Millennials Rule! 7 Presentation Tips to Win Over Gen Y

Millennials: They are everywhere. Yes!! Literally. Person you are standing next to at a subway is a millennial. Person you are sharing space with at a co-working place is a millennial.

Millennials are the generation born between 1980 and 2000. Their world is drastically different from that of Baby Boomers (born 1946 – 1964) and Gen X (born 1965 – 1980). They are the digital natives and have their own defining characteristics. They are tech freaks, foodies, job hoppers, opportunists, multi-taskers, do not believe in company hierarchies, and a bit lazy.

According to a recent research, millennials are on the verge of surpassing the baby boomers. By 2019, millennials also known as Gen Y are expected to outnumber the baby boomers becoming the world’s largest adult population.

Already, 50% of the world’s population is under the age of 30.

Despite being over educated, Gen Y are still in debts. They don’t believe in doing the right thing. They will do what WORKS for them. They want their own space, want to be heard, want constant feedback and recognition than any monetary goods.

Millennials come from a different background and are a new breed of workers. Getting their attention is not easy. We need new ways to influence them.

Now, since I myself am a millennial and surrounded by them, I can fairly say that there are a few things that you can learn from them to your benefit when it comes to presentations or otherwise. Whether you fall into the category of baby boomers, Gen X or Gen Y, you can definitely up your presentation game by learning from this young breed of presenters. Here we go:

7 Presentation Tips from Millennials to Woo Them:

Keep it simple and short. What did you think?

Millennials are always on the go. To keep them glued to their seats, you have got to keep your presentation short and crisp. Get to the message ASAP big guy!! If you keep procrastinating, they will tune out of your presentation and tune into their smartphone.

• Grab Them By the Eyeballs

This is the generation that loves images the most.

Most of the millennials are instagrammers. Check out their profiles and you will see these amazing videos, pictures, colors, layouts and more. Make your slides as visually attractive as their instagram feed. Don’t make boring slides with bullet points and cliché photos.

Tip: Visuals are important.

• Walk & Talk Like a Millennial

Do not stand behind the podium with folded hands. That is so old school! Do not just standstill. Talk with expressions. Walk towards the audience. Smile. Let your body language express confidence, calm and a carefree attitude. Address them like you are one of them having a conversation at a café or bar.

Tip: Make sure your body language is as good as your content.

• Get Involved & Involve Them

Millennials want to engage with presentations and content. They get bored easily with one way conversation and traffic. Therefore, give them a role to play. Ask them to respond to your questions, jokes or an interactive poll or survey during the presentation.

Tip: Treat them like a friend.

Connect with the millennials and slay them with your humor. It is hard to understand their language and jokes but once you do, you are a buddy. Crack little jokes, make the environment lighter and entertain them.

Tip: Humor is a must. Another bonus tip for you. Look for some of their lingo as well. Will help you connect with them instantly.

• Hook Them with a Solid Start

Make sure you have a kickass start. Start off with a boring start, you lose them to their phones or iPads. They do not like their time wasted on something that does not add value to them. Keep them engaged from the start and sell why they should listen to you. You get a few seconds to do this or the opportunity will be lost. Start with a question or a story. They are old tricks but still best to set brains whirring.

Tip: Millennials love asking questions.  Play with their curiosity and intrigue them.

Their lives revolve around technology. They eat, sleep and drink thanks to the comforts of technology. You can join the game. Improve your businesses, streamline operations and control costs using the technology and social media. If there is a faster and an easier way to do something using technology, we should do it.

Tip: While presenting, use technological aids like digital wireless microphone, bluetooth presentation remote, laser pointers, etc. that makes communication easier.

People lash out at the millennials. Call them lazy and narcissists. They have been labeled. But not to forget, it is their world. They have a better vision for the world as compared to the previous generations.

They are a force to reckon with. A demographic and economic entity that can’t be ignored. Millennials are the next baby boomers. They are the future. They are the decision makers. They are the largest workforce. They are also probably outnumbering all other generations in the presentation audience. As presenters, it becomes necessary that we change our game, woo and win over this generation of game changers.