Hotspot speaker's desk

09. Feb 2009

Within PR, presentations need to be understandable, interesting and gripping. Why? Simply because in other branches it is easy to impress with facts and figures, whereas in terms of PR it is all about to capture one's imagination and to convince others of extraordinary ideas.

Step 1: Start with a gripping opener!

Even in a movie the first scene is the decisive factor to attract the spectator’s attention. Be it with a quotation, an anecdote or a practical demonstration. Presentations are audiovisuals experiences that should not be restricted to the spoken word. Visual components such as items or verbal imageries increase tension and conduce to a better understanding. To demonstrate the effect of multi-channel pr a watering can could be used to illustrate the broad impact.

Step 2: It’s all about structure

Isn’t it true, that in a creative branch such as pr ideas and visions should be presented in a free way? The contrary is the case, as a presentation that observes a certain principle has decided advantages: Structure shows competence and helps to transport contents in a better way. It takes the audience by the hand and that is why the can concentrate on the content.

Step 3: It's the inner values that count

When a plain structure is found it comes to filling it in a persuasive way. Either with facts like ratings figures and circulation or with surveys. Advantages of this kind of argumentation: reasoning can be substantiated with verifiable facts.
If those rationales are not available in black and white you can argument with personnel experiences. A personnel experience such as a successful campaign for a comparable client can be hardly confuted and seems authentic and reliable.

Step 4: Essentially classy

Even persuasive arguments can fail to have the desired effect. Not only “what” but also “how” matter. All the more in a branch where the word is the important tool. But what is a good diction about? Put in a nutshell: A lively and sweeping speech! The main rule for an active style of speaking: Keep it short and simple and use as many verbs as possible. Another ingredient for a gripping presentation is a figurative language, which makes even complex contents understandable using comparisons, metaphors and co.

Step 5: Power Point – a friend in need

Overloaded transparencies, complicated diagrams and more and more figures – that’s how the cruel Power Point reality looks like. Consequential damages are a bored audience and disappointed lectures. But if you use the classical presentation program in the right way – as technical auxiliary mean – it has much more to offer.
Those who only read out loud the transparency content should not be amazed if the audience looses attention.

Step 6: Grand finale

The last impression counts as it lingers in the memory. Therefore the presentations ending needs to impress the audience. Not for no reason this technique is called “closing the sale” within pitches. When it’s about getting the contract, empty phrases are not enough. Good reasons and a feeling of “now or never” need to be transported. How that works? By appealing to one of the three main emotions pride, hope or fear. Besides a concluding message needs to be stated. This should be transported by an adequate anecdote, an idiom or a few personnel phrases, which cause the audience to laugh, reflect or act.