Last updated on Mar 23, 2024

Consultants are often called upon to give presentations. How can you avoid the most common mistakes?

As a consultant, you may have to deliver presentations to various audiences, such as clients, colleagues, or stakeholders. Presentations are a great opportunity to showcase your expertise, communicate your ideas, and persuade your listeners. However, they can also be challenging, stressful, and prone to mistakes. How can you avoid the most common pitfalls and deliver a presentation that is clear, engaging, and effective? Here are some tips to help you prepare, practice, and perform your presentation with confidence.

1 Know your audience

Before you start working on your presentation, you need to understand who your audience is, what they need, and what they expect from you. Research their background, goals, preferences, and level of knowledge. Tailor your content, tone, and style to suit their interests and needs. Avoid using jargon, acronyms, or technical terms that they may not understand. Use examples, stories, or analogies that they can relate to. Anticipate their questions, concerns, or objections and address them in your presentation.

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Daniele Martins

Segmento Bancário | Cooperativismo Financeiro | Agente Atendimento | Assistente de Atendimento | Analista Administrativo | Custos | Controladoria | Contas a Pagar | Contas a Receber | Fiscal | Caixa - Tesouraria
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Em uma apresentação, a audiência, faz avaliações, e cria imagens a respeito do apresentador. Por isso, o comportamento e a comunicação durante uma apresentação em público interfere diretamente na imagem a ser formada.

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Joyce Ann Brofar

CLSSYB | IT Tertiary Instructor
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Consultants may improve their presentations by concentrating on important areas such as preparation, content, delivery, issue resolution, and slide design. Preparation is rehearsing speech for a smooth flow and adapting information to the audience using research. Content should emphasize vital themes, use pictures, and use plain language. Engaging delivery through hooks and narrative, keeping eye contact, and answering questions improves audience connection. Slide designs should be basic and visually appealing, with minimal text. Following these rules makes presentations more informative, entertaining, and memorable, creating a lasting effect on the audience.

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2 Plan your structure

A well-structured presentation has a clear beginning, middle, and end. It follows a logical flow that guides your audience through your main points, arguments, and evidence. It also has a clear purpose and a clear message that you want your audience to remember. To plan your structure, start with your goal and your message. Then, outline the key points that support your message and the evidence that backs them up. Finally, decide how you will introduce your topic, connect your points, and conclude your presentation.

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Daniele Martins

Segmento Bancário | Cooperativismo Financeiro | Agente Atendimento | Assistente de Atendimento | Analista Administrativo | Custos | Controladoria | Contas a Pagar | Contas a Receber | Fiscal | Caixa - Tesouraria
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Um aspecto da comunicação verbal que deve ser levado consideração sempre é o uso correto da língua portuguesa. Ainda que seja uma exposição mais informal e “amigável”, a linguagem merece cuidado e deve ser usada de forma precisa.

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3 Design your slides

Your slides are a visual aid that complement your verbal delivery. They should not be a distraction or a crutch. They should enhance your presentation by highlighting the most important information, illustrating your data, or adding some visual appeal. To design your slides, follow these principles: use a simple and consistent layout, use a readable font and size, use contrasting colors and images, use charts and graphs to display data, use bullet points and keywords to summarize text, and use animations and transitions sparingly.

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Lorelei Gonzalez, MPA

Nonprofit Expert | Communications Consultant | Programs Creator & Facilitator | Equity & Career Development Advocate
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-Keep your slides Concise: Limit text by using 1 main point per slide (don't overwhelm with too much text) -Use Visuals to ENHANCE: good visuals can increase engagement, enhance understanding of complex issues, and reduces text (can't emphasize this enough) -Use a Consistent Theme throughout: this minimizes eyeball distractions and creates visual cohesiveness -Interact with your audience through your deck: build in a survey or Q&A time, add a link to a polling app, make a word cloud, give resources and links for additional learning Lastly, practice giving your presentation with your slides multiple times so that you are aware of how much each slide takes to verbally move through.

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4 Practice your delivery

Practicing your presentation is essential to improve your confidence, fluency, and timing. It also helps you identify and correct any errors, gaps, or weaknesses in your content or design. To practice your delivery, rehearse your presentation several times, preferably in front of a mirror, a recorder, or a friend. Pay attention to your voice, pace, tone, and volume. Use pauses, emphasis, and intonation to convey your meaning and emotion. Avoid filler words, such as um, ah, or like. Use gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions to engage your audience.

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5 Manage your nerves

It is normal to feel nervous before or during a presentation. However, if you let your nerves take over, they can affect your performance and your credibility. To manage your nerves, try these strategies: prepare well in advance, arrive early and check the equipment and the room, breathe deeply and relax your muscles, focus on your message and your audience, not on yourself, visualize a positive outcome and a supportive audience, and smile and enjoy the experience.

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6 Handle the Q&A

The question and answer session is an important part of your presentation. It allows you to clarify any doubts, address any feedback, or reinforce any points. However, it can also be unpredictable, challenging, or confrontational. To handle the Q&A, follow these tips: invite questions and thank the questioners, listen carefully and repeat or rephrase the questions, answer briefly and confidently, provide examples or evidence if needed, admit if you don't know the answer and offer to follow up, and end on a positive note and a clear call to action.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Consultants are often called upon to give presentations. How can you avoid the most common mistakes?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Know your audience

2 Plan your structure

3 Design your slides

4 Practice your delivery

5 Manage your nerves

6 Handle the Q&A

7 Here’s what else to consider

Presentation Skills

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Consultants are often called upon to give presentations. How can you avoid the most common mistakes?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Know your audience

2 Plan your structure

3 Design your slides

4 Practice your delivery

5 Manage your nerves

6 Handle the Q&A

7 Here’s what else to consider

Presentation Skills

Rate this article

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