The request of the future training
The trade magazine Zukunft Training regularly reports on interesting solutions and services from the best trainers, speakers and coaches in the German-speaking world.
For the current 35th issue of Zukunft Training, I was asked to write an article on the main topic of “innovative presentations“. In addition, I was interviewed at length about current trends in presenting.
I gladly accepted the invitation from the editors of Zukunft Training to explain to the readers of Zukunft Training how smavicon works and what makes a successful presentation. Although I was given a relatively large amount of space in the booklet for my topic, I had to limit myself to a few important points so as not to go beyond the scope.
Consider the 5 As!
My article in Zukunft Training magazine begins with the question of how a good presentation should be designed. Did I already tell you about the 5 As? These As stand for pleasant-other-than-all others. That would also be my first tip for successful presenting. A speaker should always stand out from the crowd of competitors. The most boring PowerPoint presentation gains immensely in format when the slides are presented professionally and charmingly. A speaker who positively impresses his audience with an unusually gripping and humorous presentation will also be able to “sell” the contents of his talk.
However, just as it is possible to enhance a somewhat bland set of slides with a free and witty speech, it is also possible, of course, to win over your audience with an innovative presentation design. Especially when a new product, a change or perhaps a new strategy is to be presented, the superiority of a new idea can be further illustrated by using modern presentation techniques. A noble packaging (presentation technique) additionally enhances the content (information). Conversely, the most ingenious innovation will subconsciously arouse skepticism in the auditorium if it is presented on boring and old-fashioned slides.
A crucial point for the right type of presentation is knowing the type of the listener. In our presentation booster method, we analyze the different target group types in order to optimally match the right presentation mix of information, emotion, visualization and staging. For example, there are people who react particularly strongly to emotions. Others are better convinced by hard facts. The right mix makes the difference between a simple slide lecture and a convincing presentation. In any case, if possible, you should stimulate all the senses of your audience with your presentation.
Be creative as well as innovative!
Be creative, surprise your audience with presentation styles that are out of the ordinary! For example, if your industry likes to use a lot of color in presentations, maybe try a minimalist design. If PowerPoint has been your go-to, you may want to choose a different presentation system. Film sequences might also be a new medium for your presentation. For example, we like to use small video clips, so-called moods, to specifically evoke emotions in the audience. What mood do you want to create in the audience? There are almost no limits to your imagination and modern presentation techniques.
One last example should illustrate that you can now also make your presentations interactive, provided your audience has a smartphone or tablet. The “Augmented Impact Presentations” developed by us offers the audience a possibility to retrieve additional information during the presentation if desired. At certain points in the presentation, the audience is informed that they can access further information at this point. If the mobile devices are now pointed at a specific spot on the screen, additional information can be downloaded via a special “augmented app”. Those with an affinity for numbers can call up additional statistics. For the emotional type, there may be a video clip available. In this way, the presentation can offer additional material for different needs without overloading the actual presentation with content.
The editors of Zukunft Training asked me in an interview how this innovative presenting can be trained. At smavicon we use Crowd Based Presentation Coaching to significantly improve the skills of our participants in a short period of time. At our Presentation Bootcamps, speakers have the opportunity to apply their techniques in front of an audience and quickly optimize their performance through feedback from the audience and trainers. After a few passes, you can make huge leaps in your own performance this way.
Here you can order the 35th issue of Zukunft Training. 
Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Informatiker Matthias Garten is the expert for multimedia presentations. He is an entrepreneur, speaker (TOP 100 Speaker), trainer (TOP 100 Excellence Trainer), multiple book author, presentation coach, member of the GSA and Club 55, organizer of the Presentation Conference and the Presentation Bootcamp. In addition to PowerPoint and presentation training, he inspires and advises companies to present themselves even more effectively and thus stand out from competitors. He is the business owner of the presentation and PowerPoint agency smavicon Best Business Presentations and with his team has created over 15,000 presentations for over 150 industries since 1993.
