How to Make Short 5 Minute Presentations

If you work in a small or micro business with few employees, it is likely that you don’t have to do as many presentations as you would in a larger company. Delivering an effective and engaging presentation isn’t just something which you practice a few times at school or college and then forget about – you never know when they might come in handy. There are a variety of situations from networking events to delivering speeches to customer groups that require good presenting skills, and as with most things, practice definitely helps, especially with reducing nerves. Whilst it can be difficult to get all of your important ideas across effectively and in a structured manner in just five minutes, it’s by no means impossible. I came across a short 5 minute video narrated by Vera Hughes (very RP accent by the way) on the Videojug website whereby they describe the key features and aspects to creating and delivering a presentation of this short length. These can be summarised as follows…

1. Prepare – Consider your audience, the message you intend to get across, and the unique features that your product can offer. Colour coded cards help for making notes.
2. Rehearse – Practice either in front of a mirror or in front of a friend / colleague. This will also help you get to grips with how much information you can include in the 5 minutes.
3. Appearance – Making sure you’re looking smart is a no-brainer, but try and wear clothes that contrast with the background – for example a black jacket against a white background would stand out rather than being disappearing against the background.
4. Making the presentation – Try and control your nerves by deep and slow breathing beforehand. Then make sure you stand tall, smile, and convey your message clearly, trying to look at different parts of the audience throughout the presentation. Finish with a call to action to invite responses.
5. Follow up – hand out business cards with space on for notes, and follow up with any contacts or questions within the next few days.

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Tags: presentations, small business presentation, presentation tips