What words come to mind when you think "multi-media"?
Quick, ever-changing, colorful, active, visuals, sounds, the unexpected...
Your audiences live with--have embraced--multi-media in their daily lives. They gravitate to more color, more action, more variety, more stimulation. Why can't presentations be more like multi-media?
They can if you allow yourself to use multi-media as a model for your presentations. Here are 3 tips to do that.
1) Reduce the desire to explain everything. Your favorite app doesn't explain itself, it works and you learn how to use it by just using it. When you're introducing a new idea or product or service, just start. The typical jargon-laced introductions and the old and boring "tell' em what you're gonna tell' em" rule is out the window these days. Jump right in with a colorful story or example, or a challenge, or a hard question. Your audiences are ready for this.
2) Mix up the visuals in your slide deck. Corporate rules about design parameters are counter-productive to the goal of getting connected with the audience. A fixed three-color scheme, slide templates where everything is exactly the same on every slide, perfect photos or stylized graphics--none of these attract the audience. The human brain's efficient filing cabinet says to itself -"I've seen this before, know what it means..NEXT!" so instead of increasing awareness of the brand, these corporate looks decrease interest.
3) Add sound and movement to your presentation deliberately and thoughtfully. Sounds can be embedded in your slides--show a process or flow and embed a sound that suggests movement. This can be fairly subtle--no roaring plane engines--but your audience will pick it up and their attention will be stronger than otherwise.
Incorporate movement by asking the audience to raise their hands, to write something on a handout, or to handle and use a promotional product or gift. Something small makes a big difference in the course of a 30-60-90 minute presentation.
Multi-media doesn't sit still and doesn't lecture. It moves and it grabs and it makes you participate. Do the same with your presentations and your audiences will be eager for more.
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