The 5-minute Presentation Guide

How to make five-minute presentations work

In this article we'll look at the tricks and techniques you'll

need to master 5-minute presentations and make them work

for you. Before you start you'll need to assemble the facts.

Write then down on a piece of paper. Now you're ready.

If you follow the 10 tips on this page - and have a look

at the other articles on this site - you'll learn that making

a good impression is important. Look at the clothes you are wearing and make sure they are appropriate.

Can you get people to agree with you and take action

after your five-minute presentation? Actually it's not

that difficult. In the last few years psychologists have

discovered exactly what you need to do to get results.

We've simplified their research so that it's easy to remember

and apply. Now you can use it in the real world - just remember

the following 10 points:

(1) Get the Fundamentals Right

Let's start at the beginning. Your five-minute presentation must

do two things:

(1) It must give your audience the right information

(2) it must persuade them to make the right decision.

The "Information" includes the facts and figures that you present.

Obviously - you have to get those right. But the second part is also

important.You have to persuade the key members of the audience that

it is in their interest to do what you ask.

The 5-minute presentation must include at least 2 minutes when

you are not giving new information - instead you are persuading.

Are you missing anything?

You may think you're almost ready to give this 5-minute presentation

but you could be missing something. When you have read through

the article come back and click this button:

That page will give you some ideas about what other people are using

to gain an advantage over their rivals. Remember - when you give a

presentation you'll be compared to others. It's worth keeping an eye

on what the competition is like.

(2) Limit the Information

If you try to put too much information into

the presentation you will distract people and

make it difficult to get your message across

- so keep it simple.

To help people make the right decision you must help them understand that it's in their own best interest to follow your advice.

In other words, look at it from their perspective and ask: "what's in it for them?" Build your presentation around the answer to that question.

Use the structure outlined in the next section to develop an argument that will appeal to them - one they'll find difficult to ignore or resist.

(3) Grab their Attention at the start

Professional presenters know they have only a few

seconds to grab the listeners' attention so they structure

their information. The first few words must spell out the

benefits (or problems) - followed by critical key-points.

The summary should always include a call to action.

This will get people thinking about the steps they need to

take when the presentation is over.

In another article on this site you'll see that people forget

over 60% of what you've told them in the first hour. The

solution is to "painting a picture" and include concrete details.

The important thing to remember? You must give them more

than just the facts.

(4) Get the Structure right

When professionals prepare for a five-minute

presentation they limit the number of points

they're going to present. They identify and use

only those that will interest the specific audience.

They then build the presentation using a structure.

The following structure that can be very effective:

Benefit (or Problem)

Outline of argument (what you're going to tell them)

Main point 1

Main point 2

Main point 3

Summary (what you've told them)

Call to action

You'll notice the repetition in that structure - this is

very important. It conditions the audience to listen

closely. It prepares them mentally.

The outline primes them to receive, understand and

accept each key point. At the end of the presentation

they are reminded again of the key points and then

they are given a call to action.

(5) Target Key Points to Personality traits

For best results each key point must appeal to your

listeners. It must "resonate" with them. You can make

that happen by developing a profile of the key members

of the audience. Identify their key traits.

The key question is whether they are detail-orientated

or not. If not, concentrate on the big picture and offer

detail only when asked.

(6) Add Graphics

If the people you want to persuade are visually orientated then you

should use graphics to make your point. At it's simplest this could

be a single page containing a photograph, diagram or graph.

However, if you really want to make your point you should consider

using slides. NOTE: it is very important that the slides do not

contain bullet points.

If you are going to use PowerPoint or a similar presentation package

you should have the computer, projector and software all set up before

you start. There should be no delay getting started.

(7) Use Animated Graphics

You should also consider using animated graphics because they

will draw attention to your key points like nothing else. You can

find some details here:

Animated Graphics

Animated graphics are very powerful if you use then cleverly.

Each one should be used to re-enforce one of your key points. When

you use them in this way you'll find that the audience remembers those

points far longer than would otherwise be the case.

(8) Don't use too many slides

As mentioned already - don't try to include too much information

in your presentation. You should have less than five slides - preferably

just one or two good ones.

(9) Be prepared for Questions

If people are interested in what you're saying they'll ask questions.

Draw up a list of the most likely questions and work out how you're

going to answer. Keep you answers short and snappy.

If you have a question that's difficult to answer you can simply say "We

can chat about that later - I don't want to hold everyone up. It'll take a

while to go through it."

(10) Use PPT Backgrounds

If you're thinking of using PowerPoint for your presentation than you

might like to consider what backgrounds you are going to use. We have

developed three PPT backgrounds that you can download free and use

for your 5-minute presentation,