Presenting information clearly and effectively can be challenging. Whether you want to convince a board that your company is right for them, or you’re trying to engage an entire crowd, you need to be able to get your key business messages across concisely and with passion. To offer some assistance, we’ve put together five top tips for presenting your next sales pitch.

Show you’re passionate

Passion is something that salespeople cannot fake. If you’re not passionate about what you are presenting, the chances are that your audience will be disengaged and uninspired. Make sure that you understand your product or service inside out – and, above all else, be passionate about what you do. Passion is known to build trust with your prospects, and it’s impossible to make a sale without trust.

First impressions count

The first two or three minutes of your presentation are the most important, so make them count.  If you can, deliver the defining aspects of your pitch or presentation in your opening sentences, and use some ‘hooks’ that engage your audience. Whether that’s “I’m going to show you how to add 10% on your annual turnover” or “the secrets I’m going to share today will change your business,” you need to make an impact. If you miss the opportunity to excite, your audience will switch off.

Keep your presentation short

With new research suggesting humans have a shorter attention span than goldfish, it’s more important than ever to keep your presentation short and sweet. Run through your presentation with friends or colleagues and get their feedback – is everything on your PowerPoint relevant and important to the discussion? If not, cut your presentation down and focus on only the key aspects.

Get closer to your audience

Many professionals use their presentation podium as a place to hide, but stepping out into the audience and getting closer to your participants is one of the best ways to boost engagement. Your podium can often act as a barrier between you and your audience, so removing this barrier will help you build business rapport and make the connection that you want to make.

Remember the shortcuts

Don’t stumble when it comes to technology. Not only will it make you look inexperienced and unprofessional, but it will make you nervous and increase your chances of stumbling. Pressing the ‘B’ key while you are in a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation will hide your presentation so you can discuss something off topic, while the obvious back and forward buttons will move your presentation along. If you want to be really organised, invest in a clicker or remote control.

The key to any good presentation is preparation. If you’re new to presenting or you just want to improve your skills, don’t hesitate to take advantage of the presentation training offered by Frosch Learning. Whether you’re selling to a group or team selling, we have a range of courses to boost your confidence, your skill and your ability to generate results.