You may be technically proficient in completing your finance duties, but so are many of others who are looking to climb the corporate ladder. Effective presentations and stakeholder communication will set you apart from your peers. Become your go-to person for engaging, informative and enjoyable business presentations that don’t leave the audience nodding off into dreamland and you are sure to see your stocks rise. Here are four tips on deliver more effective business presentations.
Keep it simple
Don't bore your audience with endless reams of information. Make three or four salient points and structure your presentation around them. Chances are that your audience is not going to remember anything more. Also liven up your presentation with graphic slides, rather than filling them out with text, and leave time for discussion.
Cater to a diverse audience
Your audience is likely to be composed of both introverts and extroverts, so try not to alienate one or the other by leaning your presentation in one direction. You can easily lose traction by populating your workshops exclusively with interactive segments, or by delivering an hour-long monologue. Try to find that golden mean and give some thought to the people with whom you are communicating.
Give your presentation some personality
To avoid boring the audience and having them feel as if your presentation would have been better delivered in email form, try injecting some of your personality into proceedings. Use personal anecdotes and people will be more likely to relate with what you have to say and remember your points.
Practise your form
You may feel confident to deliver your presentation off the cuff to make it "more natural", but you run the risk of muddling up your message. The best public speakers in the world spend inordinate amounts of time polishing their speeches, so you should spend some time rehearsing in front of the mirror and other people too. Their feedback could be vital.
