Six Common Problems While Preparing Presentations, and Their Solutions

Unfortunately there is not a literal template that may apply to all presentations. The original design, prepared in accordance with the unique content of each presentation, comes at the beginning of the factors, which are of great importance to the success of the presentation.

That is why Ozgun Ozpinar Presentation Studio has pursued the most common problems in the preparation of presentations in order to better understand the needs of companies and to increase the success rates of the presentations.

The information obtained at the end of the research gives important clues to everyone who prepares a presentation. Let’s take a look at the common presentation problems and how to solve them.

Time limitation

Having limited time is the leading problem that companies, who prepare a presentation encounter. It is not always possible to invest serious time in preparing a presentation while you already have a long to-do-list. However, the efforts lasting for days or even weeks, which is the investment in preparation time are the keys to success of various speakers, including Steve Jobs, that is thought to speak improvisational and impromptu.

The simplest solution to this problem is to start the preparations early, considering your busy calendars. Give yourself the time you need. Create yourself a chance to prepare your presentation from scratch carefully and to consider all the details. Apply for professional support to edit the content you have prepared or the data you plan to convey. You focus on your content and the flow while your texts are being edited and your visuals are being designed. Thus you may increase your chances of preparing a presentation that creates a difference on the flow of your narrative and storytelling of your data. You can always contact Ozgun Ozpinar Presentation Studio to get support for your content as well as your presentation design.

Unfamiliarity to the venue

The presenter is supposed to lead the entire venue while they are on the stage. From technical equipment to audience placement and stage design, you need to be familiar with everything. Any surprises that you will encounter after you are on the stage can disrupt the flow of the entire presentation.

Telling certain parts of the presentation in front of a certain audience, and even the knowledge of how much of your voice is heard in the venue can strengthen familiarity and your power on the stage. For example, establishing eye contact with the Chair of the Executive Board, rather than the IT Director, in a section on the annual marketing budget will make a significant difference. Getting to know your presentation environment and obtaining the necessary information in advance will greatly facilitate your mission.

Building weak relations between the presentation and the audience

Have you ever been to a presentation where the speaker always looks at the notes, screen, floor, and even the ceiling? If your answer is “Yes,” you know it’s not a very enjoyable experience. Eliminating this mistake may require some effort, but it is indispensable for a successful presentation.

When you’re on the stage, you have to do your best to be a perfect storyteller because it is your duty as a speaker to establish the connection between the presentation and the audience. If you focus entirely on presentation content and leave the audience out, you probably have difficulty to transmit your messages.

To solve this problem, tell your audience what you will talk about in your presentation from the beginning. Once you’re on the stage, address the audience and talk to them. Rather than looking at the screen, spend a large portion of the presentation making eye contact with your audience. Give examples and tell stories to make the audience connect by activating their emotions.

Selecting an adequate language and tone

In presentations that are expected to address an audience, you need to speak the language that the audience understands. For example, if you are telling the employees from every department about the data about the economy, choose the jargon you use carefully. If the audience doesn’t understand you, what you say will lose it’s meaning. You can briefly explain the terms you have to use to avoid this.

When the audience doesn’t understand you, they get distracted and lose interest. It is also very important to find the appropriate tone as the language you use. Even if you are in a very institutional environment, try to create an intimate, personal language within the formal format. You can do that with your words and your body language.

Difficulty in effective visual selection

Every day you are exposed to a large number of images. This intense encounter can sometimes make it difficult to distinguish between “good” and “bad” visuals. You can refer to a previously published article by  on the right visual selection for more information. Briefly speaking, the indispensable rule of effective visual selection for a presentation is to be consistent. Use similarly designed visuals on each page and try to capture a harmony.

Another important rule is the use of simple visuals. It helps to ensure that your presentation is successful to facilitate the perception of visual in accordance with the flow of the presentation, by allowing the audience to fully focus on the visual. Another point to consider for effective visuals is that the image should be compatible in such a way that it supports your content.

A visual that tells a story in itself and empowers your words means an effective visual. To do this, you need to compare the image you like with your presentation and question the impact it will create. The question of “How beautiful is it?” comes after the effect that the image will create.

The struggle of shortening texts

When people come to listen to a presentation, they don’t want to read the text on the screen, but they expect the speaker will transfer information that will add value to them. If you want a hint to adjust the dosage of the text, here it is: remember that the audience is there to listen to you, not to read the text. You have more information than the text you have included in your presentation and are expected to share it with the audience.

While getting prepared, you can type your text as long as you want. Then summarise this text with the main ideas. Remove details other than essential keywords and edit the text in an appropriate format. Here, your ideal length of text is ready!

Final words

Making a good presentation requires experience and effort. However, the process is much easier for you when you are aware of the common problems mentioned above. Now you know what to pay attention to.

Widely seen presentation mistakes will guide you through preparing your own presentation and help you make a successful one. Knowing that you need time for elaborate preparation and the venue you will be presenting is important for the beginning.

In order to attract the attention of the audience, it will ensure you to have a strong connection and to keep your content short and concise. Choose effective visuals and speak the language that your audience is familiar to. Making a speech on stage is not just about words, but a holistic performance. By keeping this in mind, you can plan your words in advance.