Tips to Consider When Presenting to an International Audience 

Presenting to an audience is a daunting task. It’s even more challenging when it’s in front of people from different cultural backgrounds. Convincing them to listen and believe in the presentation might be a huge challenge. It’s even more difficult if the goal is to convince a potential investor from a different country. The steps can be useful when presenting to an international audience and are worth noting.

Be aware of cultural differences

Not all cultures are the same. It doesn’t mean that one is inferior to the other. The key is to understand what these differences are and learn to be respectful. For instance, it’s impolite for some cultures to be late. It could go the other way around for some cultures. Therefore, understanding the value of time is the first step to arrange the presentation schedule accordingly.

Another potential cultural difference is the manner of speaking. For some cultures, it might be normal to speak fast and in a more combative manner. It doesn’t mean that the speaker is rude or has bad intentions. It could also be due to linguistic differences. Understanding why the other party speaks a certain way will be helpful. Knowing all these details will be great before the presentation begins.

Get to know the other party before the presentation 

Researching about the people involved in the presentation would also be useful. Getting to know them and their cultural backgrounds would be a good start. Even companies also have different cultures. For instance, in some businesses, conducting long meetings is the norm. However, for other businesses, they try to avoid long meetings as much as possible. Therefore, the length of the presentation will depend on the other party.

Ask questions and be open to questions 

Learn to ask questions politely. The people involved in the presentation will appreciate the questions asked. It shows engagement in the conversation. It also helps to be open to questions. It’s a sign that the presenter is confident. However, it’s crucial to learn how to use the right tone when asking questions. Sometimes, the tone could affect the conversation. Even if you didn’t mean anything bad, the other party might interpret it that way. As a result, the conversation might not proceed positively.

Learn the basic polite gestures

For some cultures, bowing is part of the tradition. It’s a sign of respect for the people in the room. In other cultures, shaking hands or kissing on the cheeks is the norm. Don’t feel awkward if the other party greets you in a manner you’re not used to. Don’t say no or be hesitant. It could affect the level of comfort of the parties involved as the presentation moves along. Saying thank you can also be expressed using different strategies. Regardless of the culture, it’s important to say thank you for expressing appreciation. It also doesn’t matter if the discussion ended the way you wanted. It is always polite to say thank you.

Don’t expect a response on the same day 

After the presentation, you can have small talk with the people in the room. It would also be great to have a wonderful relationship with them. The potential investors might decide not only based on what you said, but on your attitude. Some of the most successful business people know how to work with people from different backgrounds. For these investors, it could take a while before making decisions. Give them time to reflect on the presentation. You will know the decision through an email or phone call. Either way, it pays a lot to be patient.

Take the presentation seriously 

Taking the presentation seriously doesn’t mean that you have to look serious. It means that you have to prepare well before you present. It’s an excellent way of showing your politeness. When you enter the room and don’t even know what to talk about, it could be disrespectful. It’s a sign that you don’t take the transaction seriously. It could be offensive to the other party, especially if they are potential investors.

If you’re going to host the meeting, you should do it in a room with the necessary equipment for the presentation. It would help if you can have a projector ceiling bracket so that it’s easy to set up the room and start the presentation. You should also prepare some snacks for your guests and try to make them feel comfortable.

These tips in presenting to an international audience will most likely help you close the deal. However, if things didn’t go as planned, you should learn from the experience. You can use do better in the future if you’re going to present to other people. It will always be challenging, and you have to be up for it.