Did you know that millennials make up the largest share of the U.S. workforce? So, regardless of what kind of presentation you are giving, they’ll be in your audience. This generation grew up with technology, so it takes more than a few clever lines and colorful slides to get their attention.
Here are some pointers for presenting to a millennial audience.
Millennials have an attention problem. So get straight to the point! There’s no time for huge setups. You are often competing with social media, texts, emails, and the entire internet. Get your primary message front and center fast. Brevity is much appreciated. Just boil it down to the essentials of why they should care.
As mentioned, millennials have grown up with phones. The phone is their information hub for everything. Don’t fight them being on their phones. Make it your presentation they are viewing. There are apps that allow an audience to view your slides and respond in real-time. It’s participation on their mobile device, exactly like they like it.
Millennials care a lot about what you stand for and won’t offer you any attention if there is no “why” to your story. Millennials will really surprise you when it comes to something they care deeply about. If you can connect your message to why it will make the world a better place, then use that to keep them engaged and drawn to what you have to say.
You are not likely to get far with this audience if you have low-quality or low-tech visuals. Your presentation needs to be modern with thoughtful imagery and solid typography. It can’t be generic or cliché. You also don’t want huge blocks of text—it looks better broken up on the page. Everything about the presentation visually needs to be compelling. Putting it all together may seem overwhelming. That’s when you know it’s a good time to outsource your presentation.
When presenting to millennials, what you say and the look of your presentation has to be genuine. The authenticity of the words and feelings has to be present. When they become emotionally involved in your message, you will have a better connection with them.
With this audience, you want to make sure you’re being as authentic as possible. Don’t be afraid to be awkward, nervous, or tell a bad joke. This makes you more real to them, and they become interested in what you have to say.
Ask questions. Get a quote. You know what to do.