1. Tell Them What You're Going to Tell Them
c) It may sound obvious, but before you do anything else you should
introduce yourself. Next you should get the attention of your audience.
You could ask them a question, tell them an interesting or surprising fact
or statistic, show a visual or use a quote. Whatever you decide to do to
get their attention, it should be effective and stimulate their interest.
When you have their attention, tell them what you are going to talk about
and what they can expect from your talk. If more than one person is
speaking, say who is going to cover each section.
2. Tell Them What You Want Them to Know
a) Make sure your presentation is organised and use key words, for
example: "I will discuss three of the financial statements that are most
important to investors. The first is the cash flow statement... Second is
the balance sheet ... And finally we'll discuss the income statement". The
more organized you are, the more professional you will appear to your
audience. When you have finished each section of your presentation,
summarize it before you move on to the next section. This gives your
audience a chance to catch up with you if they fell asleep or got lost or
confused, for example: "I have covered the three financial statements and
now I will discuss the four aspects of our marketing plan."
3. Tell Them What You Told Them
b) It’s a good idea to have an effective slide or visual with which
to summarize your presentation. Try to make a big impact when you finish
to make your presentation memorable. 90% of your audience will remember
the opening and the conclusion of your presentation IF they are done
creatively and professionally. Don’t just say, “That’s it.” or “I’ve run
out of time.” |
