1. Keep Notes Short & Sweet

How many times have you been at work and read something three times before it sunk in? With so many distractions, it’s important to get straight to the point and just give the critical details about your business. You may have done this exercise before, but the ‘lift speech’ is a great way to ensure you cut the fluff from your notes. Create a short summary to quickly and simply define what you’re trying to say.

2. Make Your Information Accessible

These days, the office is the car, the coffee shop, the kitchen table – thanks to Tablet computers and Smartphones, it can be anywhere. You therefore need to make sure that your information can be accessed anywhere. Gone are the floppy disk days, get your presentation slides on a CD, a USB flashdrive – even add it to a website so it is truly portable – just make sure you have that web address printed on a business card or postcard so it doesn’t get lost.

3. Get To The Point

KISS – keep it simple stupid. It’s one of the most basic lessons you were taught at university, but is so often forgotten (maybe you had a killer hangover that day?). Think about it, how many times have you sat at your desk, twiddling your thumbs with nothing to do and thought “I wish I had mounds of information about a company to wade through.” Never. We all have a lot to cram into those 40+ hours a week, so if you want to stand any chance of being heard – just include the key information. Use bullet points, short notes, whatever it takes to get your point across in a pint-sized, easily digestible way.

4. Add the Wow Factor

You’re not the first person to create a presentation pack and you won’t be the last, so how do you make your guests gasp with glee when they see your work? Personalisation, style and creativity are the difference between you maintaining pride of place on a desk, and falling to the back of a dusty filing cabinet. The best way to achieve this is to invest in some great quality leather conference folders. Genuine leather folders are an impressive touch when trying to win over a client. They are durable, long lasting and usable, unlike some other gimmicky promotional items. Clients will use them year after year thanks to the high quality of our leather conference folders, with waterproof items handy for wiping of dirt and spills for years to come. Personalise your leather folder with the company brand name, and add a splash of colour for an extra special touch.

5. Bring Everything Together

So you have your company notes, your USB, your CD, your pens and business card – now what? Well this is where your leather business folder comes into its own. It’s not just designed to be a luxury gift for your client, the handy zipped pockets, ring binders and compartments inside allow you to store all of your information in the correct places, so it looks neat, tidy and well thought out. Your client will be impressed by the attention to detail and level of care that has gone into creating your leather folder. They’ll also thank you for organizing your information into an easy to use format, so they can quickly find what they are looking for.

So the next time you are presenting at a conference or pitching for business, invest in some stunning leather conference folders to deliver your information in a professional and organised fashion. Your leather folder will be around for years to come, acting as a constant reminder of your business.

Your transitions, well planned and strong, will add a smoothness and professionalism to your presentations that will wow any audience.

What is a transition?
A transition is used when we change from one state to another, from one thought/idea to another, from one topic to another, and from one method to another – in other words, a transition serves as a bridge for change. It can be smooth and effective. Or, it can be jarring and ineffective. Transitions need to be well planned and rehearsed, so that they help our listeners receive the full benefit of our presentations.

Why should we use transitions?

• Our listeners aren’t as familiar with our material as we are. Transitions serve as guides and bridges between the directions we are going.
• Participants are often busy and distracted. By using smooth and effective transitions, we can grab their attention, lead them into each new area with ease and help them to latch onto our whole message.
• When we move to a new thought or topic, a listener may still be thinking about our last statement. A well-placed transition will give him or her time to catch up.

When, where and how do we use transitions?

• The first and most important transition is our opening. We must transition our listeners from their daily lives, their conversations with others and their present concerns into paying attention to us and what we have to share. If we don’t make a striking first impression, we often lose them for the rest of the presentation.
• Don’t say anything for several seconds. Give them some time to settle down. Then, start with a compelling story, a meaningful quotation, an interesting question to start participants thinking, or a startling statement.
• If you have a sufficient amount of time you may start with an ice breaker. Just keep in mind that some participants may not be ready this early on to take part in an ice breaker, while others will be delighted, so choose carefully.
• The next transitions should occur between important points, thoughts and/or topics. These transitions can be as simple and straight-forward as, “And that brings me to the next point.” Or, they can be much more creative which takes prior planning. I love to use stories that relate to the next topic and I usually say, “Before I get into the next point, let me tell you a story.”
• Depending upon the time allotted and type of presentation, you may designate a question and answer period. Even in workshops, I feel that all of our transitions and strengths can be ruined if we let participants continually interrupt us. I have learned to tell my listeners/participants that, “There will be time for questions, so write them down as I go along.” Make sure that you know how long you have for questions and answers and plan a clever way to transition everyone back to your presentation when the time is up.
• The final, and important, transition is the close of your presentation. Consider the most important thought, idea and/or action you want your listeners to leave with. The closing should never give the impression that you have just run out of time and need to rush. So, have a rehearsed, memorized and strong, strong closing prepared.

Like most of my tips articles this article will sometimes seem to state the obvious be believe me, these are all mistakes I’ve seen made in presentations by eminent speakers!

1. Do make sure you have not only prepared what you want to say but also practiced saying it, preferably to a small audience (family and/or friends). That way you will ensure your talk doesn’t run over time (or come in under time which can also be embarrassing!)
2. Know what’s expected of you – make sure know how much time you’ve got, whether that includes question time, whether the preferred format is questions throughout or at the end etc.
3. If possible know your audience – what questions might they ask? Are they likely to be for or against the points you’re making in your talk?
4. Do use slides but don’t use PowerPoint as a crutch! Use the slides to show key points in a succinct format rather than showing your talk word for word!
5. Don’t paste graphs or diagrams into PowerPoint without checking that they will actually be readable as a slide.
6. Aim for about one slide for every two to three minutes of speech, or even less, unless your presentations is particularly visual e.g. on an arts subject
7. Keep any slides you do use uncluttered.
8. Don’t overuse animation – words ‘flying’ in from above, one side etc. Some of this can be very effective but too much is distracting and irritating to the audience
9. Try to use slides more imaginatively than just bullet-pointing what you’re saying, although within limits such bullets can be a useful summary.
10. Make sure you know what audio-visual equipment will be available at the venue you’re speaking at and how they want you to bring presentation materials e.g. CD, floppy, email in advance, on your own laptop