Recently we talked about fine tuning a presentation. It’s all about making a point and organizing well. Now, here’s how you can enhance your presentation with engaging visuals.
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- Think 2017, not 2010. Back in the day, you were expected to tote a very large PowerPoint® deck along with your presentation. Almost every word that you spoke had a corresponding slide. Today, visuals are used only to make certain points. It’s entirely possible that your deck consists of just a handful of slides.
- Don’t open with a video. Short (less than 3 minutes) videos are great for adding variety mid-speech, but only if they are relevant to the topic and will help you push your point to the conclusion. The problem with opening with a video, however, is that it suggests the video is more interesting than you are. Instead, have a great opening that makes people connect with you, their presenter.
- Use visual cues. If you’re using more than one slide, establish a uniform look and feel. Just as your speech should all tie to a common thread, so should your visuals. That means using similar colors and/or a unifying header that pulls the presentation together. Another consideration is your choice of color. Consult color charts on the moods prompted by your color choices. Also, consider that Pantone’s color of the year is “greenery,” a shade of yellow-green. And, think about how the colors will complement you, the speaker. For example, if you’re wearing all red, do you want your slides to be red as well? Better to select complimentary hues.
- Let your graphics complement. If you’re not great at telling jokes, sometimes a smile-producing graphic can do the job for you. Or, if you’re prone to storytelling, a few informative charts and graphs can assist in pulling you back on topic.
The trick is to edit your graphics as meticulously as your speech. Stay crisp, clear, and on-topic, and you’ll be spectacular.