This question came from a busy professional.
I’m searching for career experts who can tell me the biggest mistakes people make
when making a presentation at work.
Most everyone has heard of the more common mistakes of not making eye contact with the audience and relying too heavily on note cards. But here are some of the bigger mistakes that you may not be aware you are making.
- Covering too much
- Not properly tying the topics together
- Not having a CTA
- Not closing the deal
- Not having someone else edit
We will go through each in detail, explain why it’s such a big
mistake and then give advice on how a presenter can avoid making the mistake.
Covering too much
The adage “leave them wanting more” is not just for showbiz. One of the biggest mistakes is trying to cover too much material in a limited amount of time.
Typically, you have a very limited time to give your work presentation (30, 60 or 90 minutes). But you don’t want to overpack that time with details are specifics.
People can only retain a limited amount.
Rexi Media conducted a study and discovered that participants remembered an average of 4 slides from a 20-slide.
- For a memorable presentation, cover no more than 4 points in your next presentation.
- Deliver what your audience came to learn.
- Stick to important information only. If they want to know more, they will ask.
- Save time for those questions.
Not tying the topics together
The next business presenters err when it comes to the topics is the items are not tied to a unified message.
When you don’t have a unified message, it will be difficult for people to remember even the 4 points. Why? Because memory often works on a concept called spreading activation.
This means that once an item is active in your mind (say bread), it tends to trigger related concepts (say butter). Thinking of bread is more likely to activate the image of butter than the image of a chainsaw.
As you analyze your four items, does one topic naturally lead to another?
Not having a Call-To-Action
Regardless of the business or type of presentation, there is always a “reason” for it. Presentations are meant to persuade and influence the audience toward some action. You want them to actually do something with the information.
But most people actually forget to ask the audience to “do something”. They forget to include a “Call-To-Action”.
As you review your presentation, what do you want the audience to do next?
Not closing the deal
As we mentioned, the goal of a presentation is to persuade and influence the audience. This is the same as making a sale. Most people fail to design their presentation as a sales presentation.
Your presentation should have the following:
- A great Value Proposition
- VP Formula: [Your solution or company] helps [target audience] with [services] that benefits [problem or issue you are trying to solve]
- Include a powerful story
- Your solution with proof
- Your Call-To-Action
Not having someone else review it
Having someone else review the presentation will eliminate any embarrassing grammar or spelling errors. An extra pair of eyes can verify that the topics flow and tie together. An objective reviewer can verify that your story is powerful enough to persuade people into action. And you will be able to get an idea of the questions your audience may have BEFORE you get in front of them.
You will also want to practice it in front of others to verify that it fits in the allotted time and receives the effect that you want.
I know your situation is different. If you would like additional information on this topic, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info
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