Making a persuasive presentation: Get ready to impact, influence and inspire!

Credit to Author: Murali Murthy| Date: Thu, 04 Jan 2024 04:44:56 +0000

The ability to communicate effectively and make persuasive presentations can have a huge impact on your career. Irrespective of a small closed door meeting or a speech in front of a large crowd, a great persuasive presentation should feel like a conversation. Irrespective of the number of times you’ve done it in the past, making a presentation in front of peers, clients or strangers can be challenging and a little stressful at times. It can take some effort and preparation. Ready to impact, influence and inspire? Here are 10 tips to make effective presentations each time.

1. Own the first 30 seconds

The first 30 seconds of your presentation are very important to connect with the audience. It in these initial moments that you can make a confident entrance, state your big idea and gain the full attention of your listeners. The big idea will form the template for the rest of your presentation and keep the listeners glued, excited and enthusiastic for your talk.

2. Connect with a memorable elevator pitch

Once you get the listener’s attention, follow it up with a persuasive elevator pitch that identifies a problem or need and highlights how you plan to address it. This will be the specific hook of your presentation. A humorous anecdote, a surprising statistic or a personal story can further the audience’s interest.

3. A picture is still worth a thousand words

The power of visual content can never be understated. They can help you highlight your big idea and engage audiences. Visual content like pie charts and tables will help you break down complex subject matter into simple ideas. Replace technical jargon with easy-to-comprehend and memorable visuals in your next presentation.

4. Identify the needs of your listeners

Do a little homework prior to your presentation and identify your primary and secondary audiences. Make yourself aware of everything from who will be attending to what motivates them and what are their immediate needs and goals of attending your presentation. Once you are armed with this data, you can confidently personalize the content to meet their needs. The listener will feel as if you are addressing them one-one-one and it will boost your credibility.

5. Focus on one idea and deliver it compassionately

A good persuasive speech is always focused on one strong thing and that’s it. You may want to share many ideas, but remember, the more you say, the less they will remember. A speaker who tries to talk about multiple things will end up confusing the listeners. So remember to laser focus your speech or presentation one single idea that will guide them through the rest.

6. Create an attention-grabbing story

Nothing engages audiences like a personal story. Capture the attention of your listeners with a compelling true story that reinforces the goal of your speech. Make the story relatable to everyone present in the room. This also helps you build a personal rapport with the audience.

7. Practice hard, practice often

Competence and conviction are closely related to each other, and both are key to delivering a solid, engaging presentation. Practice your speech many times before you are ready to share with your audience. This helps you to develop a natural flow and move from section to section seamlessly.

8. Maintain eye contact. Successful persuasion happens when you are able to maintain positive eye contact, build rapport with your audience and keep them engaged. It also makes them feel involved and conveys your message on a personal level. Instead of just focusing on one individual, you can scan the room and focus on other people for short bursts.

9. Graciously accept feedback.

Once you’ve delivered your presentation, you can turn to the audience and listen intently to audience questions. Acknowledge your emotions and respond graciously without making judgments. Remember, as you stay calm and in control, it will help you to build trust and rapport too.

10. Sign off with a persuasive call-to-action

It’s always a great idea to end your presentation by giving your audience a homework or a takeaway from the information you’ve just given them. Your audiences can be prompted to do take action with something as simple as a question that encourages them to think hard or by  posing a challenge that will transform their behaviour.

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