The Most Pervasive Problems in Business Presentation.

‘Problems in Business Presentation‘

Anyone who sits through a boring business presentation knows how nerve-racking it can be. Let’s face it- we all have been there, trying hard not to doze off in the middle of a presentation, secretly wishing it never happened.

Now let’s change the angle and imagine yourself on the other side of the spectrum. You spent weeks preparing for that presentation, but you ended up fighting off nerves. You found yourself stumbling through each slide, struggling to find the right word, and your audience drifting out.

What’s even worse is when the back-seaters are continuously checking their phones out of boredom. That’s when you know you have messed up as a speaker.

If that has ever been the case, and your image has taken a hit, then it’s time to do something about it. Let’s explore how to get the ball rolling by digging into some of the most common mistakes presenters make so you can make an impressive presentation.

Business presentation or a sleeping pill?

Nodding off during a presentation can be pretty embarrassing for both listeners and speakers. You know your presentation skills are wrong when you see a bunch of sleepers in the audience-UGH.

Sure, keeping them engaged can be a challenging mission, but ever wondered what could go wrong in a business presentation? Let’s discover.

Bombarding your audience with too much information

So here is what happened. Maybe you were stuffing your slides with too much content, and your audience had to experience a knowledge overload.

Now take this as a golden rule- Its okay to leave some blank spaces on your slides and not overwhelm your audience with too many words.

Using a poor body language

Focus on your body language if you want to keep your audience glued to you until the end. Your facial expressions and hand gestures can make or break the entire presentation. With the wrong gestures, you tell your audience to go to sleep right away.

Your topic bores you to tears.

If you think your presentation topic is boring -which we believe is not, then your audience will find it boring too. Your audience Is clever- Your lack of energy and interest in the topic will be exposed right away as soon as you start talking.

If your topic is boring, you don’t have to be the boring person yourself!!

You do not make eye contact.

Can you recall a time when you went to a business presentation and the speaker spent all his time looking at the screen or notes? You felt turned off didn’t you?

Did you know that an intense eye contact can change the way your audience think of you? Yes, you read that right. Not only does it help you to focus on what you want to convey, but it’s also an excellent way to get your audience to pay attention to you. So if your audience is too small, try to make an eye contact at least once.

Overuse of transitions

So you thought adding a bunch of fancy animations and transitions that twirl or bounce here and there would keep your audience’s attention intact? Sorry to burst that bubble but that’s not the case. It may sound harsh but adding to many movements in a presentation could actually give your audience a headache.

We understand that its fun to play with all the bells and whistles but most of the times, what you think is fun may actually turn into a distraction.

So how to bomb a business presentation?

Okay now picture this. A darkened room filled with a bunch of cult-like people staring right at you. A huge screen at your back with pictures no one knows about. And then it’s you, hardly breathing.

You fix your shirt trying to take deep breaths to calm yourself. You step forward, and there you are… its show-time.

May be it sounded like a nightmare but let’s admit it…You are not here to give a TED talk are you? Neither you are on the battlefield. So why act like it? All you need to learn is a few simple hacks before you nail what you have been dreading the most.

Beginning with a Bang

Deliver a stellar opening line you are comfortable with. Remember, achieving a grand opening can be challenging, but it is the first few seconds of your presentation that decides whether you will hook the audience or not.

Adding some humor to your presentation skills will keep your audience awake. Making them laugh is an excellent way to make a bond with them. Give it a try.

Involve your audience

When you have the chance to lead the audience, simply assuming that sharing truckloads of information would be enough maybe a bad idea.

You are not here to herd cats or sheep, are you? So what should you do? Simple- Involve them rather than speak at them!

No, don’t get them singing but don’t just ramble on with them either. Tell a story or add some irrelevant material to hold their attention. These small tactics can go a long way in delivering a killer business presentation.

Rehearse till it hurts

Practice till you don’t get those jitters out of extreme nervousness and anxiety. But do not over-rehearse as chances are you may become too formal or stiff. Avoid looking at any note cards. People usually do not enjoy a white-knuckled speaker.

When you are giving a business plan presentation, walkthrough the area with enthusiasm and passion as this can make you more relaxed, and also captivate your listeners.

Use top-notch graphics

So here goes the hard truth- human brains prefer images over text. Yes, that is how it works. Getting your audience’s attention is hard these days. The minute they are bored, they will go somewhere else.

So what is the best way to guarantee that your listeners make it to the last slide? More pictures and less information on the slides. Get it?

Talking at the speed of 100mph

You may have a great idea in mind but you are speaking to fast, your audience may miss out the main message. Speaking too fast means your audience will have to do a lot of hard work trying to keep up with you. So, slow down. Don’t act like you have a train to catch.

Our Two Cents.

No doubt, it will take efforts and practice to deliver a great business presentation. But, if you understand how to avoid these pitfalls, delivering a winning presentation will be a piece of cake for you.

Finally, never assume that your audience only wants to be informed. They want to be entertained, so what if it’s the Christmas presentation ideas.

No matter what, never give your audience a chance to rest during your presentation. The stage is yours, make the best of it. Good-luck!