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Related topic: Learning the art of presentation

But, How do you make any presentation appealing?

Feb 17, 2022 – Babina Banjara


It is very difficult to win the crowd quickly unless you are Tony Stark or Benedict Cumberbatch. So, in the first place, you need attention. Without that, it is very easy to lose a crowd.

So how can you make sure your presentation is not one of them hiding behind? This is actually an art and not a science.

I get to learn this art from RIU. So, let me describe my journey at RIU and the things I have learned.

Just before, How do I come across RIU?

In one random conversation with Bishal Shrestha dai, he asked me if I knew about RIU. Since I was not aware of it, he briefed me all about the focuses, training, and peculiarity of the unit.

I remember him saying “RIU is like a maker place or research department that help us fulfill not only academically but also socially as individuals and an integrated member of a team with common aspirations. It gives a platform to work or research on the expanding global network implementing the concept of — Industries meet academia.

This thing really hit me and I didn’t take a second minute to actually send an email.

I was called for a meeting by Sojan Prajapati dai. He is one of the most talented and intelligible people I had ever met. The enthusiasm and passion in his words were awe-inspiring.

The next day we all gathered in a small yet so lively conference room of RIU filled with students like me, eager to learn and grab every new opportunity. We all shared our opinions, our interest, and our taste with each other. Overall it was a fun day and yet so fruitful. I then went on for a few days with every day perceiving something new and interesting.

So, What next?

Sojan dai was always eager to give us every single piece of information he gained in all these years to all of us. He then started a workshop on presentation aiming to teach how we can take a simple boring presentation to a new height making it engaging.

We not only learned to create a good presentation but also the art of storytelling during a presentation. 

What I learned throughout?

Like every other day, we all were inspired by how he can turn every simple thing into a masterpiece with his skills and his captivating gestures during presenting. The best part of him is that his points are always clear and his statements are very graspable. There was not a single minute throughout the session that we were diverted or were not focused on him.

Let me explain in brief the insights I gained attending the classes. What should you really focus on while making a good presentation?

Story Telling

All presentations should tell a story. Even the most truthful and critical analysis should take the audience from ignorance to knowledge, and that journey requires storytelling.

We all love stories. We all remember stories – real, genuine, heartfelt stories. When you share real stories you can actually build an immediate connection with your audience. 

So, prepare every presentation such that it tells a story and you won’t go wrong.

Simplicity

Most people can’t absorb a ton of information, and even if they can, they don’t want to. Less information is often admirable.

So try making your presentation as simple as you can. Focus on providing that one key takeaway, and do it in a way that ensures the audience gets connected to it. To do that, of course, your story needs to be simple and clear. 

Visual Representation

If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good. Yes, facts, figures, charts, spreadsheets are important for that. But what is more important is how you present it to them. No one likes reading slides right?

Try creating more figures as it helps your audience to engage with you.

  • If you need a chart to show a point, use the slide.
  • If you need a few dots to highlight key points, use the slide.
  • If not let the audience focus on you: your enthusiasm, your knowledge, your body language. 
Key takeaway:

Whenever you have more than ten to twelve words on a slide your audience will start reading it and stop listening to you.

So always limit the number of slides so your audience can focus and listen to you.

Summarizing my experience as a learner

We were given a few samples and also a task to create any sort of slide using the skills we gained throughout the session. And trust me every one of us were phenomenal.

I then looked at the project I prepared before the session and created a new project after the session. It was so distinct and the new project was so powerful in itself. I had never thought I could ever make this sort of presentation.

Overall it was a great experience to learn from Sojan dai. He really has great interpersonal skills and strength in himself to make everyone around involved.

I was happy and satisfied to be in an environment where I could discover, learn and grow among such aspiring individuals. As always it was a productive session in RIU and I learned many new tips that will really help me in real-world experience.

I am just confident now that I can make really great presentations whenever needed.


“Your slides should be a billboard, not a document.”

                                                                                                                                                                                         –  Lee Jackson