Let's face it: Everyone has sat through at least one presentation that prompted nearly incessant watch-checking. Either the slides were lackluster, the material seemed irrelevant or the speaker was dull. And after the meeting, the information presented - even if genuinely valuable or necessary - was quickly forgotten.

A good presentation does more than simply convey data: It inspires people to remember and act upon it. And since visuals are a big part of presentations, it is crucial that they be good - or, according to Juliet Huck, CEO of graphic design consultancy TheHuckGroup, that they result in "visually persuasive storytelling."

"If people don't trust the presenter, and they can't relate to the information, you've lost the relationship," Huck explained. "What the presenter wants to do is get out of their own shoes, really know their audience, make sure that the information they're presenting is credible and they can back it up, and create some type of relationship with the information for the person they're presenting to. [It's] making sure the information you're presenting is really relating to your audience in a personal way that evokes a little bit of emotion - they can be attached to it, or they can have some kind of understanding because they've been through it before."

Talent managers often have to give presentations or are responsible for assisting other organizational leaders in delivering theirs. Huck offered several tips to ensure these presentations are as effective as possible:

1.Know the audience. "The first one is truly understanding your audience and finding issues that relate to your audience," Huck said. "Because you can show people a great picture, but if they don't relate to it...."

2.Define intentions. "First you have to decide exactly what your goal is. Be very clear," Huck said. "Then work backwards from the goal [to build your presentation]."

3.Simplify the message. Don't try to fit too many things into one presentation. Convey the appropriate information in the most straightforward way. People have an easier time acting when the message is clear.