All too often, the result is an impenetrable presentation. This is especially true at business talks. Unless the presenter has thought carefully about which words will convey their message clearly, there is a danger that listeners won’t be very much wiser at the end of the presentation.

It’s very easy to get carried away with enthusiasm for your topic. When you are presenting about your own business or about something you care about passionately, that enthusiasm and passion is really engaging for your audience. But if they haven’t a clue what you’re talking about, they still won’t get your message.

Jargon is the problem. In certain circumstances, jargon can be a useful short-hand. As long as everyone listening has a shared understanding of what you mean by certain words, phrases and abbreviations, it’s fine to use jargon as a quick way of explaining a point. However, unless you are with a small group of colleagues, it’s unlikely you can assume this level of understanding.

Sometimes, the problem is that the presenter feels the need to use complex language that sounds more important than the words we use in everyday conversation. But everyday words are fine. In fact, everyday words work best. Everyday words allow you to get your message across clearly, without ambiguity.

Here are a few commonly used jargon terms and their everyday equivalents. If you find yourself using one of these, try replacing it with the everyday phrase. It will work, I promise. Look out for more examples in later posts.

At this moment in time - Now

We need to think outside the box - We need some new ideas

We’re on a steep learning curve - We have a lot to learn

Go the extra mile - Do more, try harder

It’s not rocket science - It’s easy/it’s not difficult

A ball park figure - A rough or approximate figure

Skill set - Skills

Move the goal posts - Change the rules

Level playing field - Equal or fair

24/7 - All the time

This may seem a strange question to ask in a blog about perfecting your presentation style, content and delivery but it is the first thing you should think about when you begin to prepare for a presentation. There are two reasons:
1. Every presentation you give should serve a real purpose – even if that is simply to entertain.
2. By only delivering presentations that are meaningful, you will enhance your reputation as a good presenter.

Business presentations can be dull at best and crushingly boring at worst…usually because they serve little or no purpose. The presenter does not connect with the audience because the information in the presentation is of little interest or value to audience members.

One of the most common mistakes people make is to think that presentations are always necessary. Sometimes they are the best way to give information to a group of people, but there are plenty of other options; group e-mails, bulletin boards (virtual and real), conference calls, newsletters (e-mail or hard copy) or even an old-fashioned letter.

You should consider carefully whether any of these would be more appropriate for your message—and for your audience—before you decide to create a presentation. Think about whether:
• Everyone needs to have the information at the same time.
• Your audience needs to be able to ask you questions.
• Members of your audience need to be able to discuss with each other the material in your presentation.

If the answer to these questions is no, or not necessarily, think carefully before you embark on a presentation. It probably isn’t the best approach in the circumstances.

Once you have decided that a presentation is the most appropriate way to communicate with your audience, think about its purpose before you launch into creating slides. Why are you thinking of giving a presentation? What do you want to achieve? What is the point? Ask yourself these three questions:
• Who is the presentation for?
• What do I want the audience to do, know or understand differently as a result?
• What is my audience interested in knowing/hearing?

These three questions are deceptively simple. They are vitally important but so often overlooked, and not just by people who are inexperienced. You would be surprised by the number of very experienced presenters who forget to think about their presentations from their audience’s point of view.

This is the single biggest reason why so many presentations are condemned as boring. They simply don’t provide listeners with what they need or are interested in.

The challenge of presenting is to give your audience what it wants in such a way that people take the action you want to to achieve from your presentation. No mean feat.

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A study in which volunteers could ‘buy’ advice from other volunteers to help them answer a question, found that advice was more likely to be sought from the people who appeared to be most confident that they knew the correct answer, reports the science magazine New Scientist this week.

Study author Don Moore from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh found that the volunteers’ preference for seeking advice from a confident source even extended to ‘advisors’ with a less than perfect history of accuracy.

Whatever your reason for presenting, you want to do it as well as you possibly can. Here you will find resources, hints, tips and advice to make sure that every presentation you give is as effective as it can be. Please take a look around and comment on what you find. Join the discussion about your own presenting triumphs and challenges. No matter how experienced a presenter we become, there is always something new to learn as we strive for truly perfect presenting.

All the best

Hilary