For many people, making a business presentation is a frightening ordeal. Did you know that 25% of people are afraid of public speaking? Public speaking is one of the highest-ranking fears in the world.
However, you can alleviate your fear with a great presentation. A great deal of this anxiety is related to a person’s preparedness and confidence in their presentation.
Read on to learn how to avoid common mistakes with business presentations. If you can avoid these pitfalls, your presentation is more likely to be successful.
1. Get to the Point
Executives or potential investors are always strapped for time. They do not have all day for a long-winded presentation without a central objective.
A common mistake presenters make is failing to get to the point. The best way to rectify this is to get to the bottom line upfront. On the first slide after the introduction, tell the audience exactly what you plan to accomplish with the brief.
2. Writing an Essay
Another common mistake is when presenters write long paragraphs on their presentations. They call it a brief for good reason.
Business presentations are not designed to be a white paper. Instead, they should be concise with short bullet points. The presenter then talks to the bullet points in their presentation.
3. Color Coordination
Many presenters do not realize that certain colors have connotations associated with them. For example, the color red typically indicates something is wrong or failing.
On the other hand, green and blue are colors that indicate more positive news. Presentation trainings often go over how fonts and formatting tell a subliminal story.
4. Visuals
Presenters often fail to include visuals that support their primary objective. This is a common mistake that leads the audience to tune out.
People retain visual information better than written text. Using graphs, charts, and other visual data representations are going to make your presentation more effective.
Often, a demonstrative chart is the number one takeaway from the audience during a brief. At the same time, you do not want to overdo it and use an excessive number of images for presentations. Try to strike a balance by using only the charts that tell a powerful story.
5. Company Jargon
Not everyone knows your company’s jargon or what every acronym stands for. Some presenters make the mistake of using company jargon in their presentations.
You should go into the presentation assuming that everyone in the audience is new. When preparing for presentations, spell out all the acronyms in the brief. Avoid using buzzwords or jargon that the audience does not recognize.
5 Common Mistakes with Business Presentations
A great presentation has the potential to catapult your career. It could help your company land a new investor or showcase your talents to the management team.
Avoiding common mistakes is going to establish a strong foundation for your presentation. Using concise bullet points and spelling out acronyms go a long way to ensuring success.
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