5 key tips to a successful presentation

1. Know your audience and your setting
   
2. Create a compelling narrative
3. Always have a backup of your presentation
4. Use a professional to create your presentation

Know your audience and your setting

When you're preparing a presentation, it's essential to have a clear understanding of both your audience and your setting. Depending on the situation, you'll need to adjust your delivery accordingly.

Knowing and understanding your audience is key. Are they knowledgeable about the sector? Do they understand your company, product and value proposition or is it an introductory pitch? Why are you presenting to the audience?  What outcome are you hoping for? What are the demographics and cultural considerations? What are their ages? What are their interests?

The setting is key too. Are you presenting informally in a smaller room or to a large and varied audience in a conference centre?  Can you influence where the presentation will be given so it best suits your desired style?  Can you use a branded background or props to help convey your key messages and brand personality?

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Create a compelling narrative

A concise and compelling narrative engages your audience, makes your points more relatable and your desired outcome more achievable. People are more likely to pay attention and remember what you're saying when sharing an easy to follow and interesting story.

If you're not used to speaking in front of an audience, crafting a narrative may seem daunting. But you can follow a few simple tips to make it easier. First, start with an outline of the key messages and main points you want to communicate. Then, populate the slides using a mix of bold images, concise wording and simple charts.  Using this mix of different visuals instead of just words on slides will tell a more interesting story and keep the audience engaged.

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Always have a backup of your presentation

When you're giving a presentation, the last thing you want is for your computer to crash and lose all your work. That's why it's always important to have a backup of your presentation, just in case.

There are a few different ways you can go about backing up your presentation. One option is to save it to a cloud storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive. That way, even if your computer crashes, you'll still be able to access your presentation from another device.

Another option is to export your presentation as a PDF. That way, you'll have a copy that you can easily access on any device, and it will be easy to print out if needed.

Whichever method you choose, make sure you do it before your presentation so that you know you have a backup in case something goes wrong.

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Use a professional to create your presentation

If you want to make a great impression with your next presentation, you may consider hiring a professional. Here are a few key reasons why:

1. A professional can help you determine the key messages and value proposition for your specific audience, how best way to write and structure this information and how to deliver it in a way that will engage your audience and achieve the desired outcome.
   
2. A professional will create high quality images, charts, animations and videos to ensure that the visuals in your presentation are successfully working to convey your key messages instead of detracting from the professionalism of the pitch.
   
3. Working with a professional can help reduce your stress levels and give you more confidence heading into your presentation.
   

Hiring a professional to create your presentations can be a worthwhile investment to achieve your business goals.

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