Presentations

Proven Techniques for Creating Presentations That Get Results

Gary R McClain

• Publisher: Adams Media
• Year: 2007
• ISBN:
  9781440516726
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Meetings & Presentations
• Index: Business

Create expert presentations with this useful guide! Presentations, Second Edition takes the anxiety out of creating dynamic presentations with a commonsense, step-by-step plan for success. The book starts you off by introducing the critical but often overlooked basics of preparation, including how to: -Assess the purpose of the presentation
-Understand the audience
-Organize the topic for maximum effect
-Choose the best type of presentatioWith these essential concepts mastered, you learn how to prepare both the presentation and yourself. This practical book discusses rehearsals, checklists, and handling challenges— and even the post-presentation evaluation—in a clear and upbeat manner. Presentations is up-to-the-minute with the latest technologies and techniques, such as video and computer conferencing and Web site production, so that you can choose the best medium and application for your presentation. A list of resources is included for further reading.Now you can create winning presentations like an expert with Presentations!

Chapter 1
Your Purpose

I love to develop and give presentations. I even seek out opportunities to give presentations. A presentation is a way for me to connect with my audience—people who might be clients or potential clients, people who have a need and that only I can, at least when I am giving the presentation, be the person who can meet that need. I enjoy this connection. My audience benefits from the presentation, and so do I.

But it hasn’t always been this way. For many years I fumbled and stumbled my way through presentations, dreading—and sometimes even trying to dodge—assignments that required them. Presentations were very time-consuming and for the most part seemed pointless. I didn’t see any greater purpose beyond the torture and torment of me and my audience, and often I couldn’t see which of us was getting the worse end of it.

I never knew where to start, so when preparing my presentation often I started in the middle and worked until I boxed myself into a corner. I put in hours and hours, most of them wasted. Because my presentations were not well organized or well rehearsed, during the presentation I often would suddenly find myself repeating something that I knew I had already said. Or in the middle of a concept that I had never really thought through when I was developing the presentation, and then trying to stammer my way out of it. When I stood in front of an audience, I felt like I was standing in front of a judge and jury—people who didn’t want to be there any more than I did, and were waiting for me to make a big enough blunder that they could finally conclude I had nothing to offer. I would walk away not really knowing what my major points were and, worse yet, not sure if the audience did. And as you can conclude, I had some experiences that weren’t exactly stellar. All because I didn’t have the fundamentals in place.

Fundamentals matter in everything you do—driving a car, playing sports, cooking, writing a book, and of course preparing and delivering presentations. These are the core basics, the foundation upon which everything else builds. Where your foundation goes, your performance follows: Solid foundation, solid performance. Shaky foundation, shaky performance. Sure, you might luck out once in a while and get a great performance from a mediocre foundation. But my guess is, you’re reading this book because you know good presentations require more than good luck.

THE FIRST TRIANGLE: YOUR FOUNDATION

In the Introduction, I told you we would build upon a series of triangles—an architectural form of strength and support—to make presentations effective, easy, and even fun for you to do. The first of these triangles is the fundamentals of purpose, audience, and topic—the why, who, and what that frame your presentation. Here, in chapter 1, we explore your purpose—why you are doing a presentation. In chapter 2, we look at your audience—the people who will hear and see your presentation. And in chapter 3, we investigate your topic—what you have to say to your audience. This triangle of key elements—purpose, audience, and topic— provides similar strength and support for your presentation. This triangle anchors you.

YOUR PRESENTATION’S PURPOSE

A presentation’s purpose determines the content, format, materials, tone, and sometimes even the audience for the presentation. The two questions that may come first to your mind when you find yourself tapped to give a presentation, though you may ask them in frustration and fear, are actually the two questions that may define your presentation’s purpose:

• Why me?

• Why this presentation?

The answers to these questions keep the presentation—and you, its presenter—on track and on target. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Most of the time, it is. Sometimes, however, you have to dig a little deeper to find the answers . . . and what you find is that there are more answers than you expected. It’s worth the effort to ferret them out. The better you understand your presentation’s purpose, the more effectively you can prepare.

WHY YOU?

In the early (some say developmental) stages of my professional life, I often was designated to do presentations. Each time I had to, and I emphasize had to because I certainly did not step forward to volunteer, I used to ask myself, “why me?” Presentations were really time-consuming. Here I was, struggling along under the burden of an already heavy workload, and now I was being pulled out of line to pile on still more. And what was the point, anyway? My audience didn’t want to be out there any more than I wanted to be standing in front of them. Enough, already! Of course, I could say this only to myself, and not out loud.

I finally discovered that a big part of the answer to “why me?” was in my hands. I could decide that giving a presentation was an opportunity for me, even if it was being forced on me or I received it by default. You can make the same decision, and suddenly “why me?” becomes a matter of fortuitous serendipity. You, amongst all your coworkers and colleagues, have received an opportunity to better define who you are and how you think, both an image builder and an intellectual challenge. You have an opportunity to promote yourself, within your organization as well as among your customers. And you have an opportunity to develop and exhibit your leadership skills. Of course, there also are tangible and practical reasons that you’ve been selected to make a presentation.

You Have Expertise

One of the most common reasons people are asked (or delegated) to do presentations is that they have particular expertise or knowledge in the subject. Your purpose, as presenter, is to share what you know with others. This type of presentation is a great way to showcase your skills, abilities, interests, and potential—depending on your audience. You’re the expert, and this is your time to shine!

Keep Perspective

I have made the mistake of being so in love with my subject, with all its details and nuances, that I strayed from my purpose and my audience’s needs. In a presentation on work/life balance, for example, I let the discussion venture into Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs—fascinating stuff to me as a psychologist. Yet my intended purpose had been to provide the members of my audience with five things they could do TODAY to add balance to their lives.

When you are an expert in your topic, your presentation’s purpose often is to provide information, education, and training. You may also be called upon to present reports. Typically, your audience is interested in what you have to say because it benefits them in some way. You will need plenty of data, organized and prepared in ways that are meaningful for your audience, to support your presentation.

You Have Seniority or Experience

Sometimes you’re tapped to make a presentation because you’re the most senior person in your department, whether or not the presentation’s topic falls within your area of expertise. A classic example is new employee orientation, in which a department member explains the department’s functions and procedures to newly hired staff. Or you may find yourself presenting your department’s productivity report to upper management, or the latest sales figures to the monthly division meeting.

There is a certain logic in this approach. As a senior member of your department, you have more experience in your department’s procedures and likely the operations of your organization as a whole. You know people, processes, issues, and sensitivities. Your supervisor or manager may rely on you to take the lead in shaping the actions and work habits of other staff, and less experienced employees may look to you for guidance and answers. You may not know every little detail of your department’s functions, but your knowledge level is quite high. People trust what you tell them.

You’ve Done It Before

Maybe you filled in for the boss at the monthly sales meeting or stepped in when the scheduled trainer came down with the flu. You did a good enough, and maybe even a stellar, job, and people praised you to the powers that be. Like it or not, you’ve become a featured presenter, a go-to person. This is a high compliment to you, and a great opportunity to hone your public speaking skills. Embrace it!

No One Else Can (or Will) Do It

Duty by default. Or, as your job description may say, “other responsibilities as assigned.” That’s what happens when your boss turns to you in a staff meeting and assigns the presentation to you. You may have little to qualify you for the assignment other than being in the line of sight. Your work is cut out for you, and there’s plenty of it. To be honest, often there’s not much glory or gratitude in these situations. Attendance at the presentation may be mandatory, establishing an audience reception that ranges from disinterest to outright distain.

Sometimes, however, presenter-by-default ends up having unexpected benefits for you. I often find that I learn a lot by giving a presentation. If the purpose is educational or informational, I might be doing research that I haven’t done before, or taking the time to learn what is really behind my ideas or the tools that I use. I have a mission to deliver something useful to my audience, and I grow in the process.

When you’re a reluctant designee, it may not be clear to you why the presentation is taking place. If you’re unsure, ask. (This is good advice for any presentation, really.) And keep asking until you get the answers that will help you frame your presentation’s foundation.

You Volunteered

A lot of people (like me) genuinely enjoy speaking to groups. You may have a natural ability to connect with people of diverse backgrounds and interests, or have such compelling enthusiasm for your topic that others can’t help but at least listen if not become enthusiastic themselves. People who excel in marketing, sales, and customer service often do well in public speaking situations that require presentations that sell, motivate, or persuade. If you are such a person, your key challenge may be organizing and presenting material in a way that fulfills the needs of your audience (which chapter 2 covers).

WHY THIS PRESENTATION?

In the best of circumstances, the purpose of a presentation is clear-cut, such as to deliver the findings of a report or update skills. Other times the reason for the presentation is sketchy or is not what it appears. Unless your job is corporate trainer, you probably don’t initiate presentations. Most often, someone requests you to give the presentation. That someone has a reason for wanting the presentation. Your mission is to find out.

The first fundamental is to answer the question: “Exactly what is the reason for this presentation, and what do I want my audience to take away when the presentation ends?” Are you presenting information or a report? Selling a service or product? Persuading a board of directors to fund your project? Motivating employees or volunteers? Teaching new skills? Your answer should be one brief sentence. This sentence is your objective—the purpose of your presentation. It is the seed. Plant it in fertile soil—your own passion—and nurture its growth with appropriate preparation, and it will blossom into an effective presentation.

OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTATIONS

Objectives are what you want your presentation to accomplish. Expectations are what the audience wants or needs from the presentation. In tandem, objectives and expectations are the starting point for your presentation. Your objectives and the audience’s expectations should mesh with one another seamlessly.

Objectives and expectations are crucial to your presentation’s design and delivery. Presentations flounder when you do not take the time to formulate, or ask for, clear objectives. This is one realm where less is more. For most presentations, three to five objectives are ideal.

The objectives help define the presentation’s overall format. For example, if I am presenting the results of research, I keep in mind that the audience probably needs to know how the research was conducted, and how we answered their specific questions. I may also want to talk about additional findings. And I want them to know the questions that remain.

Though your purpose generally has the greatest influence on your objectives, your audience and your topic further shape and refine them. Chapter 2 talks more about meeting the expectations of your audience, both obvious and hidden. Chapter 3 discusses how to shape the content of your presentation to integrate your objectives.

Sometimes a presentation’s objectives and expectations have multiple levels, depending on the purpose of the presentation. Others who may have objectives for and expectations of your presentation include stakeholders, such as corporate leadership. Make sure you know what your stakeholders expect of you as the presenter so you can accomplish this aspect of your purpose without overstepping your boundaries.

TYPES OF PRESENTATIONS

Presentations come in a variety of flavors, largely defined by their purpose. The main types of presentations are informational (which includes reports, education, and training), motivational, persuasive, and sales. The type of presentation often determines the tone and format of the presentation. Training presentations are often highly structured by the presenter, for example, while motivational presentations have wide latitude for the audience to shape the flow and direction. We’ll come back to the different types of presentations in later chapters, when we get into research, preparation, challenges, and delivery.

INFORMATIONAL

You may be called on to research a topic, or to mine your own experience and expertise, and develop a presentation that is informative to your audience. This may be the complete presentation or it may be a piece of a presentation that has another overall purpose. I have been asked to provide an overview of qualitative research, a combination of basic theory and examples from my experiences. You might be asked to talk about a specific technology or a project methodology as the basis for a project your company has been assigned.

A presentation designed to impart information also might be used to describe a corporate decision o...