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Industry events are your chance to network with colleagues and impress dealers, but to get the most out of your time at the conference, you need to learn how to prepare a presentation that engages, informs and leaves an impact.
I speak at some of the most important real estate and real estate technology events in the country. Butterfly MXHere are some tips I’ve picked up over the years to wow any audience.
Related: 6 Tips for Creating a Successful Business Presentation
1. Getting used to the stage
We recommend walking around the stage before your presentation so you can become familiar with the environment and be better prepared.
While you are on stage, a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere will go a long way in maintaining your audience’s interest. Whether you are presenting casually or formally, your audience will feel uncomfortable and will not be able to fully relate to your message.
To project a relaxed vibe, pay attention to your body language. Even if there is a podium or lectern already set up on stage, you can project confidence by speaking slowly and clearly and walking around the stage to grab the audience’s attention.
Unfortunately, if a speaker stands behind the podium for too long, the audience can interpret it as a sign of indecision or inaction on the part of the speaker. Instead, using the entire stage removes the barrier between speaker and audience.
2. Knowledge of industry statistics
Audience members who don’t know me may wonder why they should follow my advice. Of course, I don’t blame them. When I’m watching a new presenter, I ask myself the same question.
Your presentation will sound more believable to your audience if you can back up your claims with hard data. You can establish your veracity by citing industry-wide statistics or statistics that bolster your credibility by proving your company’s success.
In my case, I would like to use some statistics that prove how successful my company, ButterflyMX, is in the real estate tech industry. For example, we serve over 1 million apartments. If you are interested in what consumers think about us, you only need to look online. We have over 20,000 5-star reviews.
Related: 7 Ways to Engage Any Audience
3. Know your audience
Depending on who your audience is, you have to adjust your game plan and be prepared to do different things.
I’ve spoken at conferences with very different audiences, and a presentation that inspires one audience may contain useless information for another. As the founder of a real estate technology company, I have the opportunity to speak at a variety of conferences that cater to different markets.
For example, integrators and installers may be more interested in talking about product features and hardware than others, while if you’re presenting to an audience of property managers, you’ll want to tone down the technical details and focus on the benefits a robust video intercom can bring, such as simplifying your daily workload.
Depending on your audience, you need to strike the right balance between talking about hardware specs and features.
4. Design your slides carefully
Slides are a great opportunity to share your company’s aesthetic, tone, and values, but they need to be used effectively.
Slides with too much text look cluttered and will distract your audience, taking their attention away from you. Instead, consider writing that information down in a note and reading it out loud. Slides should focus on one or two visual elements, such as bullet points, charts, or graphs.
When it comes to the actual design of your slides, you’ll want to make sure they adhere to your company’s brand guidelines. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of brand guidelines, they’re a single governing document that outlines key design concepts like your company’s colors and logo.
Related: 6 Ways to Take Your Next Presentation to the Next Level
5. Encourage audience participation
Inviting audience participation is the ultimate way to ensure everyone is focused and paying attention, but it’s also a double-edged sword: you need to be prepared for the results of asking for audience participation to not always be successful.
For example, at the end of a presentation, it’s common to ask the audience if they have any questions, but you run the risk of being met with hostile, bad-mouthed questions, or even silence.
So I recommend giving your audience a few more structured questions or tasks – maybe a show of hands, asking for a specific anecdote, or taking a poll.
Voting has become especially high-tech these days. Why not implement an electronic voting system that allows viewers to vote on their smartphones. That way, they can see the results displayed on a screen and updated in real time.
You should sprinkle these interactive sections throughout your presentation to keep your audience engaged throughout your talk.