Which Presentation Mistakes Are Holding You Back?

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“Couldn’t I just say what I have to and make my point?” Ahh. Yes. The power of doing what you’ve always done is great. But here’s the thing. Discover 5 tiny presentation mistakes that could be holding you back—big time.

 

Words alone will not touch the brain, heart and inspire action. That’s why you need to understand the power of visual displays.

 

Visual displays go by many names. Blueprints. Information maps. Diagrams. Charts. Storyboards. Let’s roll them all into one group. The visual display of information. Think of it as anything that has the ability to unlock the awesome power of visual thinker—inside each viewer.

 

When you use this power in your presentations, it is possible to communicate on entirely different levels. Information is accessible emotionally, intuitively. It is digestible in bite size chunks. It connects with the imagination and ability to perceive patterns. This kind of connective thinking inspires smart decisions, innovation, and invention of new solutions.

 

If you are avoiding using visuals, you’ll miss all that.

 

Sadly, many business professionals view visual display as a difficult, mandatory or challenging part of their presentation. In other words, it’s the ‘have to’ part. Not the ‘WOW! Got To!’ portion of presenting.

 

Check this short overview to see if any of these seemingly tiny errors are holding you back from achieving ultimate success.

 

Mistake 1. Reading Your Slides

The brain is built for digesting information in words and pictures. When you read your slides, you are not adding visual impact to enhance the meaning of your words. This may be seen as insulting or at the very least, boring.

 

Mistake 2. Animating Pictures

As tempting as it is to dive into cool ways to impress your colleagues and clients with amazing slideshows, animation can detract from your message. While at the other end of the spectrum from ‘zero graphics’ animation attracts focus to the features of PowerPoint—more than the benefits of your offering.

 

Mistake 3. Relying Exclusively On Slides

Regardless of how often you give presentations, slides are only one part of your toolkit. Captivate your audience with on the spot whiteboard diagrams. Show and tell using props and physical evidence. Involve your viewers with visual thinking with a diverse blend of media.

 

If you are only relying on tips and tricks for slides, it’s a lot like trying to use a hammer to fix everything. Hammers are good for some jobs. But not for others!

 

Mistake 4. Showing Extreme Detail On One Map

Information graphics with tons of detail are phenomenal tools for decisions and communications—in some situations. But they are not the be all and end all for every single situation.

 

A highly detailed information map can confuse a non-expert audience. It’s easy to miss the overview and key points, while trying to digest all the nuances. When using a rich and detailed information map, be sure to think of ‘layers of information.’ Provide layers moving from simple to complex. Start much, much simpler for initial overviews.

 

Mistake 5. Providing Only One Form Of Visual

Visual displays make presentations come alive. But when all visuals are in a similar form, your presentation can become boring or stale. This is true whether your visual is slides, charts, diagrams, handouts, maps, video or other media.

 

We are creatures of variety. Humans love to see a diverse array of information in a multitude of forms. Stretch your imagination to build specific visual displays to match each phase of communication.

 

In looking at these 5 mistakes, take away at least this one core idea. Visual variety captivates your attendees and improves the quality of communication. After all, isn’t that why you’re giving an irresistible presentation in the first place?