12 Apps & Hacks To Level-Up Y our Next Presentation Or Pitch by Ryan Jenkins Being a paid professional keynote speaker, I typically get two reactions when people ask what I do. The first is shock because people’s #1 fear is public speaking, and they are shocked that someone would willingly speak in public as a career. The second reaction is curiosity followed by the person asking for some quick speaking tips to help them prepare for their upcoming presentation or pitch. This resource is for the curious.
5 Apps To Level-up Y our Next Presentation Or Pitch Envato Market is a one-stop-shop to create a compelling presentation or pitch. They have website templates, pre-written code, stock video footage, music/audio/ sound effects, graphics and logos, and stock photos. Use Envato Market to find royalty free images that can make your presentation or pitch visually fascinating. Also, you can find stunning presentation templates that include editable charts, beautiful fonts, powerful icons, and the right color schemes to make your presentation or pitch make a statement. Explore Envato Market here. Poll Everywhere replaces expensive proprietary audience response hardware with standard web technology. Engage your audience by asking them a question with the Poll Everywhere app. Audiences use mobile phones, Twitter, or the web to answer in real time. See the audience’s response live on the web or embedded in a PowerPoint presentation. Stop asking your audience to silence their mobile devices and instead leverage the technology! Explore Poll Everywhere here. SlideShare offers users the ability to upload and share publicly or privately PowerPoint presentation, Word documents, and PDFs for free. Think of it as YouTube for presentations. SlideShare enables your powerful presentation or pitch to influence beyond your live audience and gain more exposure online. In addition, get new ideas for pitches or presentation designs by viewing the millions of existing SlideShare presentations. Explore SlideShare here. Canva is a free web tool that makes designing simple for everyone. With Canva you can create your own presentation slides (1024px x 768px). Or upload your own images and overlay your own customized text. Then download the image and insert into your presentation. Powerful presentations and pitches evoke powerful emotions through powerful images. Explore Canva here. Going over your allotted presentation time is disrespectful to the audience and to those who hired/scheduled you. Practice your presentation and time it. Take note of the middle of your presentation so you’ll know during the live presentation to slow down or speed up. Typically during the live presentation or pitch you’ll talk faster due to nerves so factor that in. Consider the Seconds interval timer for iOS or Android. (I use the Logitech Professional Presenter R800 to count down my time and vibrate when I have 10 and 5 minutes remaining.)
7 Hacks To Level-up Y our Next Presentation Or Pitch 1) Provide a Roadmap. As humans, we think linear. To get to point C we need point A and then point B. With any audience, there is a certain level on angst when settling into a presentation. Questions that roll around in their heads are: What am I going to learn? Will it be applicable to me? How are we going to get there? By providing a roadmap or an agenda slide that addresses those questions will help put your audience at ease. Knowing where they are going will also allow them to be fully present and discourage them from mentally jumping ahead. Give them enough guidance to put them at ease while still peaking their interest. 2) Address the Elephant. Anything that will distract your audience—a loud noise coming from another room, your visible bandage or cast, or any technology mishaps—need to be addressed as soon as possible. Addressing the elephant in the room will free you to move past it, It will give your audience permission to move past it as well so they can get back to focusing on your content. However, never apologize for not having enough time to prepare for your presentation or that you didn’t get enough sleep, they don’t care about your personal problems and nor should they, you are there to serve them—no matter what.
3) Harness the Power of Repetition. What gets repeated gets remembered. "Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.” This is an infamous line in the speaking world, but it stresses the power of repetition. Identify the central theme or message of your presentation and repeat it often throughout your presentation. The pithier the better. What gets repeated gets remembered. (Ahh…see what I did there!) 4) Never End with Q&A. I’m not sure who started this lethal trend of ending presentations with Q&A, but it must end. Q&A is helpful in so many ways. It provides valuable insights into what your audience is thinking, and it allows the audience to gain greater clarity. Use Q&A but don’t end with it. End with Q&A and you run the risk of your presentation being hijacked by an audience member with an off topic or negative question which will be the last impression your audience has of your presentation. Instead, leave 2-3 minutes after the Q&A and end with a story. Use a story that reinforces the purpose of your presentation and inspires your audience to act. End on your terms. 5) Choose to Self Deprecate. Your audience will automatically view you as an authority because you are on stage or have the microphone. Authority doesn’t translate to like but rather can foster resentment or skepticism, so quickly counter these emotions by self deprecating. Be careful not to undermine your expertise but give them the sense that you are just like them. Self deprecating can help put you on the same level as the audience. Giving the sense that you and your content are perfect will only result in distrust. People like and trust people who can laugh at themselves.
6) Provide a Resource Page. After an effective presentation or pitch, audience members will want copies of your slides, to connect on social networks, and/or take their learning of the subject further. Provide your audience with a customized online resource page (ex: www.xyz.com/ conference-name) where you provide links to the research, helpful books and blog posts, your social networks, giveaways, and/or copies of the presentation. I use the URL, RyanIsLive.com to direct people to various resource pages or to provide audiences with copies of my presentation slides. 7) Master the Tie-in. There is a blissful moment in a presentation when the audience gets a glimpse that the presenter is fully present and that the presentation is just for them. A tie-in is when a presenter references a moment or comment that the entire audience has experienced together and inserts it into the presentation on-the-fly. The tie-in can take the form of a comment from an audience member or previous speaker, or a memorable moment that was experienced at the event or in the community. The tie-in puts the presenter on the same level as the audience because it reveals they have experienced the same thing together. This tip takes practice and close observation but is sure to win over your audience. Bonus) Anticipate Disruptions. Plan for the worst. Have a back-up to your back-up plan when the technology fails. Prepare your response in advance when someone’s phone rings during your presentation. Practice dealing with hecklers or tough questions. Put yourself in the shoes of your skeptics and think through where they will poke holes in your presentation or pitch. If you know your content cold, you won’t be fearful of getting interrupted and losing your train of thought which enables you to be more present and roll with the inevitable distractions with greater ease. A disruption can be a presenter’s greatest opportunity to connect with the audience. Prepare in advance to capitalize.
ABOUT RYAN JENKINS Ryan is an internationally recognized Millennial keynote speaker and author. He helps organizations and leaders gain clarity around the Millennial generation so that they can effectively lead, communicate, and brand in tomorrow’s multi- generational marketplace. Ryan runs a blog and podcast at www.Ryan-Jenkins.com where he inspires audiences with practical next generation leadership, communication, branding, and productivity advice. Ryan has shared the stage with fellow thought leaders from iconic brands like MTV, Facebook, and Uber for the last 7+ years. And he is the author of the book The GenEdge: How To Leverage Millennials With A Next Generation Mindset. When Ryan is not speaking and writing he enjoys craft beer, attempts to be an average golfer, and religiously cheers on the Denver Broncos with his wife, Ashley, and yellow labrador, Bauer, from their home in Atlanta, GA. WORK WITH RYAN Consider Ryan as your next keynote speaker. Click here to contact Ryan to check his availability and fee structure. Or you can email Ryan directly at rj@ryan-jenkins.com.
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