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Whatever your career path it is important to remind yourself that how you stand and deliver has a lot to do with how well your ideas are accepted. And, it has a lot to do with how you are perceived in the pecking order within your organization or community. You must overcome each of the following pitfalls to become a skillful, welcomed presenter. We will explore each of these pitfalls in upcoming issues.
1. Your backgrounds can set the wrong tone even before you begin. The color of your background alone is a mental stimulus. Some common colors raise pulse and heart rate while others have a relaxing effect. Choose your color and background images carefully.
2. Letting your audience's mind wander. Use signposting to show, and tell, your audience where you are taking them and how you are progressing along the way.
3. Thinking the words you use is the biggest part of your message. For most presentations how you look and sound to the audience makes up about 93% of what they think of you.How you move in relationship to you audience, your visuals and your message have a lot to do with how you are perceived as a presenter and leader.
4. You are less believable when you are unsure of where to stand and how to move relative to your audience or visuals. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time is costly. Avoid blocking the view of your audience and upstaging yourself. Stagecraft has a lot to do with successful presentations.
5. Your audience cannot be moved by what it cannot see or read. Smart, consistent use of fonts, point size, x-height, drop shadows, and bulleted text can make a your presentation.
6. Failing to "win over" your audience early and often. Strategies for your opening, using eye contact, learning to smile, gathering nods energy, and using effective gestures make winning over your audience a simple matter of thoughtfulness and follow through.
7. Poorly chosen animation effects will embarrass you every time. The purpose of animation is to draw the eye and imagination to your content. No one reads words as they move. Basic builds, dissolves and timing can add enough drama while maintaining audience attention.
8. If you are less than prepared your audience will know. Rehearsal is everything. Rehearse your attention getting opening, you call to action close and spend a lot of time honing transitions from concept to concept.
8 1/2. Be ready to get caught up short. Time your presentation carefully and be prepared with a faster version of your wrap-up. If the boss or the MC steps up to cut you off and you get that puzzled, deer in the headlight look on your face. You lose.
