Just like you wouldn’t send the same resume and cover letter to each company you’re applying to, you shouldn’t use the same presentation with every new audience you approach. The attendees are unique in their needs and desired outcomes, and your presentation should reflect that. But how much work do you really need to put in for every slide deck? We show you where to focus your efforts when your name is called to present.
Know your audience
Ask yourself: Why am I in this room? Think back on your initial conversation with the person coordinating your presentation. Beyond just the date and time you need to be ready, you should ask the coordinator who the audience will be, what they need from you, and what their main concerns are. Your goal should be to put yourself in service of the audience instead of the other way around.
Be the expert
No matter how intimidating the audience may be in terms of size or attendees, remind yourself why you are the right person to be presenting this material. If you’re meeting with an investment firm that is focused on mass market appeal, show them the work you’ve done that was successful to that audience. Impress them with your most creative concepts if they are considering a new agency. The goal of every meeting will be different and so should your presentation.
Scale it back
Rather than trying to cram every detail into your decks, each visual should be minimal while you explain the points. This makes you the expert in the room and avoids the audience reading over your shoulder. Likewise, you don’t need 500 slides in hopes of proactively answering every possible question that could arise. By keeping it simple, you’ll be able to better communicate your main message and address their bottom line. Otherwise, you run the risk of boring everyone, including yourself.
Keep it current
While there are no cut-and-dry rules about which slides to change out, chances are after meeting with a few different audiences you’ll have a good collection of slides to pull from. . Status updates, budget implications, and any relevant case studies should all be selected with the audience in mind. Be sure every slide is branded with your logo and style, as well, for a consistent look and feel.
Implement a structure
Any good presentation follows a basic format: impactful opening, overview of the presentation, problem, and solution you can provide. Lastly, you want to explain why you’re the team to do it or why your product is the one that solves their challenge, examples of similar work you’ve done in the past, and the next steps. Once you’ve nailed down the outline, you should be able to mix and match slides for future presentations so you don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time.
Enlist an expert
Any presentation can be made better by connecting with a fresh set of eyes to review the content. Presentation consultants, such as DECK, will help keep your message authentic so it resonates with your audience while keeping the goal in mind. What’s more, you’ll learn tricks of the trade to be able to tailor your presentations going forward. After all, you don’t want to find yourself as the cause of yet another meeting that could have been an email.