In a recent presentation our company founder Russell Anderson-Williams talked about techniques to grab and keep the audience’s attention. The main takeaways from that speech were to use great visuals, engaging story & theme, and of course good presentation skills.
We’d like to share with you the following video of Jeff Bezos presenting at a TED talk back in 2007. While watching, pay attention to the instances of bad presentation practices that are going on throughout (there are quite a few!), but then ask yourself the question: ‘Why is it still such a good and engaging presentation?’
Watch this video first before you read on.
Tell us, how many of the following examples of bad presentation practices did you spot?
- Terrible imagery used
- The presenter turning back to the PC to advance slides
- Waving a red laser pointer over content
- Pacing back and forth quite a lot
And the list goes on…
So how come we’re still engaged?
It’s very simple. The one key thing this presentation used effectively to keep our attention was a great theme and a core message. Everything in the presentation was linked to a very specific message about how early on we are in understanding and using the internet
The one key thing this presentation used effectively to keep our attention was a great theme and a core message
Although the visuals and the other elements weren’t that great, having a clear and specific message enabled Jeff Bezos to stay on track, not deviate from his core message, and deliver a fun and interesting talk.
So our question to you is…
Next time you have a presentation to prepare, will you take the time to craft a story that focuses on your core message?
We hope you do!
Let us know how you got on. For more advice on creating engaging presentations read our weekly blogs. And if you have any questions about presentation structure or how to make your core message clear, drop us a line at [email protected].
