10 mistakes that will ruin any presentation

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

To prevent your presentation from becoming a torment for you or your audience, make sure you don't make these mistakes.

Mistake 1. Using slides unnecessarily

American human rights activist Brian Stevenson received $ 1 million after an 18-minute TED talk. The money went to a charitable organization. In doing so, Brian relied only on the power of the story and did not use a single slide.

Use presentation slides only when necessary:

1. If you need to explain something. Slide by slide guide the listener from simple to complex.
2. When an increase in the effect is required. For example, a photo of a turtle with a plastic bag in its jaw will enhance the report on endangered species.
3. If you need to send your presentation by mail. Commercial offers, investment presentations made in accordance with all the rules of presentation art will become a good means of communication.

Mistake 2. Incorrect definition of the target audience

Not knowing the target audience of your presentation is like offering hair removal to a brutal biker. At best, he will laugh, at worst - he can send to hell. Before opening PowerPoint, write the answers to the following questions on a piece of paper:

1. Who is my target audience? What do these people love, what do they dream about, what are they annoyed with, what inspires them, what are they proud of, what do they want to know and what do they strive for?
2. What do I want to get from them?
3. What should they take away from the presentation? What is the main idea they will share with their family at dinner tonight?

Error 3. The problem in the presentation is not identified

There is a story about two sellers on the Internet. One vendor was sent to Africa and said, "Sell your shoes." A week later he writes: “Take me out of here! Here everyone walks barefoot, no one needs our shoes. " We sent a second, more experienced salesperson. A week later, he wrote: "Send me another batch of shoes - everyone here walks barefoot!"

The first seller did not find the problem, while for the second it was obvious. Be sure to consider what problem your presentation will solve. Break it down into facts and think of how you can strengthen them.

Mistake 4. Lack of focus

On the target audience sheet, write the purpose of your presentation. Collect 20 thousand rubles to protect pigeons from harmful old women or get $ 5 million to launch a rocket to Mars. The goal must be clearly stated.

A presentation can only have one purpose.

A simple rule works with slides: "One slide - one thought." Feel like a new thought is starting - go to the next slide.

Mistake 5. Lack of structure

I often come across presentations that don't have a clear structure. First, they describe the characteristics of the product, then talk about the benefits, and at the end add the problems that it solves. Although it is much more important to bring problems to the fore, and only then propose ways to solve them.

Dan Roham's Speak and Show shows four kinds of presentations: Quote, Drama, Explanation, and Report. For each type, Dan offers a clear structure. All that remains for us is to select facts and string them onto this structure.

Commercial offer

Obstacle → solution → new level.

Drama

These are the majority of TED-style presentations: emotional pit → insight → next level.

Explanation

Step → Step → Step → New Level.

Report

Fact → fact → fact → new level.

Mistake 6. Presentation without history

You won't surprise anyone with beautiful slide designs. But an interesting story will help to catch the attention of listeners.

Signs of a good story:

• the presence of a hero;
• tests;
• wrestling;
• return to ordinary life, but with new knowledge;
• conflict.

Jill Boult Taylor's My Stroke of Insight has garnered over 5 million views on YouTube. Jill is a brain function researcher, author, and speaker.

On December 10, 1996, a vessel burst in the left hemisphere of Jill (the hero of the story), a cerebral hemorrhage occurred (test). For four hours, the neurophysiologist watched her brain gradually stop working. She could not speak, read, write. Miraculously, Jill managed to dial a work phone number and call for help. The brain surgery was successful, but recovery took eight long years (struggle).

In her talk, Jill talks about the feeling of nirvana that she experienced when the right hemisphere took the leading position. She talks about a conscious choice that each of us can make: to switch between the right and left hemispheres. Jill hopes that her story will be useful not only for those people who have suffered a stroke (return to normal life, but with new knowledge).

Think about which story illustrates your idea, find your hero. Let him guide you through the presentation and get your message across.

Mistake 7. Lack of knowledge of the basic principles of information design

How can you ruin a presentation with a clear structure and a perfect story? Sloppy slides. You don't have to be a designer to create dynamic slides. But it doesn't hurt to know the basic principles:

1. Maintain a consistent style. One, maximum two fonts. Use colors that blend together. You can check it on the Adobe website.
2. Align. Use special lines - guides that are visible only in edit mode. Think of a newspaper article: straight columns and bright headlines. Stick to this style in your presentations.
3. Bring the main idea of the slide into the title.
4. Let the slide breathe. Do not be intimidated by empty space and do not try to fill it right away.
5. Pictures are better than words. If you can use a photograph to illustrate an idea, be sure to do so.
6. Icons and pictograms will show ideas better than faceless white men. Can be found here.
7. Use diagrams to illustrate processes, explain complex ideas. This service will help.

There is an excellent book “Design. A book for non-designers”by Robin Williams. You won't become a designer after reading, but your presentation will look more professional and coherent.

Mistake 8. Poor preparation

How often did you have to prepare slides before the presentation? What kind of rehearsal in this case can we talk about?

Well-known speakers spend a lot of time preparing a speech. For example, coach, actor, speaker and author Michael Port spent five months, or almost 400 hours, preparing a 50-minute speech. And before each performance, he does not get tired of rehearsing and coming up with new variations of the show.

Preparation tips

1. Gather family, friends, give a presentation in front of them. In addition to the pleasure of communicating with loved ones, you will receive valuable comments on the presentation.
2. Never rehearse your presentation in front of a mirror. You will be distracted by pimples and your facial expression. Go to the park, to the shore of the reservoir, pronounce the text of your speech loudly.
3. And the easiest, but not the easiest: start preparing for your presentation in advance.

Mistake 9. Refusing a presentation out of fear

It's okay to get excited before a show. There are dozens of exercises for dealing with fear and anxiety: breathing techniques, exercise, body contact, detailed elaboration of fears, and much more.

The most important thing is to keep trying and keep moving forward.

And if there are rituals that help you personally (a nickle under the heel, a "lucky" tie), feel free to use them. Most importantly, remember that good preparation is 99% of the success of your presentation (see error 8).

Mistake 10. Stopping development

Surprisingly, so many people consider themselves to be great speakers. Day after day, they broadcast the same thoughts with the same voice, accompanying it with the same gestures.

Meanwhile, life does not stand still, the art of presentations is developing and reaching a new level. Programs help create designer slides, the art of storytelling completely changes the perception of listeners.

It is important not to stop developing and keep looking for new sources of inspiration. These books can help you:

• Alexey Kapterev, "Mastery of Presentation".
• Nancy Duarte, Slide: ology.
• Garr Reynolds, Zen Presentation.
• Dan Roham, "Speak and Show."
• Maxim Ilyakhov and Lyudmila Sarycheva, “Write, cut down”.
• Radislav Gandapas, "Kamasutra for an orator".

This is a necessary minimum for those who want to develop their skill in creating a presentation.

Now look at your presentation with a critical eye. What errors do you see? What can be fixed to bring it to the next level?