How to Prepare For a Presentation the Quick and Easy Way!
It seemed like a good idea at the time. You agreed to give a presentation. The day is fast approaching and you are getting anxious. Now what? First, you must be comfortable with the subject, or have the time to carefully research the topic.
By answering these questions, you will be able to prepare a memorable presentation in a minimal amount of time.
1. What is the purpose of the presentation? To give information, to be persuasive, to entertain or to share emotion? What is the objective? For example, if you are giving information, the objective would be to explain the features of the most recent insurance policy.
2. Who is in your audience and how familiar are they with the topic? This will determine the breadth and depth of the presentation. If you are speaking to seasoned IT professionals on how to use an electronic Travel form, they will only need to know the basics and changes to the form, while a summer student would need a detailed explanation of the features of the tool and how to navigate through it.
3. How much time to you have to deliver? The longer the time, the more detail you will provide. The delivery time will determine the number of examples, stories and explanations that are given.
4. What points will you talk about? What does the audience need to know? What information do you need to give the audience in order to meet your objectives? We usually speak in groups of 3, 5 or 7 (depending on the time). What are the 3 most important ideas you need to get across? Now, how are you going to get your ideas across? Tell a story, draw a diagram, explain the contents of a form, refer to a picture, give a famous quote or analogy.
5. What aids will you use? For example, Power Point slides, handouts, flipchart, or whiteboard. Keep in mind that aids are meant to enhance the presentation – not take over it. The speaker is the focus of the presentation. When will you use the visuals? Remember to mix it up and provide some variety…within reason, of course.
6. How should you practice? Verbally provide your presentation to a co-worker, friend, or family member. This will make you more comfortable with the content and give you a good “feel” for the flow of the material. The tone should be conversational, as if you where having a talk across the coffee table. Be sure to time yourself and remember that the actual presentation will take less time, as we tend to speak more quickly when we are nervous.
7. Do you need humour? Absolutely. All humour needs to tie into the material and to serve a purpose. A good rule of thumb is to only tell the jokes that you would say to your Grandmother in Church.
As the saying goes, “if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” By using these quick and easy presentation ideas you will be prepared and ready to deliver an outstanding presentation to your audience.
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