One of the most insightful books I’ve read on presentations was Nancy Duarte’s Resonate, where she recommended we always look to create S.T.A.R moments in presentations - ie Something, They’ll Always Remember. It’s a great piece of advice. Throughout our business careers we sit through and deliver many presentations, but how many are truly memorable? Here are a few suggestions on how to ensure your presentation stands the test of time.
1 The repeatable sound bite
‘Yes we can’, ‘I have a dream’. ‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’.
It is important to ensure your message lands. Choose a key phrase. Make it a theme throughout your presentation and keep coming back to it. It will help keep your presentation clear and focused too.
Choose phrases that are short, powerful and easy to remember. It’s really important to use them at the beginning and at end of the presentation in particular to aid memorability.
2 Compelling slides
Make the slides look really beautiful. Focus on evocative visuals vs words. People find it really hard to recall lines of text, but powerful visuals will always stay with them. Remember the Five Golden Rules I highlighted previously. Choosing personal visuals, that you’ve taken yourself is particularly powerful, but there are lots of free resources available for you to choose powerful, high-quality images that are copyright free, Unsplash is my favourite.
3 Props and demos
Use physical objects to create intrigue, evoke humour, and most importantly to hammer home your point. Hans Rosling uses a washing machine to support his anecdote here. Bill Gates famously released a jar of (not infected) mosquitoes into an audience during his talk on the impact of malaria. Steve Jobs revealed the MacBook Air using a manila envelope during his launch presentation. Ask yourself, what else can I bring to supplement and add value to my presentation, beyond simply speaking from a screen?
4 Memorable statistics
Don’t overload people with data. They simply won’t recall them. Provide people with a few key statistics that will stop them in their tracks. Ask yourself, what will cause the audience to really listen? They could be shocking, awe-inspiring, intriguing, or amusing. Obviously, they need to be relevant to your presentation, but make sure you’re selective. Make sure you also explain the impact or implications of the data you’re showing. Make it easy for your audience to understand.
5 Audience engagement
Don’t force people to sit still for too long. Engage them as part of your presentation. For example, do a warm-up exercise, run a short team exercise, take part in a quiz, fill out a questionnaire. It breaks up the listening time, creates energy, and helps to reinforce the points you are making. Make them laugh, make them cry. Activate their emotions.
So to summarise
When you’re planning your next presentation, think about what you can do to make sure it lives long in the memory. There are lots of ways you can do this. These memorable moments won’t happen by chance. Make sure you practice. Even if they’re meant to appear spontaneous, rehearse them carefully. We listen to many presentations during our business careers. Ensure yours stands out.