Tag: presentation tips

Increase Your Chances of Making Sales in 5 Easy Steps

buying decisions

pitches

presentation

presentation tips

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Nov 29, 2016

Motivating your prospects isn’t enough to convince them to make purchase decisions. It would be difficult to motivate people without knowing their preferences. Learning what motivates them in buying a product or availing a service should be your main priority. This is to give you higher chances of influencing them to take action.Convincing them to purchase your product allows you to highlight the benefits of what you’re offering. Knowing their needs, on the other hand, gives you an idea on what kind of things they’re interested in and how to satisfy them.Before you even get to know your prospects, they already have their own set of preferences and expectations that drive them to act. Be careful not to sound too aggressive or desperate in presenting your offerings without first knowing what affects their decisions. This is where asking questions takes place.Give your prospects enough time to share important things about themselves. This will help you discover something valuable that you can use in addressing their concerns. Otherwise, you’ll unintentionally lose their attention and interest.In his book, The Secret of Selling Anything, author and speaker Harry Browne tackles how selling is easy. He mentions that the secret to salesmanship revolves around this guideline: Find this prospect’s motivation and appeal to it.Browne emphasizes the importance of recognizing each prospect’s motivation to increase your chances of making sales. Follow these five easy steps inspired by Browne’s ideas as your guide:

Step 1. Identify their motivation.

According to Browne, asking questions that stimulate your prospect’s interest are effective in convincing them to open up and disclose whatever it is that matters to them a lot. Though selling is your main goal, understand that you need to prioritize client concerns and distinguish their inner motives before your own satisfaction. This is where you ensure that the prospect you are talking to is qualified for your offer.Knowing their motivations also allows you to recognize their present needs. Harold Maslow’s motivational theory explains how each stage of human need (physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization) helps presenters determine their existing concerns before selling. This is why asking them persuasive questions prompts them to talk about their personal experiences. This, in turn, gives you an idea on how to relate those motivations to your presentation.This also involves identifying possible factors that influence their buying decisions. How you appear credible, beneficial, and unique plays an important role in your business success. Once they find you trustworthy, they’ll warm up to you and express their interest in your offer.Don’t pursue your personal agenda without letting them do the talking first. Take time to listen to prospects so you can easily craft questions that offer solutions to their problems.

Step 2. Reiterate the main points.

Once you’re done discovering what triggers their motivations, gather the information and organize them accordingly. Whether you’re conversing with a prospect who unexpectedly asks for your advice, or you’re pitching to a business person, condensing their thoughts in one sentence or two will help you determine their main interest.In this phase, Browne has mentioned the importance of deeply understanding what your prospects are up to. Reiterating their ideas lets you see if they’ll agree or not. This also lets them know you were listening while they were talking. If you notice some disagreement on their end, clarify things by going back to step one – identify what motivations through substantive questions.This will serve as your guide in meeting their expectations for a particular product or service. Don’t hesitate to provide follow-up questions that will enable you to comprehend the intended message. It would be better to complete the first two steps before going over the third one.

Step 3. Introduce your offer.

Before you even start communicating with your prospects, they already have a question in mind: “What’s in it for me?” Addressing this will make your pitch more appealing and give you their undivided attention. More importantly, you’ll be able to successfully answer this question once you identify what their current needs are and understand their problems.At this point in time, you’re ready to discuss what you want to sell to the customer. Do this by explaining your brand’s features and benefits in a way that appeals to their present motives. In this way, you can filter your points into something that’s beneficial to your prospects, satisfying their needs.Since maintaining audience attention is one of your goals, include only what’s relevant to your listeners. Imagine pitching to your prospects without being aware of what they’re currently looking for. You’ll end up wasting both your time and energy, even losing people’s interest. This is why it’s vital that you know their exact expectations to effectively get your message across.

Step 4. Answer their questions.

After you’re done explaining how your brand will benefit the prospects, anticipate responses on their part. Although some presenters look at inquiries negatively, they can become your ladder to success. Think about it: if they’re not interested or they don’t care about your offer, your audience can just easily ignore your pitch in the first place.Objections are different from rejections. The former is common in any transaction between a prospect and a sales professional. This is where the probing strategy is most effective. When they raise a question or an objection, it could be because they didn’t fully understand your point. In this case, consider explaining your ideas in detail and focus on your main points. Doing so enables you to reiterate your message and clarify each point being discussed.Browne states that using the listen-agree-suggest method can help you turn these objections into a “yes”. By lending your ears and listening to what they have to say, it’ll appear that you value and respect their sentiments. After hearing their side, provide your agreement and propose a better recommendation that will help them obtain what they want.

Step 5. Seal the deal.

The fifth and final step of the selling process is closing the deal. Once you discover their motivation, clarify each idea, present your offerings, and respond to their concerns, you can proceed to a more persuasive approach in the sales process. For some, this might be one of the most difficult parts, but it can be also the most exciting. This is where you’ll summarize the entire conversation and convince the prospects to make purchasing decisions.Aside from ending your pitch with a well-designed presentation deck and a powerful call-to-action, you can create a sense of urgency that’ll entice them to take immediate action. Discounts or promos may help in persuading people.As much as possible, convince them to decide now rather than tomorrow. Activate their impulse factors and keep the momentum. Make the most out of your time and see how it’ll all be worth it.

One Step at a Time

It’s no secret that not everyone will be pleased with your offerings. However, it shouldn’t be an excuse to quit trying.Before making a sale, identify your prospect’s needs to avoid wasting both your time and effort. Remember, your job is to help your prospect meet their objectives and reach their goals through your offer.Although sales focuses on getting higher numbers, rushing won’t help. You need to follow each step carefully to attain your goal. Try this technique and see how it can improve your pitch from this day onwards.To craft a more direct presentation, contact our team of professional designers today and ask for a free quote!

Reference

Browne, Harry. The Secret of Selling Anything. 2008. Accessed June 21, 2016.

5 Audience PowerPoint Pet Peeves You Need to Avoid

Powerpoint

powerpoint slides

presentation audience

presentation tips

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Nov 06, 2016

Do you feel like your audience is zoning out on you in the middle of your PowerPoint slides?Your deck might not be sitting well with your listeners. Most people identify as visual learners, and are therefore more inclined to watch out for engaging visuals, rather than walls of text and droning explanations. Unfortunately, this is what most presenters are guilty of when they bore people to death.If you fall into this habit often, it’s time to re-evaluate your presentation choices. Find out what audience’s top five PowerPoint pet peeves are and how to avoid them:

1. Talking to Your Slides

Today’s audiences crave authenticity and personal connections with their speakers. The first thing that tunes them out of a presentation is a presenter who mumbles or reads from the slides.Eye contact is essential in establishing rapport with others. It makes you appear more trustworthy and credible, and less nervous and uncertain of your points. While you may want to get all the points right by reading them straight from the screen, the audience might write off your presence as irrelevant if you’re just going to reiterate your entire deck.Step away from your slides and project confidence with your voice. Deliver clearly and loudly as you directly address the audience.Make use of vocal warm-ups to ease your tension and improve your breathing. This will help alleviate your anxiety and sound more sincere in your pitch.

2. Too Much Information

People’s brains aren’t wired to take in information in bulk, as suggested by InfoEngineering’s article. Give them a landslide of data, images, and text, and they’ll be less likely to retain anything you mentioned. Since people’s short term memories constantly make way for new information coming in, all the backlog gets deleted once their minds are full.Applying this on a presentational level, leaving too many slides can also overwhelm your audience. Only include keywords on your deck, not full blocks of text. This improves people’s recall and compresses your points into neat, palatable takeaways.Leave enough room for you to explain things verbally, to further support your connection with your listeners.Raw data can be difficult to process, and often too heavy to understand on its own. Instead of giving the numbers as is, try putting a creative spin to them. Craft a narrative around your material to lighten up the weight of stark statistics.

3. It’s Unreadable

This third point has plenty to do with your deck’s design and layout.Tom Osborne of Viget suggests that poor contrast is one of the culprits of difficult readability, particularly in text. Contrast is essential in highlighting a specific object you want to stand out on your slide. Elements that aren’t well-contrasted tend to be too light, and might not be seen clearly for some viewers.Maximize the element of contrast in your PowerPoint. For example, dark hues tend to stand out more in lighter backgrounds. Use light colored text against a dark background, and vice versa.At the same time, good contrast might still lead to unreadable decks, due to eccentric font size and style choices. Ensure that the words on your slides are visible all the way to the back by selecting an apt combination – this often means a standard sans serif (like Arial or Helvetica) for the heading, and a standard serif (like Times New Roman or Garamond) for the body.In terms of font size, business guru Guy Kawasaki suggests fonts no smaller than 30-points. This definitely ensures their visibility for all types of audience members.

4. Blocking the View

It’s important for your audience to see what’s on the slides. After all, your PowerPoint is a supplement to your presentation. It’s an aid, which means it should reflect all the salient points you want to deliver. That said, blocking the view would be counterintuitive to having this presentation prop to leverage your speech.However, some presenters do tend to walk in front of their projectors or screens, obstructing people’s view. The audience members shouldn’t be straining their necks to get a view of your presentation.To prevent yourself from obstructing your audience’s view, stand beside the projected screen, and be mindful of your blocking on stage. You’ve got a visually engaging deck that’s worth looking at, so let people rest their gaze on your slides.

5. Random Design Choices

Aesthetics matter in catching the audience’s eye, but there should be a balance between your form and your content. In fact, WritingCommons recommends using your design choices to enhance your core message, even in the subtlest of ways.Don’t put in images that you can’t directly link to your current pitch. Leave out distracting animations and transitions if they won’t contribute to your main points. A balance between digestible simplicity and strategically placed design can make a powerful impression on your viewers from start to finish.To know what’s worth putting in and leaving out in your deck, keep an outlined list of your key points.Since your PowerPoint is supposed to supplement these points, only choose designs that correspond directly to them.

Conclusion

Appealing to your presentation audience means more than just giving them your message directly. Make sure that they’re paying attention to every word by crafting a deck that complements your pitch.Leave your slides on the screen, and talk sincerely to your listeners. Establishing a strong emotional and physical connection with them will make you appear like a more credible speaker worth listening to.Practice using your voice to project confidence and sincerity that will convince your audience. Check your deck’s readability by choosing colors that contrast and highlight each other. Aside from this, select the right font sizes and types that ensure maximum readability for all audiences, and in all venues.Mind where you stand so you don’t block people’s view of your visual aid. Avoid unnecessary deck designs by putting in only the most important keywords you need to expound on, and choose the appropriate slide element to support it.If you need help with your presentation design choices, contact our SlideGenius experts today for a free quote!

References

“Color Contrast for Better Readability.” Viget Blogs. Accessed December 16, 2015. https://viget.com/inspire/color-contrast”The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint.” Guy Kawasaki. 2005. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://guykawasaki.com/the_102030_rule”Your PowerPoint Presentation: Developing an Effective Design.” Your PowerPoint Presentation: Developing an Effective Design. Accessed December 16, 2015. http://writingcommons.org/index.php/open-text/genres/public-speaking/delivering-the-speech/1031-your-powerpoint-presentation-developing-an-effective-design Featured Image: “40+216 Face” by bark on flickr.com

Black Cats of PowerPoint Presentations

Halloween

Powerpoint

presentation tips

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Oct 30, 2016

Sometimes, in the middle of reviewing a PowerPoint presentation, there comes the anxiety wherein people ask themselves if the slides are enough or overdone. Some even come to a point where they struggle critiquing their work because they spent too much time on it. After so much time and effort, you may wonder if you’ve been efficient or just wasteful.If, at the end of the day, despite all efforts to make a great presentation, it still doesn’t feel right to say it’s a job well done, here are some signs to help you make that call.

Unlucky 7

In rare cases, presentation taboos may be excused when necessary but international speaker and presentation skills expert, John Zimmer, says having too many bullets and texts make no sense when crafting a pitch.According to him, PowerPoint presentations that follow the 1-7-7 rule, or slides that consist one heading, seven bullets, and seven words, promise boredom and apathy on the part of the audience. Same point goes for the 1-6-6 rule.Avoid this by using fewer bullet points. When used sparingly, bullets can be effective to communicate ideas and points because they offer convenience to the audience. Bullets help save more time and space to allocate new information. Too many of them, however, does the opposite of that value.Minimize your use of words. Use communicative graphics and pictures that can replace texts. It’s best to do this in slides that contain messages that you would like your audience to remember.In this case, the 4-by-5 rule might just be right for your presentation. Unless you’re enumerating from a list, then four bullets and five words are ideal to keep your presentation informative and snappy.

The Scripture

One way to know if something isn’t easy to understand is when you read it repeatedly. There are several reasons why this happens. Usually, it means you’re having an idle moment or your phrases or sentences need to be simplified.When reading, experts say an average person renders 50 – 300 WPM (words per minute). However, when reading technical content, the statistics go down to 50 – 75 WPM.Sometimes, slides look like pages of ancient text, which contain too much information and take more time to read compared to the normal ones. When comprehending a script, use simpler but appropriate words and sentences to lessen the reader’s strain and lag. If you can’t process your messages easily, then how can you expect your readers to do so? Only use words with deeper meaning when necessary.Pause after a certain amount of words to give time for them to absorb everything.Also, speaking from an active voice welcomes a continuous reading process. Use present or passive tenses instead of progressive tenses. They’re easier to read and make ideas seem more simple.Lastly, though it’s advised to keep one thought in one slide, you can opt to break your sentences in the middle and proceed to the next. Maintain the dominance of the white background. It also pays to maintain a breathing room for your eyes.

Magic Decks

When you present a deck with numerous slides in a considerably long time, do you wonder if your audience recall everything?A research conducted in 2012 by cognitive neuroscientist, Dr. Carmen Simon, examined how many slides people can remember from a text-only, standalone PowerPoint presentation. After 48 hours, results showed that 1,500 participants remembered an average of four slides out of the presented 20.The study revealed that visuals played a significant role in keeping the slides memorable. It was also found that similar-looking slides are easier to remember. The distinctiveness of every other fifth slide in Simon’s presentation were significant help as well.Marks help remember. Use pictures or designs not only to illustrate, but also to keep slides more interesting and easier to recall. It’s best to use them strategically. Use markings on slides that need more emphasis.

Conclusion

Your deck doesn’t have to be all-telling. You can just make books if that’s the case. A good deck must contain all significant points and ideas for the presenter to collaboratively explain with. In a PowerPoint presentation full of information, points become harder to highlight. Use words sparingly so that your audience would actually pay attention to your content.Be strategic when creating your slides to make them more engaging. When making presentations, discover ways to be more conscious on your creative and communicative processes. It pays to understand your audience’s interests with regards to these aspects.Lastly, know that sometimes, complex solutions only solve basic problems. Before you start with another PowerPoint presentation, invest your time in getting to know more about creating effective presentations. This way, you end up creating your presentation in a lesser hassle pace and with more peace of mind.

Resources:

Zimmer, John. “PowerPoint Math: The 1-6-6 Rule. Manner of Speaking.” Manner of Speaking. www.mannerofspeaking.org/2010/03/04/powerpoint-math-the-1-6-6-ruleSimon, Carmen. “The Results Are In: How Much Do People Really Remember from PowerPoint Presentations?” Brainshark. February 12, 2013.Nelson, Brett. “Do You Read Fast Enough To Be Successful?” Forbes. June 4, 2012 www.forbes.com/sites/brettnelson/2012/06/04/do-you-read-fast-enough-to-be-successful/#5d9d3eca58f7Thomas, Mark. “What Is the Average Reading Speed and the Best Rate of Reading?” Health Guidance. www.healthguidance.org/entry/13263/1/What-Is-the-Average-Reading-Speed-and-the-Best-Rate-of-Reading.html

Improve Your Presentation with Dan Pink’s Types of Pitches (Part 1)

pitches

presentation

presentation techniques

presentation tips

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Oct 17, 2016

Pitching isn’t just about selling – at least not directly. Our daily conversations during work, and personal matters all involve communicating. We try to influence others with our opinions, sentiments, and preferences everyday.This means that delivering a pitch involves getting your message across to your listeners.In his book, To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others, author and speaker Daniel Pink introduced the six successors to the elevator pitch: the one-word pitch, the question pitch, the rhyming pitch, the subject line pitch, the twitter pitch, and the Pixar pitch.These modernized types of pitches can be used by sales professionals to communicate with the audience better. This achieves a clearer, more convincing sales presentation.In this post, we’ll cover the first three types of pitches that you can use to enhance your content.

1. The One-word Pitch

The idea of one-word pitch or “one-word equity” was conceptualized by Maurice and Charles Saatchi, founders of Saatchi & Saatchi, one of the world’s top advertising agencies. By condensing your brand in one word, it can help your audience remember what you’re planning to convey.Nowadays, people have limited attention spans. Microsoft‘s study explains that the human attention span has declined from eight seconds to twelve in 2013. Given this limited timespan, presentations become more effective when they’re shorter.This means every presenter’s message needs to be clear and more direct, if only because clients will have an easier time remembering your main points.Some large firms incorporate this to their slogans to promote a more comprehensive way of presenting their brands to customers. For example, the word “search” is often associated with Google.

How to Get Started:

Pink advises presenters: “Write a 50-word pitch. Reduce it to 25 words. Then to six words. One of those remaining half-dozen is almost certainly your one-word pitch.”Ask yourself: If there’s one word you can use to describe your brand, what is it? Identify your objectives to guide you in crafting a more focused pitch. Decide what you want your audience to remember after hearing your brand name, or after letting them visualize your marketing campaign.This will help you come up with a powerful word that fits your desired plan. It can also instill a catchier, more memorable name you can associate with your business or brand.

2. The Question Pitch

There’s nothing more effective than questions that’ll motivate audiences to take action. Though you shouldn’t rely on this all the time, Pink’s research suggests certain questions become more persuasive when they possess a strong argument.For example, when Ronald Reagan was running for president in 1980, he chose to ask: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”, instead of mentioning America’s then-current economic recession and proving his point with numbers.Rhetorical questions like these are used to compelling the audience to resolve the point being discussed, while letting them absorb the message you want to deliver.Probing questions are also effective when convincing your listeners to share their stories and experiences, while voicing their concerns. Asking “Does this product interest you?” is way too open-ended from “Will this product provide convenience and solution to your concern?” The latter emphasizes the benefit and convinces your prospect to consider the offer.

How to Get Started:

Pink suggests: “Use this if your arguments are strong. If they’re weak, make a statement. Or better yet, find some new arguments.”If a statement won’t work, add a question to your pitch. This will prompt your listeners to answer it silently in their minds.When crafting your pitch, gather all the facts and resources needed, and organize relatable details or information to prioritize them. This lets you pinpoint what particular argument is more effective in a question form. It also ensures your listeners or prospects will understand the entire topic to make it more convincing.

3. The Rhyming Pitch

Pink states that “pitches that rhyme increase processing fluency.” This makes the message easier to digest and internalize.The following example shows how rhyming and non-rhyming words differ:

  • Woes unite foes. (original rhyming version)

  • Woes unite enemies. (modified non-rhyming version)

You’ll notice that the first sentence is much more interesting to hear than the second one. Incorporating rhyming words in your speech also improves audience recall as it produces a pleasant sound when they’re pronounced.Another example would be: “Videos can sustain what text can’t explain” has more impact than plainly saying it as “Videos can sustain text that lacks explanation.”

How to Get Started:

Pink states: “Don’t rack your brain for rhymes. Go online and find a rhyming dictionary.” Use the Internet to look for a rhyming dictionary. This will help you restructure plain and simple statements into rhyming sentences.Before applying it to your presentation, start by identifying your main points. Try out rhyming words to see if they’d work well together in one statement. You can also ask one of your colleagues for his opinion towards your pitch and give you his feedback.Be careful not to overdo it. Choose among and focus only on the ideas relevant to your subject for greater emphasis and easier retention. This will generate more interest among your listeners and draw attention to your performance.

Conclusion

Pink’s first three techniques not only offer a new approach in making your pitch more powerful and memorable. Applying these types can guide you in presenting your ideas creatively.Think of a word that’ll give your brand or business much exposure, and make it catchier enough to increase audience recall.For greater impact, make sure to deliver a strong argument. Ask questions that convince them to take action. Turn simple sentences into rhyming statements to let your listeners be more attentive to what you’re conveying.Try it yourself and you’ll be amazed by how it positively affects the way people better understand your message. Master these three approaches to allow for a better and more focused presentation that your audience will remember.To craft a more direct presentation, contact our team of professional designers today and ask for a free quote! 

References

“3 Ways to Pitch Your Idea.” Inc.com. April 11, 2013. Accessed January 19, 2016. www.inc.com/thebuildnetwork/3-ways-to-pitch-your-idea.htmlGabrielsen, Jonas, and Tanja Juul Christiansen. The Power of Speech. Copenhagen: Hans Reitzel, 2010.“How does digital affect Canadian attention spans?” Microsoft. n.d. Accessed February 1, 2016. http://advertising.microsoft.com/en/cl/31966/how-does-digital-affect-canadian-attention-spansPink, Daniel H. To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth about Moving Others. New York: Riverhead Books, 2012.“Practice Your 6 Pitches.” To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth about Moving Others, 2012. Accessed January 19, 2016. www.danpink.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sixpitches.pdfSnider, Emma. “6 Types of Sales Pitches Every Seller Should Know.” HubSpot. January 6, 2015. Accessed January 19, 2016. http://blog.hubspot.com/sales/sales-pitches-every-seller-should-know Featured Image: “Dan Pink 1” by Ethan Beute on flickr.com

3 Things that Enhance Audience Engagement in a Presentation

body language

presentation

presentation tips

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Oct 12, 2016

Attracting the audience’s attention can be tricky, especially if you’re a first-time presenter. Not knowing the right way to engage listeners and pique their attention due to a lack of experience can bore the crowd and make them anxious. But play the right cards and you’ll find that there are a number of ways to keep people engaged. One of the easiest is to interact with your audience.We don’t just mean getting to know your listeners before the presentation, although that can give you an idea of how to speak and act on stage as well.Take note of the little things you do during your pitch. Notice that your body language and your choice of words can make a big difference in how people see you. Displaying confidence in your actions can help establish your credibility and make you appear more trustworthy.Here are three things to watch out for to enhance audience engagement:

1. Stage Presence

People want to see confidence and sincerity in a speaker, so don’t stand in one spot on the stage. Your movements dictate how the audience responds to you. Claiming the space around you by pacing the stage makes you appear more at ease with your environment since you’re not afraid to go near the audience and engage them with your presence.For presentations or speeches that require a passionate or emotional delivery – for instance, a declamation or a TED talk – you’re encouraged to roam freely on stage. According to presentation expert Olivia Mitchell, doing so can establish a more intimate connection between you and your audience, as discussed in her Speaking About Presenting article. The proximity of your physical presence helps them flesh out a more human sense of the presenter rather than a detached speaker relating distant points.Discern when it’s appropriate to act lively on stage, like when you’re announcing a new product. Familiarize yourself with your presentation, from your content, to the visuals on your deck. This lets you know when it would be appropriate to take control of the stage, and when to focus on explaining your points.It’s also important to know the venue and equipment you’ll be using beforehand to figure out whether it’s possible to move around the space, or whether it would be best to use minimal gestures. For instance, formal settings like boardroom meetings may require less expressive movements.Use your stage presence and explore it to your advantage.

2. Image Projection

How you project yourself through your actions affects how people perceive you. It’s important to make a good first impression, and maintain this appearance throughout your presentation. This determines whether the audience will buy into what you’re saying or not.In her famous TED Talk, which has been featured across various sites and journals, including an article on the New York Times by David Hochman, social psychologist Amy Cuddy discusses the advantages of power posing. Cuddy asked a few Zappos employees in one of her studies to change their pose by “making themselves big” for a few minutes.In the experiment, the perceived confidence resulted in increased confidence among the employees. Opening yourself up by standing with your shoulders back and your arms away from your chest shows that you’re not nervous or afraid.Conversely, folding your entire body by hunching forward makes you seem unconfident, making listeners less likely to invest their time in you. Other ways of non-verbally projecting confidence include establishing eye contact with the audience, suiting your facial expressions to the occasion needed, and enacting hand gestures that can strengthen your points.Doing these will foster deeper connections with the audience by making your physical presence felt throughout your pitch, ensuring a thorough command of people’s attention.

3. Relevant Questions

Even the best speeches have had a few people dozing off in them. When you find your own listeners falling asleep or getting distracted, call back their attention by asking them relevant questions.For example, if you’re presenting in front of potential clients, ask them about their experiences with other products in the market, and respond by presenting your own alternative.This method avoids singling out anyone or embarrassing them to call their attention. It allows you to not only capture people’s attention, but also foster more concrete connections by showing you care about what they think. More often than not, the audience is attuned to how a pitch will benefit them, rather than how it will benefit the presenter. Make sure to establish that you’re focused on the audience’s wellbeing rather than your personal profit.Prompt encouraging questions in your presentation. Something like, “What did you think of this part of the presentation?” can bring them into the dialogue between the presenter and audience. At the same time, when it’s their turn to do the asking, validate all types of questions given to you, and don’t divulge all your information during your actual presentation.Get the audience thinking, but make sure that all your statements enhance your point, not detract people from it. With this, you hit two birds with one stone: you regain audience attention, and help your main presentation progress.

Conclusion

Audience engagement is one of the trickiest, but also most necessary aspects of a presentation. You won’t be able to convince anyone without making them feel like you’re worth listening to.Make use of your given space by freely moving on it, and project a confident image through your posture to boost the audience’s interest in what you have to say. But don’t overdo the movement. Familiarize yourself with your surroundings, audience type, and equipment to make sure you don’t give off the wrong message. Keep your gestures appropriate within the type of presentation you’re giving.You can also try asking the right questions. This is always helpful in winning back any lost attention and letting people participate in your pitch’s progress. Remember that the audience is more interested in how your presentation will benefit them, so keep your pitch geared towards participative and engaging interactions with people.Move your listeners for a winning speech. But it won’t be complete without a perfect slide deck to match. Contact our SlideGenius experts today for your presentation need and get a free quote!

References

“8 Tips for Encouraging Questions in Your Presentation.” Speaking about Presenting. Accessed December 8, 2015. www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/audience/presentation-question-timeHochman, David. “Amy Cuddy Takes a Stand.” The New York Times. September 20, 2014. Accessed December 8, 2015. www.nytimes.com/2014/09/21/fashion/amy-cuddy-takes-a-stand-TED-talk.html?_r=2Mitchell, Olivia. “9 Ways to Use Space in Your Presentation.” Speaking about Presenting. Accessed December 8, 2015. www.speakingaboutpresenting.com/delivery/9-ways-space-presentation Featured Image: “Etech05: Audience” by James Duncan Davidson on flickr.com

5 Tips You Need to Apply for a Confident Presentation

books to improve presentation skills

Confidence

presentation

presentation tips

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Oct 09, 2016

The drive to do better exists in everyone, and excelling in presentation delivery is no exception.Yet it seems that developing confidence, a crucial part of delivery, takes a backseat. To make up for this, presenters just end up putting up a front.When confidence is just a mask, we eventually slip back to our old habits as soon as the situation that calls for it ends. You effectively stall your presentation skills and never hone real confidence as a result.You can apply confidence to many other areas in your life, so it makes sense to develop this important skill even outside the context of presentations.It takes a lot of hard work to become a confident presenter. Get a better look at yourself to see the areas that need your attention so you don’t have to fake it to make it.

1. Awareness

Total awareness of your habits and actions is the first step to knowing yourself better.Your body language reflects how you feel without you realizing it. Are you constantly shifting your gaze? Do you slouch? Are your hands constantly by your sides?These gestures don’t display confidence, so learn to change these habits.Connect with your audience and make them feel involved by establishing eye contact. Good posture will boost your confidence and make you look confident as a result.Use your hands to persuade your audience and emphasize points in your speech.

2. Observation

Charismatic people project confidence effortlessly.One of your favorite actors or actresses can serve as an inspiration to develop your presentation style.However, don’t imitate another person’s speech or delivery style to avoid looking unnatural.Be yourself, and the audience will react positively to authenticity which improves your audience engagement.

3. Authenticity

Introverts shouldn’t force confidence when they have to give a presentation.You can still be confident while staying true to yourself.It will take a lot of preparation and practice in order to mitigate anxiety, but the contemplative nature of introverts help them overcome their hang-ups faster in order to improve.Due to their limited energy reserves, it’s only crucial that they must plan their actions ahead.

4. Qualifiers

Do you fill in your speech with these words: might, probably, generally, kind of, and mostly?These words are called qualifiers, and the given examples above express doubt. Use will instead of might, or certainly instead of probably to create a strong and confident argument as necessary.It‘ll take some time, but speech habits and patterns can be corrected.

5. Expertise

There’s no single, true expert when it comes to reading body language. Nick Morgan, one of America’s top communication coaches, asserts that even you’re much better at reading the body language of people you know than any expert out there.Don’t overthink how others might interpret your gestures, but be aware that your true intentions can easily be picked up.This is why faking confidence can be an unreliable tip to follow. You’re constantly trying to be someone else and the audience only needs you to slip up once in order to see through your façade.Build trust by being confident in your own way.

Confident and Prepared

You should be a lot more relaxed now when you deliver your presentation. Confidence is all about the effort and hard work that you invest in yourself and expressing it naturally.These tips encourage you to build confidence in a way that will benefit you more in the long run. Don’t settle for a mask of confidence, temporary results don’t last.Build the right habits and take an honest look at yourself so you can let confidence flow within you.Once you’ve naturally grown more comfortable under your own skin, it will no longer be necessary to feign confidence.

References

Morgan, Nick. “7 Surprising Truths about Body Language.” Forbes. October 25, 2012. Accessed December 11, 2015. www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorgan/2012/10/25/7-surprising-truths-about-body-languagePerugia, Sarah. “Body Language at Work: How to Connect, Inspire and Project Confidence.””Qualifiers.” TheGuardian. December 10, 2015. Accessed December 11, 2015. www.theguardian.com/women-in-leadership/2015/dec/10/body-language-work-project-confidenceWhite, Martha C. “4 Extremely Easy Ways to Fake Confidence.” Time. August 18, 2014. Accessed December 11, 2015. http://time.com/3131130/fake-confidenceWinch Ph.d., Guy. “10 Things Passive People Say.” Psychology Today. November 12, 2015. Accessed December 11, 2015. www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201511/10-things-passive-people-sayFeatured Image: “Mountains nature sky” on freeuse.io

Presentation Tips for Introverts: Conserving Energy

introversion

introverts

presentation tips

public speaking

resource

Rick Enrico

saving energy

SlideGenius

Sep 26, 2016

Introversion isn’t the same as being shy.With enough preparation and focus, introverts are just as capable of being on stage as their more outgoing counterparts.Though being in the spotlight isn’t something they enjoy, it’s something they can excel at given the right time.It can also be draining to talk to a lot of people, so pace is important to keep things running smoothly.Your confidence will naturally grow as you master your topic.In addition, these presentation tips for introverts can help you further in your preparation.

Conserve Energy

While extroverts draw energy from social interactions, introverts draw their energy from within.Pacing is crucial to avoid wasting energy while presenting.If possible, craft a short speech to avoid running out of strength.A shorter presentation also means that you’ll have more energy to expend engaging with your audience.Prepare your deck thoroughly so you don’t fumble through your speech and lose your precious energy reserves.

Potential Power

Introverts are good listeners, but they can be good speakers as well.Here are more reasons why introverts can be excellent public speakers too.Overstimulation of their senses may cause them to withdraw in social situations.Thankfully, speeches aren’t completely spontaneous and are conducted in an organized space.Introverts can devote their time and energy to ensure an outstanding presentation, rather than rely on their personality to wow audiences.

Allocate Time

Use your strengths to conquer your weaknesses and you‘ll be a better presenter with practice.Devote some time to figure out how you can improve the way you speak and how you structure your topic.The focus should be on the message you’re trying to convey and not on you.This kind of mindset takes pressure off of you, which allows you to focus on your content and delivery.Pretending to be confident will work to your disadvantage because you’ll have to spend more energy trying to sustain this behavior.Your energy is better spent elsewhere, and the time you spend working on your strengths will give you more room for growth.

Energy = Power x Time

Proper pacing should make delivering a speech look a lot less frightening.Even if they feel up for to the task, introverts have the right skills to be in front of a crowd.But they have a limited amount of energy to spend and need to manage it carefully.Impress your audience through a message with a strong impact to alleviate the pressure to over-deliver.Some presentation tips suggest faking confidence, but it’s much better to spend time building up your strengths.With this, you’ll be true to yourself and the message you’re trying to get across through your deck.Remember: introversion should never be an excuse for a subpar performance. 

References

Cain, Susan. “Public Speaking for Introverts: 6 Essential Tips.” Duarte. February 1, 2013. Accessed October 23, 2015. www.duarte.com/blog/public-speaking-for-introverts-6-essential-tipsCherry, Kendra. “What Is Introversion?” About.com. Accessed October 23, 2015. http://psychology.about.com/od/trait-theories-personality/f/introversion.htmFeatured Image: “Shy statue.” by fredrik Andreasson on flickr.com

Psychological Biases: Loss Aversion in Sales Presentations

cognitive bias

presentation lessons

presentation tips

psychology

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Sep 12, 2016

A negative response from defeat isn’t limited to real-life choices. They can also be present in business situations, including sales presentations.If you’re stuck between the pain of losing and the fear of risking, then you’ll miss out bigger and greater opportunities ahead of you, like a new business venture, or a better career offer.Never miss the boat on that new deal and business partnership. Let the psychological bias of loss aversion help you out in accepting losses to continually grow as a professional and achieve greater sales.

Defining ‘Loss Aversion’

People are reluctant to lose or give up something, even if it means gaining something better. Some play safe and avoid changes to protect their business from market loss or any disaster.This phenomenon of escaping a losing position is known as loss aversion. First coined by researchers Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, it suggests that the desire of having something suddenly increases when someone takes it away. This means we tend to feel the pain of loss more than the pleasure of a comparable gain.Even if losses are unforeseen, you shouldn’t let your fear of taking risks stop you from tasting the sweetness of success.

Why Use This in Presentations?

Marketing campaigns and promos are two examples that explain this cognitive bias. For example, people are more likely to go shopping when they see ads like “For limited time only” or “Sale ends soon.”In this case, the fear of losing promotions make people act on their impulse and can influence their buying decisions.Using this technique builds up your product’s worth, helping you achieve company gain.

How to Make Loss Aversion Your Ally

Losses translated into gains attract more sales conversions. To persuade your audience to invest in your idea, focus more on highlighting the benefits.Position your offer as if ignoring it means a great loss for investors. Explain what it does and how it differs from your competitors—from its uses, to cost, and new experience it might bring.If you’re selling an advanced cooking equipment, try saying something like: “You won’t save up to 3 hours of cooking time if you skip this offer, and stick with normal ovens.”No matter what you sell, it’s always important to put earns on top of the losses. Frame your product benefits well for them to make decisions quickly.

Conclusion

Often times, the fear of loss impedes the desire to gain. It misleads you from reaching the road of growth and success.But losses turned into gains are a different thing. Present in a way that customers will feel like they can’t afford to lose you.Practice the power of loss aversion to create a sense of urgency and make your sales pitch sound more persuasive!

References

Kay, Magda. “How to Use Cognitive Biases for Effective Marketing.” Psychology for Marketers. n.d. Accessed November 26, 2015. http://psychologyformarketers.com/use-cognitive-biases-effective-marketing“Loss Aversion.” Behavioural Finance. n.d. Accessed November 26, 2015. http://loss-aversion.behaviouralfinance.netPammi, C. & Srinivasan N. (2013). Decision Making: Neural and Behavioural Approaches. Elsevier.Popolskis, Alon. “How to Persuasively Leverage Loss Aversion for Your Company’s Gain.” Business to Community. December 30, 2015. Accessed November 26, 2015. www.business2community.com/strategy/persuasively-leverage-loss-aversion-companys-gain-0725284#uxhqSgb1Gx3YmeDf.97Snider, Emma. “How to Use Psychological Biases to Sell Better and Faster.” Hubspot Blogs. January 31, 2015. Accessed November 26, 2015. http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/psychological-biases-salesFeatured Image: “Losses” by GotCredit on flickr.com

5 Design Tips to Avoid Becoming a Presentation Killer

design tips

killer

Powerpoint

presentation

presentation tips

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Sep 05, 2016

Let the verdict decide whether a presenter is guilty of Death by PowerPoint, otherwise known as the presentation killer, or the never-ending boring bullet point marathon.We’ll be here to help and guide you to make the right design choices so that your deck won’t be next in trial.It all begins with the first impression. Take a look at the first slide on your deck right now and evaluate whether the design looks consistent with your brand.If it fails to meet the criteria, it might be time to take some design pointers to keep your deck moving on the right track.Between 65-85% of people describe themselves as visual learners. You could be tuning out a lot of people during your presentation if your slides don’t have images that support your message.We’ll briefly touch on Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 rule and how they can keep you from becoming a presentation killer.

1. Consistent Design

Consistency helps build your brand’s identity.What’s your brand known for, and how can you translate this concept through design? Being consistent means building your reputation over time by staying true to the company’s values.But a company changing hands or shifting in direction happens and can be a challenge to handle.For example, Logitech’s rebranding came about from CEO Bracken Darrell changing their offerings beyond selling computer mice. So they changed the logo to reflect their change in direction.Update your company’s image to stay consistent with your brand’s values and identity.

2. High-Quality Images

In your first slide, feature your brand front and center.Have a clear, high-quality image of your logo so that your audience can immediately identify your brand.Don’t use low-quality images that look pixelated on screen. Not only does it look distracting and unprofessional, but it puts your brand’s image in a negative light as a result.Avoid filling your deck with too many images, as it can inflate your PowerPoint file’s size. Resize images that don’t need to be emphasized to avoid this problem.

3. Strategic Color Choice

Colors have a strong psychological impact that can influence the way we feel and think, so craft a strong image for your brand’s identity.Image plays a major part in social media, and image-building should take priority especially when you want your brand to stand out.This infographic from DesignMantic is a handy guide to profile your business and match it with a suitable color combination.For example, businesses in the healthcare industry commonly use the colors red and green because of the psychological effect of these colors. The color red denotes attentiveness and determination while green represents hope, endurance, and safety. You can use these colors and other combinations to create a color profile that inspires trust in your brand.

4. Complementary Images

Take caution when you choose an inspirational image for your slide. It can detract from your message if it’s too striking. This means choosing a beautiful yet abstract image fails to support your message because it becomes a source of distraction.The audience could become too absorbed with your image that they fail to see your point.The images you pick should support your message and help the audience make a meaningful decision about your presentation.Choose your supporting images carefully and make sure that it’s connected to the product or service that you’re offering.

5. The 10-20-30 Rule

Be careful how much content you pump into your slides.Guy Kawasaki, former chief evangelist of Apple, is a proponent of the 10-20-30 rule. His guidelines will give your pitch precision and maximize engagement with your audience. Deliver your presentation in ten slides, for twenty minutes, in a font no smaller than thirty points: that’s the 10-20-30 rule.It compels the presenter to reduce slide clutter in favor of a concise pitch.The time constraints are in place because when you’re pitching to a VC, you can’t afford to waste anybody’s time. And the large font size is there so that the presenter won’t read off the slides and focus on their delivery instead.Imagine pitching to Guy Kawasaki himself and the 10-20-30 rules starts to make sense. Create an impressive pitch by taking heed of his rules.

Make Killer Presentations

You should always make a good first impression, so build a good image by following design choices that will support your brand and your message.Build trust by selecting colors that communicate your brand’s values. Your pitch should include images that support your message, but be aware that having too much in your deck can increase your file size dramatically.The use of overly inspirational images can backfire on you if it fails to support your message, so exercise some restraint when you think about placing one in your deck.Guy Kawasaki is a VC himself, so he understands and knows the pitch that gets attention. His popular 10-20-30 rule should key you in on the template that can win an investor.Get a free quote from our SlideGenius experts to effectively get your message across in your deck and pitch.

References

“[INFOGRAPHIC]: Color Your Brand Industry-wisely!” DesignMantic. March 18, 2014. Accessed December 21, 2015. www.designmantic.com/blog/color-your-brand-industry-wisely”Guy Kawasaki – The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint.” Guy Kawasaki. December 30, 2005. Accessed December 21, 2015. http://guykawasaki.com/the_102030_rule”How to Evaluate PowerPoint Presentation Slides?” Presentation Process. N.d. Accessed December 21, 2015. www.presentation-process.com/evaluate-powerpoint-presentation.html”New Logo and Identity for Logitech by DesignStudio.” Brand New. July 8, 2015. Accessed December 21, 2015. www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/new_logo_and_identity_for_logitech_by_designstudio.php#.VneM-_krKUkVong, Katherine. “Image Is Everything: Why People Are Hooked on Image-Based Social Media.” TrendReports. August 13, 2012. Accessed December 21, 2015. www.trendreports.com/article/imagebased-social-mediaFeatured Image: “Just the tip of the iceberg” by Myxion flickr.com

4 Types of Charts You Should Use for Business Presentations

bar graph

business pitch

business presentation

charts

flowchart

line graph

organizational chart

presentation tips

Presentations

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

types of charts

Aug 31, 2016

Using charts is tricky for business presentations. More often than not, they tend to overload your slides with numbers and distract your audience from your main findings.Similar to using spreadsheets, these are tools used to analyze data before presenting them. However, charts have one advantage over spreadsheets: They can visually compare and show relationships between numbers and information, making them more understandable for the audience. This also lets you hold their interest long enough to get your point across.If you absolutely need to use charts, these are the four basic types that can help simplify an otherwise long and boring topic.

1. The Organizational Chart

This chart is used to explain relationships between members of a group.Here, information is displayed in a top-to-bottom format, with the executive or manager at the top. The chart branches out to show direct and indirect relationships between staff, managers, and executives.This gives everyone a clear picture of who reports to whom and who is responsible for what.While the organizational chart explains structures, it doesn’t show how a company operates. You can use flowcharts to explain how your company does business with others. You can also use these to talk about any other type of business procedure.

2. The Flowchart

The flowchart is more linear, sometimes circular, in nature.It’s best for explaining processes, especially during business presentations. The flowchart builds a clear picture of where something begins, what happens in between, and where it ends.When using this chart, start with the first step. When an order comes in, what step follows next? Is there a step where the request is evaluated? Arrange them sequentially, and add if-and-then statements if something goes wrong with that step.The more complicated a process is, the harder it is to illustrate with a flowchart. Stick to the basics and keep your illustration simple to avoid confusing your audience with too many numbers.

3. The Line Graph

One of the simplest to create and the easiest to understand, line graphs show progressions and can also forecast results.If you were to track, for example, the increase and decrease of your company’s earnings per year, simply plot the period of time you need to measure on the horizontal X-axis. The vertical Y-axis will be used to measure the amount gained or lost.After plotting the data, simply connect the points with a line to show their progression. You can even use it to compare similar types of data by using different colored lines.Line graphs are great at comparing progressions, but if you want to accurately show increases and decreases in value, bar graphs are perfect for the job.

4. The Bar Graph

While they can also show comparisons over time like line graphs, bar graphs are used for measuring larger changes.The two main variants for bar graphs are horizontal and vertical graphs. Both rely on rectangles to show how much one thing is worth against another. For example, if you were to measure the net worth of similar companies with a vertical bar graph, you could arrange the company names in the horizontal X-axis, and set the values in the vertical Y-axis. The higher the rectangle displayed, the more valuable the company is. For horizontal graphs, these are more appropriate for data with longer labels. The usage is the same with a vertical graph, except that the X and Y axes are reversed.

Which Chart Should You Use?

Instead of you simply talking about information with a slide full of text, these charts can conveniently illustrate your data.It can be about procedures, your organizational structure, or even the progressions and comparisons between information.While these four graphs can illustrate and compare several things at once, they can overload your slides if they contain too much information. Keep only the most essential processes and state only the most important individuals in any organizational structure.It’s best to limit your comparisons to at least three things to make your presentation easier to understand.

Check out and share our infographic!

References:

“Types of Graphs – Bar Graphs.” Types of Graphs. n.d. www.typesofgraphs.com/bar.html”Types of Graphs – FlowCharts.” Types of Graphs. n.d. www.typesofgraphs.com/flow.html”Types of Graphs – Line Graphs.” Types of Graphs. n.d. www.typesofgraphs.com/line.html”Types of Graphs – Organizational Chart.” Types of Graphs. n.d. www.typesofgraphs.com/organizational.html