A presentation becomes a good presentation when it conveys its message effectively, and urge people to take action. There are several articles I have written on how to make captivating presentations using the latest online presentation tools and technologies, but I believe that to make an effective presentation, it is important to have the necessary skill set.
As an example, the ability to write meaningful sentences makes you literate, but the ability to write engaging and thoughtful sentences makes you a writer. Here, in this article, I am going to discuss the skills required to make presentations, similar to writing as a literate, rather than writing as a writer.
There are three skills I believe every person should have who want to make an effective presentation. Those are:
Preparation Skill:
Some people, while preparing a presentation, come up with notes and some work with mind maps. Let’s start at the beginning, which is “no mind maps, only notes.” Prepare a list of everything you require right from your objective to the conclusion and the presentation tools to showcase creative ideas.
Preparation is a skill, but it also involves the category of strategy. Determining a strategy is definitely a skill where the careful evaluation of every facet is required. A miss in the beginning could lead to a bad ending.
At this stage, collect all the facts and figures you are going to use in your presentation, the tools you are going to use, and decide on colors that are going to best portray your message.
Organizational Skill:
A well-structured presentation is not a “special talent” like being a writer, but a mandatory skill to prove yourself literate. The good thing is a skill can be acquired, with passion and patience. Showcasing information in a presentation is like playing cards. You must know which card to show first.
For this, you should first make a note of all the ideas from the beginning (introduction) to end (conclusion). This journey of introduction to conclusion follows a path (the body or main content); remember to make this path factful, interesting, and engaging.
Writing Skill:
Now, you know that you are already literate, with the ability to create meaningful sentences; you just have to improve upon this skill, not in a creative way, but in a logical way. The three great pillars of logic are What, Why, and How.
If you type “Interesting” in a Google search bar, the next suggestion it would give you is “Interesting Facts.” People search for interesting facts, no wonder because facts are interesting. Rather than using cheesy lines in a creative way, use facts instead.
Once you acquire these skills, your presentation is bound to make an impact on your audience. Achieving creative excellence is secondary in your present scenario, merely a way of showing technical prowess. There are numerous online presentation tools available in the market that help the users to create captivating presentations with unique slides or templates and color-combination tools. But the basic skill set to convey the message effectively is vital.
