Tag: the walking dead

Survive Your Presentation Info Run with Teamwork!

business powerpoint

communication

SlideGenius

teamwork

the walking dead

Nov 01, 2017

Creating a compelling business PowerPoint requires more resources than you think.To convince your investors, you need sales and market data from your accounting teams. Thoroughly pitching your products requires having to talk to your sales and marketing divisions. Meanwhile, you’ve got to coordinate with your creative teams to make your presentation more visually engaging. That’s not counting the coffee, snacks, and energy drinks to keep yourself awake long enough to put all of these together.Indeed, making your PowerPoint impressive requires considerable effort, but with the right supplies, you’ll survive the worst and power through to the end. Let’s take a look at three tips to make stockpiling your resources easier.

1. Have a Dedicated Information Source

Resources are always a necessity for any business. The question is, how much of them do you need? (Michaelson & Michaelson 2010, 16).The same applies to the information you’ll be using for your presentation. Luckily, there’ll always be someone in your company who can give it to you, be it the marketing team, sales department, or even the middle managers. The trick is to know who holds which information. That way, you’ll avoid asking people who can’t help you or, worse, people who only give blank zombie-like stares, saving you time when gathering information.Aside from your marketing and sales departments, you could glean insights from your customers to make your presentation more convincing. This information could come from your in-house or partnered research group. It could even come from your customer care people if you have them.Once you find out who has the info, get to these people… fast.Other companies are on reconnaissance for bits of info. Like hungry scavengers, they want to find them before you do.

2. Delegate Your Tasks

Everyone in the company will be skilled at something (Michaelson & Michaelson 2010, 23) in order to survive.Simply tossing the entire presentation deck to your admin assistant won’t cut it. Because each of your teams will have their own specialties, it’s best to collaborate when you can.Better yet, make a quick list of who edits what. This is vital for getting your facts and talking points straight. Your finance team could lay out the data in a more understandable format, your marketing team could simplify the technical words, and your creative team can make the designs more appealing.[sg-blog-modules module=two]By splitting the work between your departments, you’ll end up finishing the deck faster. With different people and departments adding to the presentation, this will familiarize yourself with each person’s specialized knowledge.Knowing more about your topic from different perspectives makes you more confident. In effect, you’ll avoid sounding like a droning, aimless zombie when presenting.

3. Communicate Regularly with Your Teams

Every business grows. Even your competitors.This is why you have to safeguard your sources while improving your team’s collaboration.Information isn’t meant to be holed up in a prison. It should be free to spread and grow stronger. There will always be new updates: higher sales figures and projections, new images and designs from your creatives, and new products from your marketing department. In order to keep offering the best for your clients, keep yourself well-stocked with these developments.Stay ahead of the competition as much as possible. To do that, safeguard the backbone of your business (Michaelson & Michaelson 2010, 87). In this case, this means your information sources. You’ll never know when someone will eventually surround your base and steal your business right from under your nose.

Survival is The Key

In a fast-paced, dog-eat-dog environment, those who allocate and use their resources wisely reach the top of the pile. Your presentation bug-out bag should include all the necessary information to survive any speaking engagement.Keep yourself updated with everything about the competition, and be on alert for new insights you can use to improve your company. This will keep you ahead of the game, long enough to establish a profitable relationship with your business partners.To help give you the extra edge, you can even get in touch with a presentation partner. It’ll only take a few minutes for a FREE quote!

Check out and share our infographic with your teammates!

https://www.slideshare.net/SlideGenius/survive-your-presentation-info-run-with-teamwork

References

Michaelson, Gerald A., and Steven Michaelson. Sun Tzu the Art of War for Managers, Second Edition: 50 Strategic Rules Updated for Today’s Business. 2nd ed. Avon, Mass.: Adams Media, 2010.

Preparation: The Secret Weapon to Presentation Survival

presentation

presentation survival

presentation tips

presentation tools

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

the walking dead

tips and tricks

Nov 02, 2015

Preparation is the foundation of any successful presentation. While some presenters may rely on improvisation, thorough preparation can significantly increase your confidence, reduce anxiety, and ensure that your message is clear and impactful.Here’s how preparation can be your secret weapon for presentation survival:

1. Know Your Material Inside and Out

One of the biggest sources of presentation anxiety is uncertainty about your material. By thoroughly understanding your content, you’ll feel more confident and prepared to handle any questions or challenges that arise.Why It’s Important:

  • Builds Confidence: Knowing your material inside and out allows you to speak naturally and confidently without relying too heavily on notes.
  • Improves Delivery: When you’re well-prepared, you can focus on engaging with your audience rather than worrying about forgetting key points.

How to Do It:

  • Break your content into key sections and rehearse each section individually.
  • Familiarize yourself with the data, stories, or case studies you’ll be discussing.

2. Anticipate Audience Questions

A key part of preparation is thinking ahead to the questions your audience might ask. Anticipating questions allows you to prepare thoughtful answers and address concerns proactively during your presentation.Why It’s Important:

  • Reduces Uncertainty: Anticipating potential questions ensures that you won’t be caught off guard by audience inquiries.
  • Demonstrates Expertise: Being able to confidently answer audience questions shows that you’re knowledgeable and well-prepared.

How to Do It:

  • Consider your audience’s perspective and think about what questions they might have based on your content.
  • Prepare responses for both common questions and challenging ones.

3. Rehearse with a Timer

Time management is critical for a successful presentation. Practicing with a timer allows you to ensure that you stay within your allotted time and pace yourself appropriately.Why It’s Important:

  • Prevents Overruns: Rehearsing with a timer ensures that you stay on track and don’t run over your time limit.
  • Helps You Find Your Rhythm: Timing yourself helps you establish a comfortable pace and avoid rushing through important sections.

How to Do It:

  • Time each section of your presentation and adjust as necessary to ensure you cover all key points within the allotted time.
  • Aim to finish a few minutes early to leave room for audience questions.

4. Test Your Technology

Technical difficulties can derail even the best-prepared presentation. Make sure to test all of your equipment ahead of time to ensure that everything runs smoothly on the day of your presentation.Why It’s Important:

  • Prevents Technical Issues: Testing your equipment in advance ensures that there are no last-minute surprises or malfunctions.
  • Boosts Confidence: Knowing that your technology is working properly gives you one less thing to worry about during the presentation.

How to Do It:

  • Test your projector, microphone, laptop, and any other equipment you’ll be using.
  • If you’re presenting virtually, test your internet connection and ensure that your slides and media files load correctly.

5. Practice in Front of an Audience

Practicing your presentation in front of a friend, colleague, or mentor allows you to receive feedback on your delivery, body language, and content. This can help you identify areas for improvement and boost your confidence.Why It’s Important:

  • Provides Feedback: Practicing in front of an audience helps you identify any weak points in your presentation.
  • Builds Confidence: Presenting in front of someone beforehand helps reduce anxiety about speaking in front of a larger group.

How to Do It:

  • Ask for feedback on your pacing, clarity, and engagement with the audience.
  • Practice responding to questions or comments to simulate a real Q&A session.

Final Thoughts

Thorough preparation is the key to surviving and thriving during a presentation. By knowing your material, anticipating audience questions, practicing with a timer, testing your technology, and rehearsing in front of an audience, you’ll set yourself up for success. Remember, preparation is the secret weapon that can make all the difference in delivering a polished and confident presentation.

3 Fool-Proof Ways to Master the Art of Presentation Survival

apocalypse

dystopian

PowerPoint apocalypse

presentation apocalypse

presentation survival

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

the walking dead

zombies

Oct 21, 2015

When you’re delivering a presentation in the boardroom or stage, you don’t want your audience to start zoning out and giving you zombie-like stares.They may look docile, but the minute you finish, these people could end up swarming to the door, eager to leave.That outbreak is the last thing you want to cause as a presenter.How do you go about avoiding it?A visually compelling PowerPoint that highlights your strengths is a great way to keep them engaged, but making one is never easy.The best ones are usually made with teamwork and relevant information about your offers.Let’s take a look at how we can avoid a zombie-audience outbreak:

1. Know Your Team

You may know your audience from the inside out, but do you know your teammates?Each member of your team will always have a specialty (Michaelson & Michaelson 2010, 23).One of them might know where to get the best information for your deck’s content, while another might be good at writing your script.Learning to work well with your colleagues will save you loads of headaches and save your energy when it’s time to present

2. Know Your Tools

It’s not owning the tools that makes you good. It’s how you wield them that will keep you a cut above the rest.A highly visual deck makes great impressions, but knowing the other tools and your presentation area are equally important factors.Simple things like testing out your screens, projectors, and your lapel microphones can save your presentation from technical difficulties later on.Make sure your deck is formatted to run on the screen you’ll be using for the boardroom. You’ll avoid projecting misplaced graphics because of working with in wrong screen resolution.

3. Know Your Moves

Now that you know who and what you’re working with, it’s time to put your skills to use.Presentation techniques are another thing to master.Nothing induces a mass zombie-like look faster than a person standing still and droning on during the whole pitch.To master your moves, you need to look into two things: your body language and your speaking style.Are you the type of presenter who likes to tell stories? Or will you take the time to know your audience?Whichever style you prefer, always remember to employ appropriate body gestures and avoid slouching.Putting on a professional look and a lively persona is one of your most effective weapons against zombifying your own audience.

One Last Thing: Teamwork Always Works!

You could survive the apocalypse alone… but working together with others will make the experience so much easier.It’s hard to survive a presentation that makes you or your audience looking like the walking dead.In these situations, working as a team will always get you through.By working together with your sales and marketing teams, you’ll be able to get the info you need to make your presentation as comprehensive as you can.Mastering your tools will prevent any technical delays that can bore your audience.Honing your presenter’s techniques can keep everyone’s eyes on you and focused on what you have to say.Who knows? By following this guide, you might even prevent yourself from looking like a zombie when you step into the boardroom.

References

Michaelson, G., and Steven Michaelson. Sun Tzu: The Art of War for Managers: 50 Strategic Rules Updated for Today’s Business. 2nd ed. Avon, Mass.: Adams Media. 2010.