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View Notes During Your Presentation for PowerPoint 2013

Posted on by Rick E

Speaker notes, or “notes” for short, are every presenter’s guide when presenting in front of a crowd. These scripts are often used so that presenters can avoid getting mental blocks while speaking onstage because adding notes to your deck helps you recall important points from your pitch.

If you have existing notes in your slides and you only need to check them, just click on File, then click on Open to view your PowerPoint presentation.

In this post, we’ll cover how to view your script and take advantage of one of Microsoft PowerPoint’s most useful features: Notes.

Show Speaker Notes

1. Click on the Slide Show tab.PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: Show Speaker Notes

2. Go to the Monitors group and check the Use Presenter View checkbox. This lets you read your notes on your laptop without affecting the slides being projected onscreen.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: Presenter View

Before using this option, double check if the laptop or computer that you’re using allows you to project using two or more monitors. If PowerPoint can recognize your projector or your second monitor, just check the Use Presenter View box and hit the F5 key to start your Slide Show.

View and Add Notes

Here’s how to make notes appear while editing your slides.

1. Click on the View tab on the ribbon.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: View and Add Notes

2. Under the Show group, click on the Notes icon.

3. The notes section will appear underneath the slide area and will now be visible for all of your slides. It will contain the text “Click to add notes.”

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: View and Add Notes4. Clicking on the area will remove this text and allow you start typing.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: View and Add NotesAn easier way to make notes show up is by going to the Status bar at the bottom of your screen and clicking on the Notes button, next to Comments. Clicking on it will expand or collapse the Notes area.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: Notes areaView Your Slide and Notes in One Page

1. Click on the View tab in the ribbon.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: View Your Slide and Notes in One Page2. Under the Presentation Views group, select Notes Page.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: Notes PageThe slide page’s orientation will now be in portrait mode. Each page will display the slide number on the bottom right corner. Simply scroll up or down to move to the next slide.

The Notes Page will have two areas: your visible slide area above and an expanded view of the Notes page below. This type of view is helpful if you’re going to hand out copies of your presentation and need more space to append your notes.

PowerPoint 2013 Tutorial: Note Page

Watch this video tutorial and learn how to view notes in PowerPoint 2013

https://slidegenius.wistia.com/medias/z60pt60s1t


Now you know how to view notes from your PowerPoint!

PowerPoint notes are convenient, especially for presenters who find it difficult to speak without scripts. Make your message memorable and more accessible by maximizing PowerPoint’s Notes Pages. With the help of PowerPoint’s overlooked yet important feature, you can convey your message professionally without forgetting significant points.

To help you deliver an error-free PowerPoint presentation, SlideGenius experts can assist you and offer you a free quote!

References

Bajaj, Geetesh. “Status Bar in PowerPoint 2013.” Indezine. May 31, 2013. www.indezine.com/products/powerpoint/learn/interface/status-bar-ppt2013.html
Thornton, Billy M. “ITIP: Using PowerPoint’s Presentation Option: Use Presenter View.” Colorado State University. www.biz.colostate.edu/mti/tips/pages/ITIPUsingPowerPointsPresentationOptionUsePresenterView.aspx
“View Your Speaker Notes Privately, While Delivering a Presentation on Multiple Monitors.” Microsoft Office. n.d. www.support.office.com/en-nz/article/View-your-speaker-notes-privately-while-delivering-a-presentation-on-multiple-monitors-321c0948-4ada-4d50-872f-41f279ae6ef6

How Stepping into the Beam Can Help Your Presentation

Posted on by Rick E

In public speaking, crossing the projector’s beam is one of the biggest no-nos that every presenter should be aware of. It’s a careless act that greatly distracts audiences from a distance while also lessening your credibility.

Like other disruptions, this can lose your audience’s interest and prevent your presentation’s success, no different from how poor delivery and cluttered PowerPoint decks make the crowd zone out. However, is walking over the beam and covering your projection really all that bad all the time?

Can It Really Be Effective?

In every rule, there’s an exception. While it’s true that blocking off the audience from viewing your slides is a mistake, it could still work for certain situations.

In her article, presentation trainer and public speaker Olivia Mitchell explains that delivering a pitch with statistical concepts can be difficult, with all the numerical data displayed. However, it can be better understood by using visual illustrations, such as graphs and charts, to make it more interesting. TED speaker Hans Rosling, a data visionary and global health expert, is an example of a professional presenter who brings complex statistics into life. While speaking, he likes to get into the beam. But instead of distracting audiences, it makes it easier for them to understand the statistical facts that he’s presenting.

What Does It Indicate?

Making your data sing doesn’t only provoke interest. It also convinces your audience to listen attentively. This is what Hans Rosling does to show his enthusiasm in interacting both with his slides and audience. He makes sure that the crowd understands his message by exaggerating body movements that emphasize his words.

In doing so, he considers his PowerPoint presentation as his partner in conveying his main idea. While laser pointers can help you emphasize a certain point, circling around a particular word or phrase can be distracting, putting the focus on the pointer instead of on your speech. Simply pointing to it using your finger can work to deliver a clearer idea.

How Do You Get in the Beam?

To help you out, here’s a few guidelines for getting into the projector’s beam:

1. Be aware of your position. Going to the venue prior to your performance can give you an idea on where to put yourself come presentation time. You can also practice walking around the podium and plan the right location to stay in.
2. Don’t block off your audience’s view. Allowing the crowd to see your slide completely is one of your goals as a presenter. You don’t want to hinder your audience from comprehending your message. Once you display your text or visual onscreen, you can get into the beam and let your body language heighten your performance.
3. Interact with your listeners. Explaining your slides is important, but focusing on your audience is more important. You can physically go into your visuals but make sure not to set the crowd aside.

To Beam or Not to Beam?

Getting into the beam while presenting can be distracting. However, considering your audience can help you pull it off for a more interesting and persuasive presentation. Though it’s frequently considered a recipe for a disastrous performance, there are always exceptions to the rule.

Be conscious of your body language, your venue, and your audience so you can judge for yourself if you should be jumping into the beam. Our PowerPoint professionals can assist and offer you a free quote to craft PowerPoint decks that stand out.

Check out and share this infographic!

Reference

Mitchell, Olivia. “How Getting in the Beam Makes You a Better Presenter.” Speaking About Presenting. September 17, 2009. www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/delivery/getting-in-the-beam

Know Your Role: When to Use Sway and PowerPoint

Posted on by Rick E

Microsoft Sway is an app that lets you create storyboards with Web content. It’s been considered a more user-friendly substitute for PowerPoint thanks to its accessibility and importing features. Some even lauded it as Microsoft’s response to complaints thrown at the long-standing presentation aid.

Launched August 5 last year, Sway imports social media and Web content to create scrolling Web-based presentations. According to Stu Robarts of Gizmag, it’s also connected to other apps that optimize your work. Despite these functions, its has been met with some apprehension from both loyal PowerPoint users and skeptics alike.

Is it really an alternative for corporate presentations? Can it really tell stories in a visually engaging way for the boardroom? Or is it meant for a more general audience on the Web?

Strengths and Weaknesses

Like any product, this latest alternative still needs to prove its long-term efficiency. However, there are traits we can take at face value to compare with PowerPoint.

According to Sway’s senior product manager, David Alexander, it was designed with the intention of moving away from PowerPoint’s originally paper-based analog format to digital presentations. This may explain Sway’s inclination for app collaboration and its scrolling format. Its easy edit and layout options, as well as its optimal performance on mobile, make it perfect for on-the-go individuals who have no time to meticulously attend to their decks but still want visually engaging presentations.

On the other hand, PowerPoint still stands its ground as the leading visual aid, not just because it’s been around longer but also because of its wider range of features to choose from, particularly in terms of animation and transitions. While Sway may have an auto-edit option, the more hands-on approach PowerPoint offers allow corporate pitches to be shown exactly the way its presenters want it.

Since both tools bring individual strengths to the table, it’s time to take a closer look at Microsoft’s new little brother:

References

Lopez, Napier. “Microsoft’s Sway App Takes on PowerPoint with New Features and a Windows 10 App.” TheNextWeb. August 5, 2015. thenextweb.com/microsoft/2015/08/05/microsofts-sway-app-takes-on-powerpoint-with-new-features-and-a-windows-10-app
Robarts, Stu. “What Is Microsoft Sway?” GizMag. August 12, 2015. www.gizmag.com/microsoft-sway-introduction/38833
“Sway Is Not Replacing PowerPoint: The Real Story.” Think Outside The Slide. November 21, 2014. www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/sway-is-not-replacing-powerpoint-the-real-story
“Sway Preview Expands and Delivers More Feature Improvements.” Microsoft Office. December 15, 2014. blogs.office.com/2014/12/15/sway-preview-expands-delivers-feature-improvements

3 Cropping Options to Use in PowerPoint 2013

Posted on by Rick E

This tutorial is also applicable to Microsoft PowerPoint 2016.

Previously, we’ve looked at some of PowerPoint’s uses, such as hiding slides, looping backgrounds, and outlining fonts. Today, let’s learn how to crop images into a shape and edit them perfectly all inside your PowerPoint. Here are three cropping options to start with:

A. Crop a Picture

PowerPoint 2013’s cropping tool can help you trim the edges of an inserted picture. This will let you focus on an important segment you want to highlight.

1. Double click on the picture you want to crop in your PowerPoint file. This will bring up Picture Tools above the Format tab.

powerpoint picture tools

2. Click on the Crop icon at the far right, under the Size group.

cropping pictures in powerpoint 2013

SlideGenius Tip:
You can also right click on the picture to crop it. A smaller menu with two large icons will float above the context menu. Then, click on the Crop icon beside the Style option.

how to crop images in powerpoint picture tools

3. Typically, you will see four corners and one on each side with cropping handles. Drag the crop handles inward and outward to adjust your image’s crop area.

powerpoint crop image area

4. To change the position of the image inside the indicated crop area, click and drag the picture around until you’re happy with the results.

crop image in powerpoint 2013

SlideGenius Tip:
Make sure to fill up the entire crop area so your image won’t have a transparent gap.

powerpoint picture tools transparent

5. When you’re done, click outside the gray area to apply the changes and exit crop mode. You can also press the Escape (Esc) key on your keyboard.

powerpoint picture tools ESC

Before you move ahead with the other methods, it’s important to note that the image area outside the cropped image isn’t automatically deleted. This means it’s still viewable when dragged around during crop mode, so you’ll need to delete the trimmings manually.

1. Double click on the picture you want to crop in your PowerPoint file. This will bring up Picture Tools above the Format tab.

powerpoint 2013 cropping tools

2. Go to the Adjust area located on the left of the screen and click on Compress Pictures. A dialog box will appear named Compress Pictures.

powerpoint 2013 compress picture tool

screen10

3. Select the box that says Delete cropped areas of pictures to trim the image.

powerpoint delete crop areas of pictures option

4. Check the box that says Apply only to this picture so only the current image will be affected.

powerpoint apply only to this picture option

5. Click OK.

powerpoint crop images ok

B. Crop to Shape

PowerPoint also allows you to crop a picture into a specific shape without affecting your original image.

1. Double click on the picture you want to crop in your PowerPoint file. This will bring up Picture Tools above the Format tab.

powerpoint 2013 crop to shape

2. Click on the arrow below the Crop icon.

powerpoint 2013 crop icon

3. In the Crop drop down menu, choose Crop to Shape. A drop down gallery will appear.

powerpoint 2013 crop to shape features

4. Click on your desired shape from any of the various categories.

powerpoint 2013 crop to shape optionspowerpoint 2013 crop to shape round edge

C. Crop to a Common Aspect Ratio

This lets you crop a picture with an exact measurement and fit it into a predefined space.

1. Double click on the picture you want to crop to an aspect ratio. This will bring up Picture Tools above the Format tab.

powerpoint 2013 Crop to a Common Aspect Ratio option

2. Click on the arrow below the Crop icon.

screen20b

3. Go to Aspect Ratio.

powerpoint 2013 Crop to a Common Aspect Ratio

4. Lastly, choose any of the Square, Portrait, or Landscape ratios.

powerpoint 2013 shapes square, rectangle, cirle

Here’s a quick video tutorial on how to crop images in PowerPoint 2013:

https://slidegenius.wistia.com/medias/js3hhgkali

Now You Know How to Crop an Image!

Personalize your images with PowerPoint’s versatile cropping options and choose the best look for your presentation slides!

References

“Crop a Picture or Place It in a Shape.” Office Support. n.d. www.support.office.com
“Crop Pictures in PowerPoint 2013.” Indezine. n.d. www.indezine.com

Manage Stress Before a Big Presentation

Posted on by Rick E

We’ve all had those days where stress pushed us to the edge, and we all know it’s not good to be around someone who loses their cool.

You won’t leave a good first impression if you keep a strained demeanor. Manage stress before it takes over your body and turns you into an angry presenter.

Stress by itself is a normal reaction that doesn’t go away until the perceived threat is gone, but delivering a presentation isn’t a real threat. Remind your body that you’re not in any danger. Relaxation will help calm you down and assure you that everything’s going to be alright. Here’s why you should regulate your stress and how to do it:

Likeability

When things keep going wrong, it’s important to know that there’s still tomorrow to look forward to. Stress skews our perspective towards fear and negativity, which makes it hard to even consider that things are going to get better. In addition to feeling terrified, our expressions project the anxiety we feel in response to internal pressure.

Stressing out before a presentation can lead to failure because the presenter may already be anticipating that something will go wrong. The audience can pick up on your emotions and will definitely sense if something’s not right. You’ll lose your credibility as a speaker if people sense you’re too stiff. Confidence in what you’re saying is needed for other people to trust in you, too.

Stress Management

Stress buildup can be mitigated in the first place by placing security checks. Identify what makes you feel threatened. Is it the fear of being judged or being in front of a large crowd?

Once you’ve identified them, step back and realize that none of them can really harm you. The audience is just there to hear what you’re going to present; none of them pose a real threat. Your body will start to calm down once it realizes that you don’t need to fear for your life, and you’ll have nothing to fear once you regain your focus.

Monitor Stress Levels

Some things are truly out of our control, but it doesn’t mean that we should lose our cool. Even if we’re not the best presenter, we should strive to give our best effort.

Doing some relaxation exercises can help release some of that pent-up stress. It will help empty your mind and introduce calming imagery in place of stressful thoughts. Also remember to breathe. Breathing helps relax muscles that become tense when you’re stressed. Pacing around and doing some stretches helps you unwind and prepares you to move your focus elsewhere.

Concentration

Conduct everything you do professionally, and you’ll get the respect you deserve. Don’t let stress get in the way of your ability to make a great presentation. After all, a stressed presenter doesn’t look good. It makes you look hostile, distancing you from your audience. Relaxation should come easily once you’ve identified and let go of what stresses you out.

Manage stress. Don’t let stress manage you.

 

Reference

“Stress Management.” Mayo Clinic. April 8, 2014. www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/basics/stress-basics/hlv-20049495

 

Featured Image: “StartupStockPhotos” on pixabay.com

Unblock Your Mind: Overcoming Presentation Mental Block

Posted on by Rick E

Getting a mental block in the middle of your presentation isn’t the end of the world. Even the most experienced public speakers have had mental blocks at least once in their lives. However, the best pitches aren’t the ones that are pulled off perfectly. In fact, they’re the ones that speakers were able to rebound from successfully after a misstep.

If you’re having problems with your train of thought, you can still overcome it with a few simple techniques.

Look at Your Notes

Presenters often favor spontaneity over their script. Sometimes they even forego the standard outline. What they don’t realize is that without a solid guide, they become more prone to experiencing mental blocks. Not everybody can keep track of their thoughts and deliver a pitch at the top of their heads. Most of the time, presenters who come in totally unprepared fumble halfway through their speech.

To prevent the embarrassment of not knowing what to say next, it’s alright to refer to your notes occasionally, especially for your major points.Your goal is to communicate effectively with your audience, and you can’t do that if you’re rambling or if you’re too stunned to talk. If keeping notes at hand distracts you and limits your body movement, you can also memorize your script. Just make sure you wrote it with a natural delivery in mind. Otherwise, your stiff speech won’t convince anyone.

Pause for Effect

It may seem counterintuitive, but pauses in your speech can also help you get over your mental block. If you find yourself in a tight spot, don’t feel ashamed to pause and collect your thoughts. Instead of biding time with filler words, pausing creates anticipation for what you’re about to say.

RedRover Sales & Marketing managing partner Lori Turner-Wilson writes in her article on the Memphis Daily about how the human mind takes about eight seconds to make a firm first impression of you. The same eight-second rule may apply to your pitch, so use your moments of silence wisely.

Take time to stop before every major idea. You can also pause to punctuate your speech, making it seem more natural to listen to.

Don’t Forget to Breathe

One of the leading causes of presentation mental block is anxiety. Calming your nerves helps you remember anything you might have forgotten because of panic. Research shows that breathing helps relax the mind and increase productivity. Whenever you get tongue-tied on stage, take a deep breath. This will prevent you from stressing out over your loss of words.

At the same time, don’t be too hard on yourself for not remembering what you were going to say. Remember that the audience doesn’t know your speech the way you do. You have total control over your pitch, so be confident enough to handle yourself gracefully.

To Sum It Up: Relax and Regroup

Experiencing mental block is every public speaker’s greatest obstacle, and they can strike at any time. Be honest with yourself when you’re experiencing it during your speech. Instead of panicking and resorting to filler words, remember that it’s acceptable to look at your notes every now and then to keep track.

If you’re really out of words to say, pause before every important part in your speech. People won’t mind. They’ll just think you’re building up towards your next point. Finally, whenever you feel that your fear is getting ahead of you, take a deep breath. Deep breathing helps clear your mind to recall your next points.

Need help with your presentation? Contact our SlideGenius experts today for a free quote!

 

References:

Turner-Wilson, Lori. “8-Second Rule of First Impressions.” Memphis Daily News. n.d. www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2011/jul/20/8-second-rule-of-first-impressions

 

Featured Image: “King Conquers All” by Uddhav Gupta on flickr.com

Your Presentation Cheat Sheet: Top 10 Tips for 2016 [Infographic]

Posted on by Rick E

With the new year fast approaching, reflecting on the past year is a common end-of-year ritual.

We’ve been through some ups and downs this year and no doubt we learned a lot of lessons from our experiences. There are some things that are better left behind, and bad presentation habits are certainly one of them.

Let’s take this opportunity to start anew and embrace good presentation techniques.

The Best Tips for 2016

PowerPoint design has always been an essential element in presentations. Step out from your comfort zone this year and welcome the idea of improving your design skills. Pay attention to the images you pick and the amount of text that you write on your slide, since they all factor into the design process.

Of course, a professional deck is incomplete without great presentation delivery. Make sure to cure those bad speaking habits to avoid ruining your performance. You’re the center of the presentation, so invest time in boosting your likeability as a speaker.

Likewise, preparation is key to communicating your message without a hitch. Learn breathing and relaxation techniques to help quiet your mind and focus on your task. When you put yourself first, the audience will take notice of your confidence. Make sure that you master your topic like the back of your hand.

A Quick Guide Just For You

It’s out with the old and in with the new. We understand that all of these tips may be a lot to remember for that big day. To help you out, our PowerPoint presentation experts have prepared a quick guide to help you out when you need it. This infographic condenses the best tips in to help you the next time you’re onstage.

Welcome 2016 with better and stronger speaking skills with the help of our presentation cheat sheet:

How Show and Tell Sells: When to Cut Your PowerPoint Content

Posted on by Rick E

Some of the best PowerPoint presentations reject text-heavy slides and make use of visual prompts instead. According to Think Outside the Slide‘s Dave Paradi, using PowerPoint as a recall tool for your main points maximizes its original purpose as a visual aid.

In her article on The Herald, Jenni Sebora explains that people are more responsive to images and pictures. That said, using graphics strategically can give you better audience reactions.

However, people still struggle with deciding when to leave out information from slides. In some cases, a deck becomes a band-aid solution for bad public speaking skills and lack of planning. Poorly designed slide decks are often padded with unnecessary content and tend to do more harm than good.

Here are some instances when showing is telling:

Presenting Data

In this case, it’s alright to display the numbers on your slides. Once you get to the hard facts, your listeners might start losing interest. People’s attention spans don’t last very long, and if you start rambling about statistics not everyone will pay attention.

You could make use of a number of rhetorical techniques to keep people focused on what you’re saying. Or, you can also creatively explain statistical data. This is information that should leave an impression on your audience. Let them process it by adding it in your PowerPoint, but always make sure that it’s easy to understand.

Visual Prompts

People need to feel a connection with their presenter for them to invest in the speech. Creating a narrative for your presentation is an effective way of relating to your audience. If you’re planning to go off on a tangent and tell an anecdote, or provide a brief explanation, use a related visual prompt to start off your speech.

Using a prompt is a good combination of utilizing the audience’s visual memory while keeping the focus on yourself. People will be able to associate your story with images on the slide with minimal distractions. However, you still have to choose your graphics wisely.

Remember that your visual prompt should represent what you’re trying to say. If you’re having a hard time deciding on how to arrange your visual prompts, asking for the opinion of a presentation guru will help you plan your slides.

The Text Stigma

Text is the waterloo of presenters using PowerPoint. People tend to crowd chunks of written information in their slides, not realizing that audiences aren’t supposed to read an essay onscreen. But text isn’t always a bad thing. Used wisely, it can be just as useful as an image.

It’s the way you use the text that matters. Instead of copy-pasting from your original PowerPoint content, replace the block of text on your slide with a sentence or phrase.

Maintaining a healthy balance between image and text in your PowerPoint can still create a powerful and engaging deck.

In Conclusion

One of the difficult decisions presenters face when planning their PowerPoint is when to cut text and when to use images. Make sure to allot time to ponder over your presentation. It’s alright to create informative graphics when presenting data, but make sure to expound on the information you provide

Decide which points you want your listeners to remember, and create strong but simple visual prompts to complement your speech. Don’t be afraid of text, but don’t overdo it either. Moderate your use of words in your slides and, if needed, pair it up with an image.

Creating a good PowerPoint can get tricky, but pulling it off right has numerous benefits for your presentation.

 

References

Sebora, Jenny. “What type of Learner are You?.” Herald Journal. September 15, 2008. Accessed October 7, 2015. www.herald-journal.com/archives/2008/columns/js091508.html
“When Should You Use PowerPoint?” Think Outside The Slide. September 10, 2012. Accessed October 7, 2015. www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/when-should-you-use-powerpoint

 

Featured Image: “Imagine Cup 2012” by Imagine Cup on flickr.com

SOS! Presentation Disasters and Survival [Infographic]

Posted on by Rick E

Presentation disasters can happen to anyone.

No matter how much you prepare for your big day, there will always be a few obstacles that’ll appear, ones that you never expected would come up during your speech.

Unfortunately, nobody’s perfect, and even the best professional public speakers run into these occasional hitches.

What makes these people stay ahead of the competition is how they handle problems that suddenly happen without prior notice.

If you’re not careful, your discussions can turn into complete presentation disasters… even more so if you can’t handle unexpected events.

After all, Murphy’s Law became well-known because it’s been proven time and time again.

“Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”

You can’t anticipate these moments like a psychic, but you can always cope with sufficient preparation and a calm demeanor.

Preparing for Possible Presentation Disasters

What are some good tips on handling presentation disasters?

All you need to do is to implement some simple back-up plans in case something goes wrong.

Before anything else, keep calm.

As soon as you’ve assessed the situation, start planning your response to the emergency.

Make sure you have presence of mind and you’ll have no problem overcoming any possible hitches during your big moment.

Here’s a short infographic on applying disaster preparedness to problem-proof your presentation.

Finding Common Ground: Key to Professional Presentations

Posted on by Rick E

Inevitably, you’ll encounter a crowd of listeners with highly mixed and diverse backgrounds.

Their differences can be in levels of knowledge, perspectives, responsibilities, and expectations. They’ll likely have concerns that mirror their diversity.

You want to address all their issues without taking too much time presenting.

At the same time, you want to make sure your approach caters to all their learning needs.

Professional speakers can bridge the gaps inbetween by finding common ground to optimize their presentation.

Understand Their Perspective

Always begin by finding out as much as you can about who you’ll be presenting to.

If possible, request help from intermediaries to get you in contact with people who’ll be attending your presentation.

Find out as much as you can about their experiences and competencies, their important concerns and questions, and their preferences in enjoying presentations.

In case you can’t talk to them personally, ask people of similar backgrounds to give you an idea of what you need to do to better prepare.

If you’re unable to get in contact with your potential audience in advance or ask people of similar qualifications, come to the venue early. You can use this extra time to mingle with your audience before the appointed time.

Not only will this lessen your chances of running late, it’ll also make you look more professional because the audience will see that you don’t waste anybody’s time.

Identify and Avoid Misunderstandings

Sometimes, an investment pitch will be unsuccessful because the audience misunderstood or misinterpreted information.

Usually, you can answer questions through a Q&A session after your main presentation.

However, you can avoid this problem altogether by researching your information and checking your facts correctly.

Don’t get tangled in an awkward situation where an audience member catches you on factual mistakes. This embarrassment can cost you potential clients.

Also, base all of your arguments on clear data. Avoid jumping to conclusions based on incomplete raw numbers or facts.

Don’t prematurely claim a long-term upward trend in profits based on just one week of data with a sample size of one sole company.

The one thing an audience will hate more than being confused is being willfully deceived.

Connect the Dots

Now that you know what your listeners have in common, you can easily craft a message that speaks to each of them, while sounding like you understand them as a whole.

Based on what you’ve found out about them, you can easily determine which stories or metaphors the whole crowd can relate to.

This will also help you determine if you can speak in a more conversational tone or if it would be safer to use a more formal tone.

Knowing the composition of your audience also lets you decide the amount of jargon you can let through with your speech. You wouldn’t want to seem highfaluting while explaining to a crowd of marketers, would you?

Common Ground

A diverse group of listeners requires an approach that caters to each one of them, while also connecting with all of them simultaneously.

Getting into their head allows you to best cater your message for your mixed audience.

Proper and responsible research and fact-checking avoids embarrassing situations and misinformation.

All of this guides your message and allows you to deliver it to best inform, engage, and convince.

Find the common ground to radiate a credible professional vibe for any presentation opportunity.

References

http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2014/06/17/finding-common-ground-with-your-audience/

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