Have you ever sat through a boring, monotonous power point presentation; one that left you wishing you could get that hour of your life back? Follow these tips to prevent losing your audience and turning them off you and your product/idea for good.

Answer the unspoken question: “Why should I care?” and “What’s in it for me?” These are the unspoken questions in your audience’s mind. What are the issue the audience faces, their pain? Once the pain is clarified, then offer a solution. More time should be spent on the solution than on the pain/problem.

Have a clear point: What do you want the audience to remember when you have finished speaking? Decide on one clear message, use analogies and stories to make this point. Stick to the point using three or four ideas to support the main concept. Use only 1 point per slide. For greater technical detail use a hand-out.

Pause: Pausing can feel very uncomfortable at first. The silence of a pause helps “underline” your point, allowing the idea to sink in or the listener to answer your question in their mind. The audience needs time for the message to sink in, and interpret what you are saying. When you ask a question, or make an important point - pause - for the count of 3 in your head to allow the audience to let it sink in. Listen to other speakers and be aware of how you feel when they rush, and how much time you need to let their statements or questions sink in.

Summarise: Recap the key points of your presentation. Ensure you have answered the listener’s unspoken question, offered a solution and make one clear point. Use the power of stories and pause to make your point and allow it to sink in. Then close with a recap of the salient points.

Richard Riche DTM, TLI Trainer