| Where do you get your inspiration for your | | | | something? Another great source of material for |
| presentations? It's a common dilemma for many | | | | challenges and determination. With the right tools and |
| business presenters who struggle to find the right | | | | process, you were able to finish your project: the |
| content that will interest their audience and keep | | | | same could apply to your business project or |
| their attention. Whether you are putting together a | | | | initiative. |
| sales presentation for a customer, an internal meeting | | | | - A large family purchase. Did you recently purchase a |
| or any important business event, here are three tips | | | | house or a car or a major appliance? Most people go |
| for where to look for material that is relevant, | | | | through a lot of research, comparing products and |
| compelling and interesting. | | | | warranties. This is a perfect analogy for what your |
| Tip 1: Current News. One of the very best sources | | | | customers do when they evaluate your product or |
| for presentation ideas comes from the daily news. Is | | | | service vs. your competitors. |
| there a news event that you can use to jump start | | | | Tip 3: Look to the World of Sports. Sports are |
| your presentation? Look for a story that would be | | | | universal. No matter what the culture or the age of |
| relevant for your listeners and one that has been on | | | | an audience, most people can relate to a sports |
| the front pages for a few days. The key is to find a | | | | analogy. Again, look at the local news for ideas. Has |
| similarity in the news story that you can apply to | | | | an individual athlete had a great victory? Think of |
| your current speaking situation. | | | | Tiger Woods winning a tournament or Lance |
| For example, is there an economic event, like the | | | | Armstrong cycling to a win or any well recognized |
| stock market dramatically up or down? This could be | | | | super athlete like David Beckham or Yao Ming. |
| the perfect analogy for a sales presentation. Or a | | | | When they win a game this can be great material for |
| new space shuttle or satellite just sent into space? A | | | | business presentations. Each athlete faces struggles, |
| great comparison for the challenges and triumphs of | | | | they train and practice, get the right tools or gear in |
| your team or organization. | | | | place, they study their competition and they drive |
| Tip 2: A Personal Story. Some presenters look to | | | | themselves until they come out on top. Isn't this |
| events in their family life to help start a presentation. | | | | what your team or organization or company does? |
| - Can you use a family vacation as the basis for a | | | | Keep in mind, it can be a team, not just an individual. |
| story to show how all family members got together | | | | Look to your local sports teams in your city for |
| to work as a team to make a camping trip a great | | | | possible inspiration. |
| experience? This could be the foundation for talking | | | | No matter what your business presentation is about, |
| about challenges and how teamwork makes the | | | | you can always find inspiration, stories and analogies |
| difference. | | | | in the common places, people and events around |
| - Did you recently fix something in your house, | | | | you. |
| perhaps renovate or rehab or paint or construct | | | | |