It doesn’t really matter that you have this unique new idea that no one else has come up with before. The test is in how well you execute the tasks ahead of you.For that, you need to develop the idea you have. What makes some ideas succeed, and others fail?

Diffusion of Innovations

In 1962, a sociologist named Everett Rodgers sought to answer these questions. He conducted a research project to learn more about how and why certain ideas spread. He gathered data from hundreds of case studies and published his findings in “Diffusion of Innovations“.In his book, Rodgers was able to explore the different factors that influence how we decide which ideas are worthy of acceptance or rejection. These factors were examined by professor and author David Burkus in the context of business.Now we’ll give our own take on the topic and see how you can gauge the potential of your own pitch deck.

Relative advantage

Relative advantage deals with how well your business idea and pitch deck compares to what is currently available on the market. The product or service you’re planning to launch should be seen by others as an improvement on the current standards of your industry.This often happens when you’re presenting your product or service’s advantage in your pitch. Highlight how you stand out from the competition by stepping away from your slides and presenting a live demo. The concrete and visual evidence will convince your prospects of your skills.Give them the statistics on how well you’ve performed in the past, or how in depth you’ve done your research, but before you reveal your own features, always start with the unique benefits only you can offer.By tapping into this characteristic, you’ll be able to win people over with tangible proof, as well as a good track record over the competition.

Familiarity

Of course, your business idea will need more than an innovative edge to succeed. People also gravitate towards ideas that are familiar and relatable. If they can use past ideas and experiences to understand what you’re proposing, they will be more likely to accept and adopt to it.Most of us prefer to try out things that have some semblance to what we’re already familiar with. Always keep in mind that even as you push boundaries, you also have to create an emotional connection with the target audience.Check out the current trends that resonate with people’s preferences and incorporate these into your pitch. Share a personal story or experience that’s directly related to what you’re going to talk about.The sense of familiarity before introducing the big reveal to your audience eases them in before surprising them out of nowhere.

Simple and easy to understand

Another factor to consider is the complexity of your business idea. It shouldn’t be too difficult to understand for others to adapt to it quickly. In other words, it shouldn’t be complex at all. It should be simple and straight to the point and this is where a pitch deck specialist can help.The people you’re hoping to convince should be able to understand the logic behind it.The technical details might be complex, but it should still remain fundamentally easy to understand. An idea that’s too difficult to grasp can end up intimidating your potential audience.You might have too much raw data at hand, but not all of it should go into your slides. Take only the most important data, and present it in a visually appealing manner. For this purpose, graphs, charts, and other visual representations can come in handy.The details that you leave out can be further expounded on in your speech itself.

Able to test and verify

Related to the previous point, the next thing to consider is how effortlessly others can interact with and test out your new business idea. The more accessible your concept is for verification, the more individuals can familiarize themselves with it.Once that happens, the likelihood of their accepting it grows. A quick example of this is how musicians allow audiences to stream their music for free on sites like Spotify or SoundCloud. Through these sites, their audience can see if they like their new material and then commit to buying the full-length album.Get plenty of positive testimonials for your brand to put on your slides. It’s especially helpful if you can get the help of famous influencers, or better yet, brand advocates who are genuinely interested in your business, and who would be willing to advertise you to their followers.Put your name out in the market with the help of other people, and build your network before, during, and after your presentation.

Can be observed and shared 

Finally, it will also help that your business idea can yield noticeable results that others can share and talk about. Rodgers calls this quality “observability.”If your idea is open to observation, the easier it is to find and reach out to a wider audience. In other words, the more visible your new product becomes introduced to a mass audience.In the article by David Burkus, he gives Banksy as an example. He wrote, “One of the reasons for Banksy’s success is the observability of his work. Many artists challenge social conventions in unique, seemingly playful ways, but Banksy’s work is highly public and easily shareable. It isn’t just stuck behind the glass in a single gallery or museum.“Don’t fail your prospects with empty promises. Part of your presentation is the assurance of quality. Show them that your ideas will have large returns from their investments. During your pitch, give instances when your product or service delivered well.–Does your new business idea have the potential to succeed? It definitely will if you improve on the finer points by using these criteria. Polish your message using these pointers and get started on creating a pitch deck that will wow investors.[sg-blog-modules module=two]

References:

Burkus, David. “The 5 Common Characteristics of Ideas That Spread.” 99u. 2013. Accessed January 30, 2015.”The Art of Graphs and Charts.” SlideGenius, Inc. April 21, 2014. Accessed January 30, 2015.”Why Storytelling Is an Effective Presentation Technique.” SlideGenius, Inc. September 8, 2014. Accessed January 30, 2015. Featured Image: Joey Gannon via Flickr

The Best Medicine: 5 Tips on How You Can Give Humorous Presentations

audience engagement

presentation humor

presentation tips

public speaking skills

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius Blog

speech communication

Jun 10, 2014

Humor can be a powerful tool in presentations. It helps break the ice, engage your audience, and make your message more memorable. However, incorporating humor into a presentation requires balance, as poorly timed or inappropriate jokes can distract or alienate your audience. When done right, humor can add energy and levity to your talk, making your key points stick.Here are five tips on how to give a humorous presentation while maintaining professionalism and delivering your message effectively.

1. Know Your Audience

The key to using humor in a presentation is understanding your audience. Tailor your jokes or humorous anecdotes to suit their interests, preferences, and cultural norms. What might be funny to one group could be confusing or offensive to another, so take time to assess who you’re speaking to.

How to Do It:

  • Research Your Audience: Know the demographics of your audience—age, profession, industry, and cultural background. Humor that resonates with younger professionals may differ from that which appeals to senior executives.
  • Stay Relevant: Ensure that your humor is related to the presentation’s topic and relevant to your audience’s experiences.
  • Test Your Jokes: If possible, try out your jokes on a few colleagues or friends to gauge their reactions. Make sure the humor comes across the way you intend it to.

Example:

For a presentation to a group of healthcare professionals, lighthearted jokes about the quirks of medical training or patient interactions could resonate, while industry jargon-based humor may be confusing for a non-specialized audience.

2. Use Humor to Support Your Message

Humor should complement, not distract from, the core message of your presentation. Use jokes, funny anecdotes, or humorous visuals to reinforce your key points rather than overshadow them. Well-placed humor can make complex or dry subjects more engaging and easier to remember.

How to Do It:

  • Tie Humor to Key Points: Incorporate humor where it naturally fits, especially when making transitions between sections or introducing complex ideas. It can help break down barriers and make difficult content more accessible.
  • Use Relatable Situations: Jokes or stories drawn from everyday work experiences can make your audience feel more connected to your message.
  • Keep It Simple: Avoid overly complex humor that takes too long to set up. Quick, simple jokes or quips are easier to weave into your narrative.

Example:

If you’re presenting on project management challenges, you might use a humorous meme or quote about the unpredictability of deadlines to introduce the importance of time management.

3. Balance Humor and Seriousness

While humor can make your presentation more enjoyable, it’s important not to overdo it. Too much humor can dilute your message and make you seem unprofessional. Find a balance by incorporating humor in moderation and maintaining a tone that’s appropriate for your topic.

How to Do It:

  • Limit the Jokes: Focus on quality over quantity. A few well-timed jokes will have a greater impact than constant attempts at humor, which can quickly become tiresome.
  • Maintain Professionalism: Ensure that your humor doesn’t undermine the serious aspects of your presentation. Keep the tone light, but transition smoothly back to your core message when necessary.
  • Use Humor as a Breather: If your presentation covers complex or technical material, humor can serve as a way to give your audience a mental break before diving back into the main content.

Example:

During a technical presentation about cybersecurity, you might make a light joke about how your grandparents handle online passwords, but quickly transition back to the importance of robust security measures for businesses.

4. Leverage Visual Humor

Sometimes, a funny image, meme, or visual can have a greater impact than a spoken joke. Visual humor can quickly convey a message without interrupting the flow of your presentation, and it can add an extra layer of engagement for visual learners in your audience.

How to Do It:

  • Use Memes or Cartoons: A well-placed meme or cartoon related to your topic can add humor without distracting from the content.
  • Create Funny Comparisons: Use side-by-side comparisons of unexpected or exaggerated visuals to illustrate a point humorously.
  • Animate Your Slides: Subtle animations or transitions can create a humorous effect without disrupting the presentation’s flow.

Example:

If you’re discussing the challenges of multitasking, you could show a funny cartoon of a person juggling way too many tasks at once, followed by a transition into how your solution simplifies work processes.

5. Be Authentic and Spontaneous

Forced humor rarely works. Being yourself, relaxed, and spontaneous often leads to more genuine and relatable humor. Audiences appreciate authenticity, and humor that reflects your own personality is more likely to resonate.

How to Do It:

  • Stay True to Your Style: Don’t try to imitate someone else’s comedic style—use humor that feels natural to you.
  • React to the Moment: If something funny happens during the presentation (like a minor tech glitch or unexpected audience reaction), acknowledge it with a light-hearted comment. This shows you can think on your feet.
  • Don’t Be Afraid to Laugh at Yourself: Self-deprecating humor, when done right, can make you seem approachable and humble.

Example:

If your clicker stops working mid-presentation, instead of panicking, you could make a quick joke like, “It seems my clicker needs more coffee than I do!” before smoothly continuing with your talk.

Final Thoughts

Humor is a powerful tool when used correctly in presentations, but it requires a thoughtful approach. By knowing your audience, tying humor to your key points, balancing lighthearted moments with serious content, and staying authentic, you can deliver a presentation that is both engaging and informative. Remember, the goal of humor in presentations is not just to entertain but to enhance your message and connect with your audience on a deeper level.