If you’ve ever attended a networking event, you know that sometimes the most interesting and engaging people aren’t always those who are giving presentations. But what if every time someone at the event was presenting, they were as captivating as those who weren’t? Wouldn’t that be an amazing experience for everyone? This article will show you how to make sure your pitch decks live up to this high standard.
1. Know Your Audience
The first thing you need to do is make sure everyone who attends your presentation feels like they truly belong there. One way to accomplish this goal is to know exactly what type of person you’re talking to. When it comes to pitching, knowing the right words that will resonate with each individual can be the difference between a new investor and a missed connection.
2. Know Your Message
Make sure you know why you’re presenting, what you want everyone to get out of it, and how you’re going to deliver that message. If your presentation is strong enough and makes the right connections with the audience, they’ll be more than happy to listen.
3. Keep it Short and Sweet
Is your presentation more than 3 minutes? Start by cutting out all the filler words. Are you using too many slides? Consider eliminating some of them. Slides are great to quickly convey an idea, but if each slide is loaded with text or detailed information, you’re not making the time people spend listening to your presentation worthwhile.
4. Get to the Point
Make sure you get to the main idea of your presentation quickly and focus on only one concept at a time. Make your communication clear, concise, and positive by using language that is familiar and approachable for your audience members.
5. Inspire Your Audience
The best way to keep people engaged is to inspire them with your presentation, so give them lots of positive reasons to take action after hearing it. Pitching requires the right combination of enthusiasm and leadership, so make sure you are an engaging speaker who can clearly convey your message in a concise manner. If anyone leaves your presentation not feeling inspired, then it’s time to start over.
6. Be Yourself
Don’t try to act like someone else. People want you to be yourself, so don’t change who you are just because of a presentation. If you need help being more persuasive and engaging during your presentations, there are professionals out there who can help you get that important message across.
Bonus Tip:
When making the best pitch decks, use Venngage — an online checklist maker and infographic maker that offers a wide range of pitch deck designs for everyone. To give you an idea, here are some pitch deck examples from their website!
