Leadership starts from the top and must be efficient and effective for others to follow suit. Below-par communication skills or unclear content can’t serve as a foundation for building a solid team.
As a founder, how can you pitch your ideas as professionally as possible?
How do you turn your presentations into a convincing story conveying your value proposition and traction? And most importantly, how do you showcase yourself as trustworthy and get people to follow your cause?
The article will guide you toward building a solid presentation that gets your message home, most effectively.
9 Tips to Deliver a Killer Presentation
1. Content of the Presentation
The core of any presentation is the message you wish to deliver. For a founder, it would mean declaring their vision and worth. By incorporating these elements into the fabric of your presentation, you will have slides that inform and inspire.
- Identify the Issue
Any great presentation revolves around highlighting an issue that’s common between the presenter and the audience. Identify the problem that is significant to everyone so that people will be interested in your speech.
- Share Your Solution
Once you have figured out the problem that is of significance to everyone, pivot to what you offer. Be very clear and succinct with your message.
- Incorporate Data
Data and statistics will provide credibility to your information. Don’t overload your slides with numbers, but wherever needed, do remember to include information that substantiates your claims.
- Let Them Know Your Vision
There is a reason you are delivering a presentation. Let them know what has made you stand on the podium.
Let them know how your goals and vision can change the world for the better and how you contribute to the process.
- A Powerful Call To Action
Endings are as much, if not more, significant as introductions. You don’t want your presentation to end on an unclear note. It can confuse people, and they might not take your message home.
Invest your time in creating a powerful CTA that engraves your message in people’s minds and lets them know your clear agenda and expectations.
2. Understand the Audience
It doesn’t matter who your audience is – investors, team members, customers, etc., the first step to a successful presentation would be engaging with the audience. The connection that you form will help people resonate with your message and take action.
You need to dive deep into who your people are, their inclinations, issues, etc. The strategic approach will enable you to craft an inclusive and flexible presentation adapted for maximum engagement.
- Define Your Audience
The first step would be to know who will be in attendance. Is it a speech for potential investors, industry experts, or general people? It will help you determine the language of your presentation.
- Know Their Interests and Knowledge Level
Find out people’s knowledge levels and interests to tailor your content accordingly. For instance, a meeting with investors would mean more content highlighting numbers (revenue projections).
Similarly, you can’t include advanced-level information (technical jargon) for an audience with basic knowledge of your topic.
- Culture and Background
Get an idea regarding the cultural complexities of your audience. A joke that’s funny to one type might be offensive to another. Familiarize yourself with the background and cultural sensitivities of people.
- Try to Build Emotional Engagement
Emotional connection is what can help you bridge the gap between a great presentation and a good one. People remember how you made them feel, even if they forget your words.
If you can forge an emotional connection with the audience, convincing them about your cause can become easy. Try emotional hooks like anecdotes, humor, etc., to attract people into your talks.
3. Work on the Engagement Factor with Storytelling
Storytelling can help you form a meaningful connection with your audience. For people unknown, stories and anecdotes are a peep into another person’s world, helping them find things that are relatable.
You can incorporate storytelling to make your numbers more interesting, convey a message, tell your personal experiences, and more.
When it comes to public speaking, especially for founders, storytelling can serve as a strategic tool to not just form connections but also to market your brand and show leadership.
You can use it to add a human touch to your brand, highlight your brand’s journey, and share your vision that resonates with everyone alike.
- Stories Should Have a Structure
Define your story with a clear beginning, middle, and conclusion.
Start with an introduction that grabs attention, builds tension in the middle (current issues), and offers solutions at the end.
For instance, you can let them know what led you to start your company, the hardships you faced, and the changes you are about to bring now.
- Authenticity is the Key
Authenticity is the keystone to forging true connections and building trust. Speak from a space that’s genuine, and the audience will be able to see through to your message. Share anecdotes and stories that truly reflect your thoughts, vision, and actions.
- Try Vivid Imagery
Use descriptive words to paint a picture in people’s minds. It will help people visualize your words in their minds, boosting connection and engagement.
You can use techniques like memory palace, guiding people step by step and helping them picture something.
- Keep it Unexpected
Include surprise elements in your presentation to keep your audience alert and intrigued. Surprise people with a sudden plot twist in your story. It will keep them on their toes and interested throughout to know more.
- Make it Interesting with Metaphors and Analogies
Metaphors and analogies can add interest and excitement to your stories. They can also help simplify complex information and make it more relatable for everyone.
4. Get Rid of Nervousness and Anxiety
Public speaking is one critical skill set for startup founders, as, more often than not, they are in the limelight pitching to clients, investors, etc. That being said, stage fright is a common issue faced by even the most seasoned orators.
Even if you can’t get rid of it entirely, it is possible to manage the anxiety so that it doesn’t become an impediment. Mentioned below are some of the techniques that can help manage anxiety and let you deliver a fuss-free presentation.
- Prepare Well
Familiarize yourself with the content and practice as much as you can in front of the mirror, friends, colleagues, mentors, etc. It will help you gain confidence and be comfortable with the presentation, which will further help tackle nervousness.
- Do Breathing Exercises
Practice breathing exercises before you start the presentation. It will regulate your heartbeat and calm you down. You can practice deep breathing or rhythmic breathing sets (6 counts inhale – 3 counts hold – 6 counts exhale) as it suits you.
- Accept Being Nervous
Acceptance is the first step towards winning a battle. Acknowledge you are going through something like that, and reassure yourself that it is okay and common to feel that way. Find ways in your head to best tackle it.
- Visualize Success in Your Mind
Creative visualization is another thing that can get you closer to your goal. Before stepping onto the stage, close your eyes and step-by-step visualize having delivered a successful presentation. Imagine that people are applauding, and you are receiving only positive feedback.
- Take Help of Power Poses
Power poses can help you tackle anxiety by controlling your cortisol (stress hormone) levels and increasing testosterone. Do a power pose for 2 minutes before stepping on the stage to tackle your anxiety and boost confidence.
- Pause Whenever Needed
Short pauses can help you in multiple ways. You can use it to emphasize a point, give the audience time to absorb your words, recollect your thoughts, and so on.
Rather than using filler words and continuing your speech, take the help of short pauses to keep your speech meaningful and crisp.
- Body Language, Posture, and Movement
Be mindful of your body language and facial gestures. Stand tall and move around the stage to release tension and appear more confident and inclusive. Keep your arms open and wide when making gestures.
Smile to calm your nerves and appear relaxed. Also, remember to maintain eye contact with people when talking.
- The Power of Feedback Loop
One thing that can really help you tackle anxiety and regain confidence is having access to positive feedback from past experiences. Keep a praise file handy. It will immediately fill you with more confidence and keep your anxiety levels in check.
After all, if you have done it before with so much praise, it is doable even now.
5. Create Effective Slides
Though it’s true that as a speaker, you want to focus on yourself, anyone who’s a seasoned presenter knows that slides are equally important for a successful presentation. They serve as a visual anchor, aiding reinforcement and retention of your message. They can also serve as short pauses when you need to take a break from continuous speaking.
Slides are not supplementary to your speech but rather a strategic tool that, if effectively used, can substantially enhance the effectiveness of your presentation.
- Keep it Simple
Don’t overburden your slides in the zeal to share everything. Anything excessive, be it text or images, can make your slides look cluttered and distract people.
Write text in bullets that serve as a reference point for you and the audience. Make appropriate use of the negative space to highlight the right elements and keep your slides clean.
You wouldn’t want to look like an amateur because of the presentation, and inconsistent designs can make you appear like that. Don’t experiment with different typefaces, color palettes, and design elements to add variety and fun.
- Use Graphics to Boost Engagement
Apt and interesting graphics can be the difference between a great presentation deck and a good one. Take the help of bars, charts, illustrations, infographics, videos, animations, etc., to boost engagement and make your slides more inclusive in terms of content.
- Incorporate Stories into Your Slides
You can use your slides to tell a story. Craft each page to unfold the next part of your story and keep your audience hooked throughout.
- Your Slides and Speech Should be Coherent
Practice your speech with the slides to ensure smooth transitions and alignment between your verbal content and visual aid. If you are not controlling the slides manually, it would also help you time and pace your speech according to the slides.
- Do a Dry Run
Tweak your content as much as possible for improved clarity and persuasiveness. Gather feedback on your slides by doing a test run with different people.
- Have a Backup Plan
You don’t want to look lost and confused in case of a technical glitch. Keep your backup ready with either multiple digital or printed copies. Prepare for other unforeseen circumstances as well to avoid facing discomfort later.
6. Work on Your Tone and Pace
Voice modulation is a critical element in public speaking. The art involves adjusting the pitch, tone, pace, etc., to enhance communication. Effective speaking is not just what you say but how you say it as well. Monotonous speech can make even the most exciting content fall flat.
People can lose track of your words and might even become bored. Therefore, apt voice modulation is something every speaker needs to be mindful of to deliver an impactful presentation.
- Tone
The tone of your voice will convey your attitude about something. For instance, a warm tone will forge connection and relatability, while a serious tone will help you convey the gravity of something.
You can convey your startup’s journey with a sincere tone, sharing the obstacles you had to overcome.
- Pitch
You can use pitch to express emotions. Higher pitch variations can help you express emotions like excitement and urgency, while a lower pitch can help convey seriousness, authority, etc.
- Pace
The pace or speed of your speech will determine how the audience receives your message. If you speak too fast, your words can get lost, and the audience might not be able to understand your message.
If you speak too slowly, people might get bored and become disinterested. Maintaining the right balance is the key to keeping the audience hooked.
You can also adjust your pace, for instance, slow down when you want to deliver key information (statistics or figures) to let people absorb the message.
- Volume
You can adjust your volume to draw people to your words and maintain their interest. For instance, a sudden low volume can make people become more attentive to your words.
Similarly, high volume can prompt them to pay closer attention to the critical information you want to highlight.
- Clear Articulation
Filler words, mumbling, slurring, etc., can reduce the effectiveness of your speech. Clear articulation, in terms of your thoughts and speech, will ensure the smooth absorption of your message.
Practice enunciation to formulate and present your words with utmost clarity and effectiveness.
- Emotional Resonance
Modulate your voice to express and evoke emotions. For instance, if you want to arouse empathy in people, your voice can’t show excitement. Convey the emotions through your voice for emotional resonance.
7. Pay Heed to Body Language
Spoken words are only one part of communication in the realm of public speaking. It is the non-verbal communication that underscores the message and has the power to either bolster it or betray your nerves.
Body language and facial expressions are pivotal in expressing your confidence, comfort, and conviction to the other person sitting in front. For instance, an investor would trust a founder more if they had trustworthy and authoritative body language like open arms, apt eye contact, etc.
Conversely, employees can perceive a leader to be more approachable if they have a body language that is warm – like leaning in slightly while conversing. Therefore, body language/nonverbal cues play an important role in underlining your words, and both should be coherent for a clear message.
- Facial Expressions and Eye Contact
Smile to convey openness and warmth. Also, match your facial expressions to the message you wish to convey. You don’t want to be smiling, delivering grave news.
Maintain eye contact for good communication and to convey honesty and attentiveness. However, don’t intimidate people by staring or looking for too long.
- Movement
Move around the space to make people included and address all parts of the crowd. It can also depict that you are confident and will help people engage with you.
- Hand Gestures
Don’t close your hands while talking; it might look unwelcoming or defensive. Keep your arms open and use hand gestures to emphasize points and draw people’s attention to something.
- Posture
Stand straight with your shoulder erect and back. Don’t slouch or be overly rigid. A good posture conveys confidence, authority, and readiness to engage.
- Proximity
Be mindful of how close you are to your audience while conversing. Don’t be too far, as it might convey detachment, and being too close can seem intimidating and unprofessional.
8. Q&A
It’s at this hour that all the preparation seems to unravel. Though navigating through this session might seem daunting, it’s also your chance to shine. You can demonstrate your deep knowledge about the topic and connect with the audience on a more personal level.
Handling tough questions will require quick thinking, readiness to address concerns, calmness, composure, and a deep understanding of your startup’s workings.
- Anticipate the Questions and Prepare Well
While preparing the presentation, anticipate all the difficult questions that can arise. If you have run out of questions, take help from others to cover as many questions as possible.
Prepare clearly articulated answers in advance to avoid any discomfort later.
- Listen Attentively and Fully
Listen completely and fully before answering any question. It shows respect to the person and will let you understand what’s being asked. If there is a multi-part question, remember to address and answer everything.
- Be Calm and Honest When Answering
Maintain calm when answering, even if the question or the questioner seems challenging or confrontational. It will help you diffuse tension and exhibit professionalism.
Also, always be honest in your answers. If you don’t know the reply, there is nothing wrong with admitting it. You can offer the questioner to follow up after the presentation for a detailed response.
Honesty will help people trust and connect with you better. Also, control the pace of your Q&A session. Think before answering, and don’t rush.
- Redirect Whenever Needed
If a question seems off-topic, acknowledge the question, engage for a brief moment, and politely go back to the main topic.
- Take Help of Analogies, Metaphors, Stories, and Anecdotes
Engage people through experiences and examples that illustrate your point while making the content more interesting.
- Reinforce Your Message
Use the opportunity to reinforce your key message. You can always redirect the focus to what sets you apart or why you are delivering the presentation.
- Engage Actively
Use uplifting phrases to praise the audience for asking questions. Actively engage with them by letting them know that you value their opinion and input.
9. Learn from the Feedback
The journey of a presentation doesn’t end after it has been delivered, at least for the presenter. Take the feedback as a goldmine of guidance and insight to refine yourself further for the next presentation.
Have an open mind when you go through the feedback and take it as an opportunity for growth – further refining the positive aspects and working on the negatives.
Systematically analyze to find areas of growth and improvement that were hitherto unknown. Feedback might range from clarity, persuasiveness, and engagement of the delivery to business relevance, technical accuracy, and the overall impact of the presentation.
- Quantify the Feedback on a Scale of 1 to 10
This will help you get a clear idea about where you rank in different aspects. You will be able to gauge your current status more clearly and not in vague qualitative terms.
- Look for Common Comments
Pay attention to comments and suggestions that are recurring, like a long introduction, poor slide design, etc. Those are the aspects that need your instant attention.
- Weigh the Source
Attach weightage to the feedback on the basis of the expertise and perspective of the person. For instance, if you are a tech company, an engineer would know the workings of an app better and might advise better than someone who works in sales.
- Work and Practice
Create actionable steps to work on the feedback and measure the progress. Also, in your next practice sessions, incorporate the feedback to get better in those aspects.
For instance, time yourself (actionable steps) while you speak to improve your pacing (too fast or too slow) for the next presentation.
- Follow Up with People
Reach out to the people who gave you feedback to follow up or for further discussion. It will let them know that you value their opinion and are committed to improvement, which can further boost your goodwill as a startup founder.
In A Nutshell
A well-crafted presentation isn’t getting one aspect right down to a T, it’s rather a concoction of multiple things that work simultaneously to create a perfect mix.
Carefully tweaked slides, articulated speech, and a well-practiced delivery, among other things, are what you need to deliver an impactful presentation.
The point is to know your presentation like the back of your hand. And there will be no stopping you from stealing the show.
