How to Craft a Great Presentation
This is a contributed post and may contain affiliate links. The thoughts and ideas expressed may not be exactly what the ghostwriter Scott Sery believes. But he did read it, and signed off on it, so it’s at least pretty close.
If you’re a writer who’s looking to land those high-level clients, then occasionally, you’re going to have to reach out beyond the screen. Some clients won’t trust you with their brand until you’re able to sell yourself to them, and this might require a presentation. You need to showcase your work and what you can do for them, and you want to make sure that you carry it off with the professionalism and the competence that can truly help you stand out. So, how do you do it?
Do Your Research
One of the most important things about high-end clients is that they expect you to know them, to anticipate or at least be ready to understand their pain points, and to be able to sell them on what you, specifically, can do for them. As such, look at their existing marketing strategy, their messaging style, as well as their competitors. If you can find pain points like weak storytelling, brand inconsistency, or otherwise, frame your services around those specific strengths. Don’t call them out on it, exactly, unless they seem open to some constructive criticism, but highlight what gaps you can fill.
Ensure Polish And Professionalism On The Screen
You may be a lot more focused on the content of your presentation and the words coming out of your mouth, and that’s how it should be, in the room. However, first impressions matter visually, as well. To that end, using tools like AI-driven presentation slide templates can not only save you a lot of time that you would otherwise spend handcrafting your presentation, but can also ensure that your content is professionally formatted. They may not be hiring you for a well-organized presentation, but your ability to demonstrate that you can format your ideas into readable, helpful chunks is certainly worth showcasing as a writer.
Body Language Does Matter
Writers are often not the most gregarious and outgoing of people, but you need to practice that persona for your presentation. Working on your body language is important. When you’re talking, try maintaining eye contact to create a sense of connection and to help ground yourself and focus. Not knowing where to look is an uncomfortable physical sensation and can shake your confidence, which eye contact can help with. However, if you’re presenting to more than one person, try to switch who you’re engaging with from time to time. Try to keep your posture relaxed and your gestures natural, but keep your back straight and your head raised. Practicing the words you’re going to use, or allowing yourself some freedom to verbalize freely around your given talking points, can help you maintain a steadier and warmer tone throughout the presentation, as well.
Presentation excellence is, to some degree, a matter of practice. Preparing ahead of time, reading it out to a test audience (even a mirror), and getting to know the contents deeply so that you can show it confidently in the room are all important. However, you should expect some on-the-spot learning from real experience, too, so don’t be afraid to try again even if you don’t land those clients the first time.