We’ve all been there. You’ve been tasked with presenting something to co-workers, clients, or leadership and it’s gotten down to the wire. You know the content that needs to be shared, but pulling everything together into a well-organized, well-produced presentation can feel like a daunting task. It’s time to pour a cup of coffee, sit down and get to work, but where do you begin? Follow these simple steps to make a positive presentation impression in 24 hours. 

1. Start With an Outline

This may seem simple but when the pressure is mounting, sometimes the simple fixes fly out the window in a frenzy of stress. Sit down with the task at hand and create an outline. Identify the main thesis of the presentation, list the supporting information, and determine the call to action for your audience. By determining a clear objective and call to action, you’ll know exactly what needs to be said and what doesn’t. Once you’ve outlined the key information you need to present, edit the outline to determine what is essential and what can be cut. By doing this during the outlining phase you save yourself precious minutes and spare yourself the arduous task of making major edits later. As you build your presentation, your outline will serve as a guide. And while you’re delivering the presentation, use the outline as your script so you can seamlessly click through your materials. 

2. Build a Clear Slide Deck

When creating the digital component of a presentation, less tends to be more. Build a slide deck that is crisp, clear, and consistent. Only put relevant information on your digital slides. Limit the amount of text on each slide so key elements are featured and easy for the audience to grasp quickly and recall later. Each slide should have a short, clear heading and simple bullet points with essential supporting information. Using one main template that features your company logo or other relevant branding will create a clean, professional aesthetic and keep your audience focused on the main points of the presentation. It can be tempting to clutter your slides with clip art or other fillers, but avoid that to leave a positive impression. Make sure to include relevant contact information on your final slide to make follow up easier. 

3. Include Hard Copy Materials

By including supporting hard copies for your presentation, you take a major load off yourself, put less pressure on your digital slides, and leave your audience with the key information you want them to take away. This is especially valuable when your presentation is data-heavy. Bogging an audience down with too many digitized numbers, charts, and graphs will tune them out. By including hard copy handouts, you allow the audience to focus more on what you’re saying, and they won’t have to scribble notes to keep track of all the data. Handouts also provide a space where the audience can easily jot down questions directly related to the material, making it easier to answer. 

Work with Printastik 

At Printastik, we take pride in making professional presentations more compelling through excellent supporting materials. By printing handouts, business cards, and other elements with Printastik, your presentation will be imbued with polish. We produce high-quality copies with fast turnaround, so you’ll be able to catch your breath and focus on rehearsing your remarks. Partner with our team in Minnesota by calling (651) 659-9680 or emailing us sales@printastik.biz.