How to start a business presentation
A good way to start your business presentation is to present yourself to your audience the right way - you can throw in a simple story telling more about yourself and showing why you are passionate about the topic you are presenting.
People generally love listening and interacting with stories - a captivating story promises to make them more collaborative. Therefore, your presentation will be much more effective if you plan on taking your audience on a journey.
Another good way to start your corporate presentation is to incorporate attention grabbers into your speech; communicate your initial idea showing an inspirational visual, use a prop, or open with a hook. These are different and creative ways to engage your audience straight away as they will not necessarily be expecting that.
What should be included in a corporate presentation?
Depending on the audience you will be presenting to, your presentation content will differ. Whether you’re planning an internal or external communication, presenting your thoughts effectively is crucial to the success of your business. We have gathered a few points to cover for each potential scenario:
Internal Audience
Internal presentations are meant to inspire and motivate your team. Make sure you go through the following points for successful delivery:
Set your objectives - You should set a clear purpose for your presentation - this will help structure your presentation and will enable your audience to know exactly what is expected from them at the end.
Highlight issues and provide solutions - You need to spend some time considering how you will engage with your audience and make them relate to the topic you’re discussing. A good way to do this is to offer your audience solutions or ideas that could help fix problems affecting them - this guarantees they will be listening to you!
Choose your presentation tool wisely - The main advantage when presenting to an internal audience is that you can opt for a more informal style when the audience size is smaller. Be sure to choose the best presentation tool that will help get your message across to your audience and don’t feel obliged to use PowerPoint if you don’t need to! Also, check out our 16 out of the box meeting ideas for more inspiration.
Practice delivery - Knowing your presentation inside out ensures a successful delivery. Moreover, by practising, again and again, you will be able to present in a more enthusiastic and honest way. Being well-practised means you won’t have to worry about forgetting important points - helping to inspire your audience and gain trust.
External Audience
External presentations can sometimes have a different purpose - they usually aim to instruct, inspire, educate or persuade audiences. Although the same points mentioned previously might apply here as well, you may want to consider the following:
About Us - This section serves as an introduction and gives you a good opportunity to share the background story of your company if you believe you have an interesting one to share. This whole part should be limited to a few points only in your slideshow or presentation.
What we do - Depending on what the purpose of the presentation is, you can mention your core capabilities, skills and uniqueness, or again unique projects you have had the chance to work on. By highlighting your team’s relevant experience this can help your audience visualise the type of involvement and accomplishments you have had.
Testimonials - Including some testimonials from current or past clients might help to show your audience the way you work and solve clients’ problems, but also, they will serve as great examples supporting points covered during your presentation.
Effective corporate presentation techniques
Good presentation skills are a must, especially in a business environment. We’ve compiled the main points that will help you deliver a strong and impactful presentation:
Keep the presentation simple
It is recommended that you keep your presentation between 3 and 5 main points. A shorter presentation is usually easier to follow and can be much more effective.
Don’t put everything on the slides!
The slide deck shouldn’t be used as a substitute for your notes. Also, do not read out loud words you do put on your slides - this will sound repetitive to your audience and will shift the focus to your slideshow rather than what you’re explaining.
Make eye contact with your audience
This is very important to establish a connection with people you’re presenting to. It can also help with your concentration and communicate confidence to your audience.
Do not exceed the allocated time
Plan your use of time ahead and practice as much as you can to make sure you go over all your main points and still have enough time at the end for questions.
Avoid technical words
There might be a good number of people in the audience who are not as familiar with the topic you’re presenting. Therefore, choose simple and straightforward words to convey your message easily to others.
Be prepared for all types of questions
You can plan on including the most critical questions within the presentation and have some strategic ones prepared in case no one asks questions. These should aim to get your message across and achieve a goal.
Summary
When all is said and done, a corporate presentation is a chance to communicate. The clearer your communication is, the happier your audience will be and the more chance you’ll have to achieve your main goal.
If you need help planning and hosting a corporate event in stunning surroundings, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help!
