How to make your presentations meaningful

If you make your presentations meaningful it makes them memorable and inpirational. Here are some ways you can make your presentations meaningful.

On a visit to the Florence Art Gallery to see some of the great works of art from the Renaissance, I saw two famous paintings by Botticelli.

The Birth of Venus and Springtime.

Whilst I am the first to admit that I am not a great art critic, even I had to admit that these paintings were magnificent.

I duly stood, admired, pondered and was about to move on.

Until my attention was caught by a voice behind me explaining the painting.

A woman was asking her companion some questions about what he could notice in the picture and then was guiding his gaze to various parts of the composition.

I was hooked. Trying subtly to look as if I was deep in thought, I leaned back as far as was politely and physically possible without falling over to listen to the unofficial commentary. And suddenly, I saw the painting differently. Noticing things I hadn’t seen before. I understood the significance of others and appreciated the placement of objects, colours and symbols.

I ‘got’ the story Botticelli was telling.

And yes, I turned into a bit of a stalker. At least in the part of the gallery.

Do your listeners need an interpreter?

Presentations delivered as information downloads without explanation, interpretation or guidance are like looking at a painting without the help of a friendly interpreter. Ok, but not usually memorable and certainly not inspiring. Here are some of the things we can do for our listeners:

Give it a try

Which of these will you try to make your presentations meaningful?

If you’d like help making your presentations meaningful and inspiring, let’s chat – get in touch.