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Hosting your first business presentation can be a scary prospect. Of course, internal business presentations will often test you, because as an owner you will be relaying the development of your firm in the clearest terms to those you have managed and motivated, in other words showing them proof of your management style and how you’ve directed your team. While you may be familiar and friendly with the staff in your employ, the fear of public speaking is also quite real in these situations.

But an open business presentation could be much more worrying. You may have potential or current investors sitting in the meeting, or perhaps be presenting over the internet via a live stream, adding thousands to those watching. You might be presenting at an expo looking for support and your first product launch, or you might be trying to address issues and accusations that might have been levelled at your firm thus far.

Hosting a business presentation is stressful, and whoever says it isn’t has not been involved with presenting one before. We hope that with our following advice, you make your next one the best yet:

Keep Your Notes Simple

It’s well worth writing down a collection of notes to serve as a prompt when you’re unsure of what to say. It’s extremely easy to blank during your first business presentation, especially if this is the first public offering you have given. We all think we are as prepared as can be, but sometimes, it is easy for important points to slip your mind in the middle of the presentation. A simple list of notes on your presenting platform, or perhaps a set of cards you can hold will help you keep on track, and also ensure you don’t spend too much time on any one topic.

This can be thoroughly worthwhile for anyone, no matter how experienced they are in public speaking.  No crowd will judge the use of notes, and it can also help you seem more professional. This is because it’s glaringly obvious when someone is simply looking at the slides of the display to prompt their words, but looking at cards can help you reveal information that might not be there, helping your presence remain more reactive and interesting, justifying your presence on stage a little more.

But be sure to keep your notes simple. If you have to read them for twenty seconds before starting the next topic, you might have to refine them a little. Sometimes a simple word or picture can help you understand the topic you wish to speak about, as well as an estimated time for how long you wish to stay on this topic.

Bring The Sense Of Occasion

We’ve all been in a stuffy business presentation. A place that feels musky, boring, with no sense of real meaning aside from the statistics and visions we’re going to have thrown at us. We might be there in a work capacity, but none of us enjoy those presentations very much. This isn’t what you should be hoping for yours. Bring a sense of occasion to matters. Start with music, or bring some form of creative lighting to the table. Inject some humor into your presentation. Be confident and charming, or ask someone in your business who is to present.

It could be the little things that also add to the occasion. For example, a little sample bag of free items and contact information for your firm can help the guests leave with something to remember you by. The little details also matter plenty. For example, during a product launch, you might offer branded printed paper cups to collect coffee or your refreshments drink options. While we’re on the topic, it’s also important to consider:

Food & Drink

If you’re inviting journalists, professionals or creatives in your industry to your presentation, it’s important to have the event catered. Feeding people well is often one of the easiest things to take care of right, but you must ensure it is taken care of right. Little sliders are often much more convenient to eat, as are finger foods and items that can stay on a tray for an hour without worry. Ensure it’s labelled efficiently for allergies, and differing items such as vegetarian and vegan options are laid out far from the meat-items, and there’s no question what’s there. Also ensure that the food is packaged well, there are many trash bins around, and to stay away from items that could cause illness, such as meats or fish. The last thing you want when inviting journalists for your press release is to give everyone food poisoning.

Of course, you needn’t go further than offering everyone coffee and tea. But if you believe that catering could give you some extra justification to add to the celebration, you might find that keeping your attendees happy in this way is extremely useful. We would recommend collaborating closely with a professional and proven catering firm.

Know Your Purpose

When hosting a business presentation, it can be important to develop a singular vision for how you will express things. For example, let’s roll with the current example, suggesting that you are showing off a product launch to keen journalists within your field. While you might mention something to do with your business history if it has relevance, or what your plans for the future are, or how you are proud of the progress you have made, this all takes away from the overall itemized and original consideration – showing off the product in the best, yet most succint manner possible. Of course, dressing is necessary to build suspense and to keep your business function exciting, but without dedicated focus on the original purpose, you might veer off and the presentation might take on a complexity you weren’t quite intending to show.

With this advice, you are sure to host a business presentation in the best manner possible.