Most of us have gone to a conference or business meeting and thought “just another boring presentation”, but few of us have actually thought about why they are so uninteresting. There could be many different reasons why a person perceives a presentation as dull, a few that come up repeatedly are the listener’s own lack of interest in the topic, the presenter’s lack of enthusiasm for the topic and bad media presentation.
Overcoming a listeners lack of interest in a topic can be the most difficult as the speaker has to work to change a belief of another individual. I believe however it can be done. The reasons the listener has for being uninterested can range from distraction by other things in their lives to feeling they were forced to attend yet do not want to be there. These reasoning’s may have nothing to do with the presenter themselves, but a personal feeling.
The presenter who shows excitement and enthusiasm for the topic being presented can influence the entire crowd. Most listeners can decide if they are going to enjoy a presentation within the first few minutes. When a presenter comes on with energy and interacts with the audience they have a better chance of winning them over. This is a good point to tell a story or ask questions of the audience, this can help to personalize the topic.
The final piece of a presentation is any media or visuals the presenter will be using. These materials should be used as an outline of the topic not a word-by-word transcript. The purpose of media is to serve as a quick visual reference of the material the presenter is speaking about. If the visual is too busy or hard to understand it will detract from the words being spoken. In a presentation where statistics are being presented they should be simple and easy to follow as to not confuse the audience.
The keys to a good presentation are keeping the audience engaged and interested, present material in an energetic and enthusiastic way, and only use media as an outline not a reading tool. Interacting with the audience is also a good idea; this makes the topic more personal. Even if the presenter isn’t comfortable in front of people they should try to not let it show. A good presenter makes a good presentation.
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