You want to make a career? To be successful, you also need to be visible. However, if you do a very good job, you will not automatically be seen. And if you don't like talking in front of or with other people, this stands in your way. That is why I am giving you 5 tips today to make your first presentation in 2023 a success and SHOW UP! confidentially.   

1. Use storytelling

Storytelling is the art of using stories on the job to convey content and make complex things understandable. With storytelling we can convince people in our business environment of our ideas, we can inspire them and teach them things. We don't pay attention to boring things writes John Medina, in his book Brain Rules. Numbers, dates, facts are important. But they don't build trust, curiosity or emotion. "I have a dream" has lost none of its power even after 57 years. Many presentations, on the other hand, are already forgotten before the audience has left the room.
Whether you want to evoke emotions or present complex issues, storytelling is your solution. Check out my super content-rich blog article Storytelling - What I learned throughout my career.

2. Start with a hook

Most presentations fail because speakers don't manage to get the audience's attention right from the start. That's a real shame! The first sentences of a presentation decide whether or not you capture the audience's attention. At the beginning, the audience's attention is high. Everyone pauses and looks at you curiously. Then you start to speak. If your introduction is boring, attention drops and the audience adopts a disinterested and inactive attitude. It will be difficult to win back their attention. If, on the other hand, you start your presentation convincingly, you will secure the audience's attention for the rest of the presentation.
By the way: There is no such thing as a convincing introduction that always fits, but rather different variations. The important thing is to choose an introduction that suits your topic, your audience and your style.
There are several tried and tested ways to start your presentation. Think about which one works best for your topic, your audience and especially for your way of presenting and adapt it. These are the introductory variations I like to use:
A current reference
Sometimes current events in politics, business or science can be related to the presentation topic. News from the last few weeks is considered current; it does not have to be the latest news.
An appropriate headline or newspaper article could then serve as a hook for your presentation. You can also adapt the title of the presentation accordingly. This week I used the resignation of the Prime Minister of New Zealand in a leadership workshop.
A film or a picture
Instead of telling, explaining and describing, I demonstrate to the audience what I´m about. Because this introduction is rather unusual for presentations, the audience follows you spellbound. I like to use commercials from the past when I talk about the image of women.

Regardless of how you start your presentation, take enough time to work on the first sentences. They will determine whether you can captivate the audience. If you open your presentation skillfully, you are sure to have an eager and attentive audience.

3. Only present what is really important!

In many talks, the maximum length of your presentation is predetermined. This is good for you, because it prevents you from completely overestimating your planning.
However, there is a danger in short presentations: distinguishing the important from the unimportant. For example, if you have 10 minutes for a presentation, depending on the topic, you will notice that there is quite a lot of material for that short time.
One of the biggest problems of experts is that they know too much and have gained too much experience. They can easily share valuable content for 3 hours or more, it's just that no one listens for that long.  The task then is to filter out the most relevant information. There is seldom room for many quotations, definitions and background information.
Therefore, think in advance about what information others need to understand your topic.
Even with longer speeches, you should not make the mistake of filling your presentation with a lot of unnecessary facts. It should still focus only on what is most important. It is better to present 10 good minutes than 30 boring ones!

4. Orientate your presentation on the audience!

When preparing your presentation, always remember who you actually want to address with your talk. For example, if you are giving a presentation in front of professional colleagues, you may well use a lot of technical terms. After all, you can assume that the others in the room have at least a basic understanding of the topic.
The same presentation to a group of non-specialist listeners or leaders, on the other hand, would hardly meet with enthusiasm.
The reason is simple: many will simply not understand the content - they want to have connections explained - the BIG PICTURE! The rule here is: keep it short and, above all, simple. No VP or the C-suite wants to feel like they are in school.
If you yourself know that your topic could be complicated or not so exciting for your audience, make sure you take this into account in your presentation.

5. What is in it for them?

Put your presentation into a larger context! If you want to convince people of yourself and your presentation, you should give them added value. If you know why something is worthwhile, you will be much more motivated.

For this reason, it is best to put your presentation into a larger context that is comprehensible to the audience and answers the question of why. Simon Sinek's book “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” is recommended reading.

After your presentation, the audience should have a sense of why what you have told them has meaning (for them).

Conclusion

Being visible and how you SHOW UP! is important for your career. In my course SHOW UP! I show you an easy way to SHOW UP! to accelerate your career. Here is the link to the waitlist.
If you want to hear me talk about this topic join my masterclass on February 25th with the title Visibility, self-marketing and Personal Branding – the basis for success and career. Click here to join.   

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