12 Apps & Hacks to Level Up Your Next Presentation or Pitch

1. Present like a pro with these uncommon tips

2. All the great speakers were bad speakers at first. -Ralph Waldo Emerson- ryan jenkins

3. 5 apps to level-up your next presentation or pitch…

4. ENVATOMARKET 1 A one-stop-shop to create a compelling presentation or pitch. Find royalty free images, stunning presentation templates, and more that can make your presentation or pitch visually fascinating. Explore Envato Market here.

5. POLLEVERYWHERE 2 Engage your audience by asking them a question with the Poll Everywhere app. Audiences use mobile phones, Twitter, or the web to answer in real time. See the audience’s response live on the web or embedded in a PowerPoint presentation. Explore Poll Everywhere here.

6. SLIDESHARE 3 It’s YouTube for presentations. Influence beyond your live audience by sharing your presentation via SlideShare. And get new ideas or inspired by viewing the millions of existing SlideShare presentations. Explore SlideShare here.

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8. CANVA 4 A free web tool that makes designing simple for everyone. Create your own presentation slides or upload your own images and overlay your own customized text. Powerful presentations and pitches evoke powerful emotions through powerful images. Explore Canva here.

9. TIMER 5 Practice your presentation and time it. Typically during the live presentation or pitch you’ll talk faster due to nerves so factor that in. Consider the Seconds interval timer for iOS or Android. (I use the Logitech Professional Presenter R800 to count down my time and vibrate when I have 10 and 5 minutes remaining.)

10. 7 hacks to level-up your next presentation or pitch…

11. 1 Provide a Roadmap 
 Questions that roll around in the heads of your audience are: What am I going to learn? Will it be applicable to me? How are we going to get there? By providing a roadmap or an agenda slide that addresses those questions will help put your audience at ease. Knowing where they are going will also allow them to be fully present and discourage them from mentally jumping ahead. Give them enough guidance to put them at ease while still peaking their interest. 

12. 2 Address the Elephant 
 Anything that will distract your audience—a loud noise, wardrobe malfunctions, or any technology mishaps—needs to be addressed ASAP. Addressing the elephant in the room will free you and your audience to move past it and get back to focusing on the content.

13. 3 Harness the Power of Repetition 
 What gets repeated gets remembered. "Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.” This is an infamous line in the speaking world, but it stresses the power of repetition. Identify the central theme or message of your presentation and repeat it often throughout your presentation. The pithier the better. What gets repeated gets remembered. (Ahh…see what I did there!)

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15. 4 Never End with Q&A 
 End with Q&A and you run the risk of your presentation being hijacked by an audience member with an off topic or negative question which will be the last impression your audience has of your presentation. Instead, leave 2-3 minutes after the Q&A and end with a story. Use a story that reinforces the purpose of your presentation and inspires your audience to act. End on your terms.

16. 5 Choose to Self Deprecate
 Counter resentment or skepticism as a presenter by self deprecating. Be careful not to undermine your expertise but give them the sense that you are just like them. Self deprecating can help put you on the same level as the audience. Giving the sense that you and your content are perfect will only result in distrust. People like and trust people who can laugh at themselves. 

17. 6 Provide a Resource Page
 After an effective presentation or pitch, your audience will want more of you or the content. Provide your audience with a customized online resource page where you provide links to the research, resources, your social networks, giveaways, and/or copies of the presentation. I use the URL, RyanIsLive.com to direct people to various resource pages or to provide audiences with copies of my presentation slides.

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19. 7 Master the Tie-in
 A tie-in is when a presenter references a moment or comment that the entire audience has experienced together and inserts it into the presentation on-the-fly. The tie-in can take the form of a comment from an audience member or previous speaker, or a memorable moment that was experienced at the event. This tip takes practice and close observation but is sure to create a connection with your audience.

20. BONUS 8 Anticipate Disruptions
 Have a back-up to your back-up plan when the technology fails. Put yourself in the shoes of your skeptics and think through where they will poke holes in your presentation or pitch. Disruptions or disagreements can be a presenter’s greatest opportunity to connect with the audience. Prepare in advance to capitalize.

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22. about RYAN SPEAKER/Author I equip organizations & leaders with the next generation leadership, branding, & communication skills needed to thrive in today’s multi- generational marketplace. Experience the blog & Podcast:
 www.ryan-jenkins.com

23. consider RYAN To be your next Millennial… keynote SPEAKER ryan-jenkins.com/checkavailability rj@ryan-jenkins.com 770-695-7204

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