7 Tips to Make Your Presentation Less Boring and More Engaging
Let’s be honest. Our attention span has been decreasing and will continue to decrease over time because we live in an information rich world. What this means is our presentations need to stand out and be engaging.
So.. Are you tired of delivering presentations that put your audience to sleep? Do you want to make your presentations more engaging and memorable? If yes, then you are in the right place. In this article, we will share 7 tips to make your presentation less boring and more engaging.
So what are the 7 Tips to make your presentation less boring and more engaging?
1. Start with a Bang
The first few seconds of your presentation are crucial, so make sure you grab your audience’s attention from the start. Start with a thought-provoking question, a startling statistic, or a compelling story that relates to your topic. Click here to find out more techniques to start with a bang.
2. Keep it Simple
Simplicity in your slides, script, points, etc is something to take seriously. One of the biggest mistakes presenters make is trying to cram too much information into their slides. Keep your slides clean, uncluttered, and easy to read. Use bullet points, images, and videos to illustrate your key points.
3. Use Visual Aids
Visual aids such as charts, graphs, and diagrams can help break up the monotony of your presentation and make your content more digestible. Use high-quality images and make sure they are relevant to your topic.
Here’s a big no no when it comes to using visual aids. Avoid cramping too many things into your visual aids, or use low quality images, videos, etc. We live in the 21st century after all! That means people’s attention span and engagement will start to break away when there’s clutter, or when your visual aid looks bad.
One last thing? Keep in mind that this segment is called visual AIDS. That means it’s supposed to aid you in your presentation and not become the presentation itself, so don’t dump your script onto the slides.
4. Tell Stories
Aristotle outlined one pillar of persuasion as Pathos, or emotional connection. This pillar simply means that people can connect with you easier through the power of stories.
People are naturally drawn to stories, so try to incorporate storytelling into your presentation. Share personal anecdotes or use case studies to illustrate your points. This will help your audience relate to your content on a more personal level.
5. Use Humor
Humor is a great way to keep your audience engaged and interested. Use relevant jokes or clever one-liners to break up the serious tone of your presentation. The best kind of humor is the ones that are personal, and relatable. Avoid telling jokes for the sake of telling it.
Be careful not to overdo it and always keep your humor appropriate for your audience.
6. Engage Your Audience
One mistake that most amateur presenters tend to make is to speak at your audience. This means, making your presentation a one-way street with no participation from the audience nor engagement. Don’t just talk at your audience, engage them in the conversation. Ask questions, encourage participation, and solicit feedback. This will help keep your audience engaged and interested in what you have to say.
7. Practice, Practice, Practice!
Finally, practice is key when it comes to delivering a compelling presentation. Practice in front of friends or colleagues, and be open to feedback. This will help you identify areas where you can improve and refine your delivery.
Please do not practice in front of a mirror though! Why? Because looking at yourself while you speak is a great distraction to your performance. Try it and I believe you’ll agree with me. Instead, practice in front of a camera and watch the replay. This will help you identify what you need to do to improve, and it also serves as an internalization tool. Which means you can just play your presentation while you’re doing something else so you can subconsciously absorb and internalize your speech.
In conclusion, making a presentation less boring is all about engaging your audience and keeping them interested. By implementing these tips, you can deliver a compelling presentation that will keep your audience on the edge of their seats. So go forth and present with confidence!
If you’re looking for a way to boost your speaking skills further, you may want to check this out.
