Summary: What are some quick and easy presentation tips? How can you get ready for your next meeting? Is there a small change that will result in a big benefit in your next presentation? I will share several presentation tips in today's show. All good presentations follow a solid pattern and today I am going to share with you some presentation tips to enable you to quickly make better presentations. I have seven presentation tips: Plan Prepare Practice Present Manage your vocabulary Engage your assets Engage your audience I know you are probably very tired of hearing the oft used phrase “practice makes perfect” or “perfect practice makes for perfect performance” or any number of other idioms to remind us of the importance of practice. Mark Twain is known for saying if you need me to speak for a few minutes I will need a month to prepare if you want me to speak for an hour I can start now. Why is that? Filling time and space is easy, if you are looking for a succinct crisp objective or goal it will take preparation. I once had a good friend tell me he hated to prepare for a speech and felt he was much better speaking off the cuff. I asked him if he had ever recorded his speeches and listened to them afterward. He said, “No he hadn’t”. My suggestion was he should. I found that when I review my presentations afterward I find a lot of opportunities for improvement directly in relation to how much time I spent preparing beforehand. Plan your presentation Do you know your objective? Are you telling or selling? In most of our work situations there is an element of both. Think about your intellectual objective, for example are you just informing your audience or looking for them to take action. Your strongest objective will drive you to the best results. Often we have to educate our listeners, our partners, and colleagues before we can begin to negotiate with them. What do you want your audience to do? Is there a decision to be made or an action to be taken? What will satisfy you at the end of the presentation? Stephen Covey admonished us to begin with the end in mind. When setting up your presentation, have you thought about what a successful presentation would look like? Is there a downside if you do not meet this objective? And what is plan B if your current plan A does not work out? Understanding your objective is important to how you set up your presentation. You do not want to get jammed by informing when you should be selling. Do you know your audience? Do you know what the makeup of your audience is? This could be what their history in this business or how long they have worked for the companies they are with. Are there needs, wants, biases, and previous mindsets that you will need to take into consideration? If you are presenting to a large audience ask the organizer to provide you with this information. Do you know others who have interacted with your audience and do these others have influence on their perceptions? Your colleagues can be invaluable in these situations, giving you background information and access to individuals who can give you further clarification. What do you know about each person and what could impact their willingness to listen to your ideas? Google is a very powerful tool for providing you access to numerous social media tools to find out further about your audience. Write down the three key points you believe will drive home your message. Then write down the three key concerns you believe your audience will want addressed. Finally, write down the response to these concerns, making sure your presentation addresses them. Do you know what approach you will take? Most of our workplace presentations are conversational. It is important to understand if you are to present or have a conversation; as this will influence how you prepare. Will you be presenting solo or part of a larger team? When you speak on a panel do you know who is speaking before and after you.
