Presentation Articles

I recently attended a presentation that began with the theme to "2001 A Space Odyssey". You know the music - dah, dah, ta-dah!

The soundtrack provided so much anticipation that when the presenter, a nervous man with a thin reedy voice began, you could feel the audience shock at such an anticlimax.

Surprisingly, many presenters become so excited at their soundtrack that it often becomes the highlight of their presentation .

Your Audience is Sophisticated

Your audience is visually and aurally sophisticated. They are used to slickly produced television and film that employs state of the art sound, vision and effects.

It's a little unrealistic to think PowerPoint or any other presentation package can match what teams of producers spend months and millions of dollars creating.

Consequently, most presenters who begin with the theme to "Raiders of the Lost Ark" often come across as tacky, humorous and inappropriate.

I Can Pull It Off!

"Big budget" soundtracks work before a presentation if the presenter has the vocal power, energy and presence to continue the theme. Think Anthony Robbins.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on what you think of Anthony Robbins, few people have the natural ability to pull off a Hollywood soundtrack with standard slide visuals.

What Music Should I Use?

Always let the content dictate what music you use as a precursor to your presentation.

Something understated usually works well to prepare an audience for an information orientated delivery.

Some smooth jazz or a classical work can be a good way to set mood and tone . The theme to Jaws is probably not such a good choice.

Music is powerful so choose it wisely. Remember, we want you and your message to be the focus of your presentation - not a big fish.

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