ILTA White Papers

ILTA White Paper Firm University 32 in such a way that the audience members need your narrative to make sense of what they are seeing. Here are a few tips: • Don't pile up text on your slides. You want your audience to be listening, not reading. • Break away from bullets and present one idea (maybe even just one word) per slide. Try flashing the word LAYOFFS in big black letters against a stark white background. Trust us, you will have the audience's full attention. • Don't overuse logos, especially if you are a member of the group to which you are presenting. You audience already knows who you are and where you're speaking. • Avoid standard templates whenever possible. We all have cycled through the same 250 templates that come with PowerPoint and settled on the same four that are not cringe-worthy. • Use original visuals instead of tired clip art. Whenever possible, use professional photographs instead of line art to give your presentation additional polish. Just don't steal them! the WInnIng CombInatIon Better slides will dramatically increase your chances for success, but great slides do not a great presentation make. Truly great presentations require that the presenter discover and utilize his own voice and style. Are you shy? Funny? Charming? Precise? Measured? With a little practice, each of these styles can work effectively. Whatever you do, don't try to give someone else's talk or, worse yet, give your talk in someone else's voice. Whatever type of speaker you are, several things can help improve your presentations. One of the most important is just being aware of your strengths and weakness so you can take advantage of them. That doesn't mean that you should get up in front of an audience and put on an act or try on a personality that isn't yours. A presenter who is seen as phony or insincere is sure to ruin any talk. What you want to do is present your best, authentic self. If you are struggling presenting a topic, it might be that you are not the right person to present the topic. Ask any room full of people how they feel about public speaking, and you're likely to find attitudes ranging from those who would prefer a root canal to those who enjoy the spotlight so much that they're practically elbowing each other out of the way to get to the podium (this latter group usually includes your trainers). Believe it or not, each kind of presenter has his advantages and obstacles to overcome. Reluctant speakers need to overcome their fear, but they tend to compensate by making sure they're prepared when it comes time to speak. Enthusiastic speakers usually don't have to deal with nerves but have to avoid their tendency to think that they can just "wing it" every time. Being persuasive, providing context and being yourself puts you firmly in control of your presentation. You might be surprised at how much easier it is to prepare for your next public speaking commitment when you follow this simple recipe. Better preparation will lead to a better presentation. And delivering better presentations will make you a more effective and persuasive speaker. Your audiences will be happier and will feel as if their time has been well spent. Everyone wins. ILta

• Cover