PREPARING FOR A PRESENTATION

A presentation is a means of communication that can be adapted to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team. Making a presentation is a way of communicating your thoughts and ideas to an audience.

This article is going to talk about an eight step approach that can help you develop and deliver successful presentations. This approach will give you the tools and techniques that you need, to prepare and confidently deliver an effective presentation. 

To present well, you need to prepare well. Great presentations leave lasting impressions and look professional, yet effortless. But it’s important to understand that they don’t just happen naturally. 

What you see in a final presentation is the culmination of time, thought and energy that has gone into creating it.

We’re going to explore together just what it takes to make a presentation impactful. 

I’m going to walk you through an eight-step approach that will give you a framework to help you prepare.

You should go through these steps in sequence. But you may need to revisit certain steps. 

Specifically practicing your presentation, Step eight, provides the opportunity to identify and address areas for improvement, in both your presentation and delivery. 

So let’s review the approach at a high level. 

STEP ONE – KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE 

Understanding your audience will help you tailor your message and decide which presentation techniques to use, to capture their attention and to get your point across. 

This often overlooked step is the most critical, because knowing your audience frames the strategy of your overall presentation, and is an input into almost all the other steps.

STEP TWO – KNOW YOUR PURPOSE 

In this step you define your goals and objectives. What change in behavior or attitude, are you trying to achieve?

STEP THREE – STRUCTURE THE BODY OF YOUR PRESENTATION. 

Focus on your key-points, and the documentation, and content you will use to support them.

STEP FOUR – PLAN HOW YOU WILL BEGIN YOUR PRESENTATION. 

Consider how you can capture your audience’s attention, by getting them ready to hear what you have to say.

STEP FIVE – CONSIDER HOW YOU WILL END YOUR PRESENTATION. 

Plan how you will leave your audience with an understanding of your message and a mandate for action. 

Winning conclusions:

1. Ask for a decision or challenge the group
2. Present facts and statistics
3. Tell a “just imagine” scenario
4. Summarize major points and indicate actions and next steps
5. Present alternatives
6. Use an example to tie everything together
7. Query the audience to ensure they understood your message or ask for feedback

STEP SIX – PREPARE YOUR VISUAL AIDS. 

Develop visuals that support your purpose, key-points, supporting evidence and audience benefit or action. Visual aids can help bring your presentation to life. What points in your presentation require a visual aid or prop to explain or illustrate an idea, or reinforce a key message? Visual aids should be easy to understand, appropriate for the audience and venue, and integrated with your spoken presentation.

Tips for using visual aids:

1. Display for long enough for understanding but not too long to be distracting.
2. Using too many visual aids can reduce their impact on the audience.
3. Don’t use them as a refuge.
4. Don’t talk over them.
5. Don’t read the visual aid verbatim.

STEP SEVEN – ANTICIPATE THE QUESTIONS YOU MAY BE ASKED, and to prepare your answers.

Be ready for your audience’s reaction and potential needs for additional information. The way questions are handled will impact not only the individual who contributed but also the amount of future participation you will receive from the other audience members.

Boost your confidence and credibility by:

1. Taking time to anticipate what questions you may be asked, and considering your response.
2. Keeping your answer simple, concise and relevant to the audience.
3. Demonstrating active listening.
4. Admitting when you don’t know the answer.

STEP EIGHT – PRACTICE YOUR PRESENTATION 

Be thoroughly familiar with the presentation before you give it. Rehearsing helps bring your presentation to life, and provides a valuable opportunity to identify and correct areas for improvement. Practice with your notes and visual aids.

Seek feedback on your presentation:

1. Ask a trusted colleague or friend to watch.
2. Practice in front of a mirror.
3. Record yourself and play it back.

This eight step approach is key to preparing for effective presentations. It will help you do everything from increasing your impact of your presentation to handling questions from the audience.  Remember to present well you need to prepare well