Whether public speaking is your forté or you’re pushing yourself to try something new, presenting at a conference is huge. It gives you a literal platform to stand on and speak to your expertise. You get to highlight relevant experiences, findings, or revelations you wish you’d come to earlier.
But you’re also not alone in the opportunity to present to conference attendees. With dozens of other speakers covering topics in a similar vein, standing out can be a challenge. Here are a few ways to make your presentation the one everyone is talking (and posting) about.
Make Your Deck Pop
Getting up on stage at a conference, you’re typically up there alone with a mic. You may have a small table or a glass of water, but it’s pretty bare. That’s because your slide deck projected onto the big screen is the visual focal point. As such, it’s important to create a memorable presentation for the audience to watch.
After all, the same cookie-cutter slide deck is hardly the way to make an impression on attendees of your conference. That means avoiding presets in PowerPoint or Google Slides and opting for more unique designs. Choose a color scheme with text that’s easily visible from close and far away. Format slides with enough content to supplement what you’re saying without requiring attendees to read entire paragraphs.
Then, you’re ready to take the visuals up a level. If you’re talking about something complicated, like software or certain processes, don’t just talk about it. Show it. Use a screenshot app to visually display screenshots that bolster your talking points. Add a video to your presentation to give your vocal cords a rest and revitalize your talk with new content. Taking these steps to create a visually appealing, engaging presentation will leave a mark on everyone involved.
Find a Niche Topic
When conference attendees are given the agenda, they likely review it to highlight the sessions they plan to attend. What are those decisions largely made based on? Your presentation’s title and description. That’s why it’s so important to find something interesting to speak about. (Or at least give it a title with a hook.)
There are plenty of ways to achieve this goal, too. You could find a pop culture reference to weave into your session — like a celebrity or recent event — to grab attention. You could zone in on something other speakers don’t have the expertise to speak on and use that to your advantage. You could challenge yourself to look at a popular topic from a unique angle.
The point is to make a presentation that people would be excited to see. That way, they’re more likely to make time to go. And ultimately, building an audience is one way to get people to pay attention to your talk. Naturally, the more bodies in the room to speak to, the more people are likely to remember your presentation.
Create Audience Engagement
A lot of conferences involve sitting for hours on end followed by short breaks for meals or coffee. The days are filled with sitting and moving to another location to sit again. Understandably, that makes the attendees a bit restless. So, getting people out of their seats and involved in the presentation experience is one way to make an impact.
Instead of the stereotypical greeting, ask people to get out of their seats. Ask a question related to your presentation — maybe how much they know about the topic. Or if they agree or disagree with a statement related to the talk’s theme. Instruct them to move to the side of the room that corresponds with their answer. This breaks up the day and creates an experience that involves more senses, making it more memorable.
Finding these low-effort, rather simple ways to engage your audience will differentiate yours from other presentations. You’ll get people moving and incorporate a special twist to your talk they may not be expecting. That can’t help but leave an impression.
Start and End With Simple
Sometimes it takes attendees a few minutes to get settled. They’re rushing from one session to another, trying to find a seat, and maybe replying to emails, too. That’s why structuring your talk to ease into the more complicated aspects is key.
You can start with a brief explanation of who you are and what your experiences thus far have been. Then, move into an overview of your agenda to get everyone on the same page. At that point, you’re likely a few minutes into the talk and should be good to dive into more detailed aspects.
Follow the same approach for the conclusion, too. With a meal and another session upcoming, you don’t want to leave your key takeaways until the end. Sandwiching your content this way makes it easier to follow along and ensures people get the most from your presentation.
Leave Your Mark
When the dust settles and the conference has come and gone, attendees often experience information overload. They’ve sat through a dozen talks and were bombarded with more content than they could process in a few days. Still, one or two presentations likely stood out above the rest.
With a snazzy presentation and a unique topic, yours should be among the highlights. That will mean more reach for your content and future conference opportunities heading your way. What more could you ask for?
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