Stop the audience ping pong to ensure presentation success.
This week I want to focus on an issue I have observed a lot over the last few months.
Imagine you are delivering a presentation, using PowerPoint slides.
Here is the potential issue.
When the audience look at the slides, are you also in their line of sight?
And closely related to that question.
When the audience look at you, are the slides also in their line of sight?
There are many things you need to focus on during the moments that lead up to a presentation.
But do not ignore this one.
I saw a speaker a few weeks back who sat at one end of the table (next to their laptop) while the projector screen was at the other end.
It was tough going for the speaker and the audience.
The audience were not sure where to look during the presentation.
Look at the speaker? They miss important detail on the slides.
Look at the slides? They lose the connection with the speaker.
In this example, around 50% of the audience looked at the slides and the other 50% simply zoned out entirely.
How can we avoid this?
My advice is get to the room early and ensure you position yourself carefully.
Ensure they can easily see you and the slides.
It might take some work – as you navigate the power source, connection to the screen and other elements – but it is well worth it.
Simply getting there early will solve this potential issue in most cases.
What do you do if, despite your best intention, you find yourself in the wrong position?
A few things.
But this will be the topic for next week’s article.
For this week remember…
There are no winners when it comes to audience ping pong.
For more helpful presentation tips, why not check out the following article…
