AP9 Business Max, IK9 Business Max Helps You Prepare Influential Presentations

AP9 Business Max, IK9 Business Max, an Adaptive Marketing LLC^® membership program, recognizes the importance of giving effective, powerful presentations, despite the size or importance of the audience. From a proposal for a new business deal to a presentation about new benefits for employees, all presentations should be well-prepared, rehearsed and convincing.

When preparing a presentation, you need to ask yourself: If my audience remembers only three things from my talk, what do I want them to be? The answers will point you in the right direction to structure the presentation and prepare support materials.

As AP9 BusinessMax, IK9 Business Max notes, nervousness is a word that many people associate with giving a speech or presentation. There are multiple ways to reduce the jitters, but the most effective one is to make sure you have a full grasp of the content of the presentation.

AP9 Business Max, IK9 Business Max recommends a few more tips to help you become a successful presenter:

--Rehearse it. Go over the presentation as many times as possible to make sure you have a rhythm and you are comfortable with what you have to say. Rehearse the entire presentation at least once with all the tools you’re going to use, and remember to always look at the audience (not at the computer or slides), observe them and make eye contact (don’t look down or let your eyes wander aimlessly).

--Time it. Get a realistic idea of the time you’re going to take by rehearsing at least once without interruption. This will allow you to pace yourself better, in case you tend to speak too fast or too slowly. It will also help you cut parts that are too long or reinforce topics that your audience might find more interesting.

--Support it. Apply the supplemental presentation technology wisely. Use slides or create a lucid PowerPoint presentation to prop up your speech, not to repeat it verbatim. The idea is to have some graphic support to help the audience better understand your talking points and to help you carry on without having to memorize every last word. Don’t stay for more than four minutes on any slide, and beware of over-the-top graphics or special effects, which can steal focus from the message you want to get across.

--Back it up. Create a handout for the audience to take with them and -- only if necessary -- to follow along with the presentation. Make sure you have backup technology available as well: bring printed copies if you’re traveling with your computer, and make it a point to arrive at least 30 minutes before your presentation so you can check the equipment you’re going to use.

--Laugh at it. Don’t let a malfunction ruin your spirit. If the overhead projector doesn’t work, don’t get nervous or stop the presentation. As long as you know what you have to say, you can laugh at the situation and make your audience do the same. Humor is a good way to attract attention, so use it on your behalf when technology fails. If you’re good at telling jokes, sprinkle them throughout the presentation. Just make sure your remarks are not offensive and use them only if you feel the audience is receptive to your humor.

--Dress it up. The way you look can give you an extra edge with your audience. Dressing well demonstrates respect, professionalism and confidence. There is no need to go overboard, just follow the basic hygiene rules, stay clean, don’t chew gum, and get rid of any change in your pocket (to avoid unnecessary jingling).

Your presentation must be appealing until the end, so finish with a strong conclusion, and make yourself available for questions and comments during or at the end of the presentation. Don’t forget to thank the audience and ask them for feedback.

AP9 Business Max, IK9 Business Max is a membership program that offers savings on a variety of small business needs, including equipment useful for presentations along with office supplies, corporate services, professional development tools, sales aids and employee benefits.

This article was brought to you by AP9 BusinessMax, IK9 Business Max.

AP9 Business Max, IK9 Business Max

Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., Adaptive Marketing LLC^® is a category leader in membership programs, bringing value direct to consumers through an array of benefits in healthcare, discounts, security and personals. With broad online and offline distribution capabilities, Adaptive Marketing offers its corporate client partners effective tools to enhance market presence, strengthen customer affinity and generate additional value through programs such as AP9 BusinessMax, IK9 Business Max.

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