Technical Presentation Tips – Make Your Presentations Come Alive!
Nope. Sorry, the facts don’t speak for themselves.
But good news! You can make presentation facts come alive and show support for your points. After training/coaching over two thousand highly competent technical professionals; I have discovered that many technical presentation mistakes can be avoided with the following 20+ tips and reminders:
- First, be clear on the audience outcome desired from the presentation.
- Provide listeners a roadmap so they know where you are going with the data.
- Research and know the material – but avoid too much information – keep it focused.
- Practice and rehearse talking with, not at your listeners.
- Grab the listener’s attention by asking a question.
- Streamline the information into bite-size, easy to digest pieces.
- Limit details and use real examples or stories.
- Explain technical facts in a non-technical way.
- Communicate the benefits. (What’s in it for them?)
- Define technical terminology.
- Add a “touch of humor” for relief from the stream of data.
- Enlist listener participation and interaction.
- Encourage input, make it conversational.
- Use colorful graphics.
- Use examples to convey difficult concepts.
- Use visuals and real samples/props to help retention.
- Use amazing or shocking statistics.
- Use profound or bold statements if they are true and you can back them.
- Use comparisons and analogies to everyday life.
- Use a story or personal experience to reinforce retention of the material.
- Use repetition to drive home the most important point.
You do not need to remember all 20+ of these presentation tips and suggestions.
Give yourself credit for those you are already doing pretty well and select just a couple
of them to practice and you will see and feel the positive difference.
And… you audience just may thank you in more ways than one!
Joe Tabers, CSP is a Certified Speaking Professional based in Ann Arbor Michigan.
He speaks, writes and coaches on leadership, teamwork and effective workplace communication.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joetabers/