The eighth key to creating a killer presentation builds upon the previous seven. Now that your audience is participating with you, you are communicating effectively and with confidence, and you have their attention, you need to maintain the environment in the room.
Be Aware of Distractions
Environment plays a key role in facilitating a successful experience for all. Distractions can occur in all kinds of forms and spoil the impact of your presentation. In fact, a bad environment can undermine all the work you have invested in applying the previous eight keys. Remember that the information gathered from the five senses has the strongest impact on people and this especially applies to the environment where you hold your event. Environment includes the look, the smell, even the auditory environment and location of the seminar room.
Smell
What does the room smell like? Does it smell of new carpet, creating that business atmosphere, or does it smell of stale shrimp or nicotine? People are going to associate the smell of that room with your presentation. You might need to get steam cleaners in to shampoo the carpet before your presentation. Maybe you need to open windows and doors beforehand to air the room and remove any odors. Lighting some scented candles before people arrive or arranging for fresh flowers to be in the room can be a good strategy to creating the atmosphere you want your attendees to experience.
Visual
The décor of the room is another area to consider. Is the paint in good condition or is it peeling? How is the lighting in the room? Lighting can completely change the atmosphere, as most people are aware of when it comes to creating romance. Do you want dimmed spotlights on the audience? Do you want bright lights that will keep them awake? Are there distracting statues or posters in the room, or could you hang inspirational posters pertaining to your presentation?
Auditory
Sound or the audio environment can make or break your presentation. You can alter the entire mood of your speech dramatically with the right use of music. Playing some soft jazz when people are arriving can put your audience at ease. A bold musical background while you walk on stage to begin can give an extra boost of confidence and impact for the start of your presentation. Including a clip from a popular or humorous song, can help emphasize an important point. Think of well-known themes like jaws or star wars. Music can inspire, increase the energy in the room, or even encourage deep thinking, as has been proved with certain classical pieces of music.
Create Energy–Stir Emotions
In the end, you want to create energy in your audience. You want to get people involved and engaged throughout the duration of your workshop and most importantly, you want to stir their emotions. Tapping into people’s emotions is the only way you really influence them and help bring positive change to their lives because people change based on emotions. If they feel this is right for them, and sense this is the direction they need to move in, and they feel the energy you are communicating, they are going to be motivated to apply what you are teaching to their own lives.
Stop and think of the smell memories you have. Can you recall your grandma’s fresh baked apple pie or the smell of a cinnamon candle burning at Christmas time? Can you remember the smell of salt water at the beach? Those smell memories are probably linked with other strong memories, times in your life that had an emotional impact on you.
These are the experiences people remember, not the words spoken, but the environment and the atmosphere surrounding it, and how it made them feel and how it appealed to their senses. If you want to give a killer presentation, do not forget to tailor your environment for success.
