Presentations

Martha Denton

• Publisher: QuickStudy Reference Guides
• Year: 2009
• ISBN:
  9781423237853
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

Unlock the ultimate speakers' toolbox with the new Presentations QuickStudy® guide. Written by a visual communications professional who has coached for TED Talks, as well as senior executives at Fortune 500 companies, this guide breaks down the development of a inspiring and engaging presentation into three key stages—planning, designing, and delivery—covering technical concerns, organization, mental preparedness, and storytelling. Whether speaking in a classroom to 30 students or in an auditorium to 300 professionals, this guide will change the way you present and your impact on those who hear and see you.

PLAN

You should first know the who, what, why, when, and where of your presentation, preferably in that order. Who are you presenting to? What will your content be? Why were you asked to present? When will you be speaking? Where will you be speaking? If you have these five areas scoped out well, you are much more likely to have a fabulous speaking engagement.

• Why are you speaking? When you were asked to speak at a conference, pitch event, request for proposal (RFP) situation, or other occasion, there was a specific reason the event curator or potential client thought of you instead of someone else. That person may have preset expectations of you; find out what those are. You should also find out what the preset expectations are of the entire event. Here are some possible questions to ask an event curator or potential client:
  • Event curator: Can you tell me more about the event? What are the core messages of the day? How do I fit into the core messages of the day? Why did you pick me as a participant? What do you want me to share with your audience? Do you want me to convince the audience of something specific? Do I need to sway the audience emotionally (whether to energize, empower, or calm down, etc.)?
  • Potential client: What are the goals of the potential project? Why did you ask me or my company to pitch? What already attracts you to me or my company?
• Who are you presenting to? It is critical to know to whom you will be speaking so that you can tailor your content accordingly; otherwise, your audience may not understand you or, even worse, may be offended by what you say. Analyzing your audience members early on will help you address their needs and motivations as you prepare your presentation. Here are some possible questions to ask:
  • Event curator: What is the typical profile of the event attendees? What race, gender, and age are they? What types of jobs do they typically perform? Why are they part of your audience? What languages do they speak? (If it is not the language I speak, how should I communicate with them?) Are there any cultural taboos to be aware of—visual, auditory, or otherwise? What about traditions? What types of learners are in the room?
    • Kinesthetic learners learn by participating in what they are learning.
    • Auditory learners learn by having concepts and content explained to them.
    • Visual learners need pictures and graphs to understand new ideas and concepts.
  • Potential client: Who will be attending the meeting? What offices, locations, or cities are they from? What nationalities are they? What languages do they speak? Do they have any communication preferences (e.g., do they prefer to have visuals, printed presentations, or conversations with or facilitated by me)? How familiar are they with the material I’ll be presenting? What experience do they have in this topic area?
• What will your content and format be? There are frequently set requirements for presentation format or through an RFP. You should find out what those requirements are up front. It is also wise to find out the physical dynamics of your presentation area. Here are some possible questions to ask:
  • Event curator: Do you need me to follow a specific presentation format (e.g., rapid-fire, TED Talks, debate style, interview style, panel style, webinar, video conference, conference call)? Are there specific guidelines that need to be followed, and if so, what are they? Do you have video examples to show me? How will the room be set up? What is the format for on-screen presentations?
  • Potential client: Is there a specific set of questions that you need me to answer? Is there a formal RFP to follow? Is there a required format? Has the legal department advised you on anything I should be aware of (e.g., documents that will need to be signed, things that should not be said)? How will the room be set up? What is the format for on-screen presentations?
• When will you be speaking? The time of day can make a difference, especially if you’re presenting right before lunch or near the end of the day when audience members could be suffering from low blood sugar—you will need to inject some energy to keep their attention. It’s also good to know which presenters will be presenting before and after you so that you can set the right tone or plan follow-up activities. You will want to be careful not to change tones inappropriately, such as changing to an incredibly light tone after something intensely serious and vice versa. Here are some possible questions to ask:
  • Event curator: What time of day will I be speaking? Who or what will be on the stage before and after me? What will they be speaking about? What energy will they be conveying? Will I be speaking after an exceptionally tough topic?
  • Potential client: What time of day will I be presenting? What will the audience be doing before and after the presentation? Will everyone be in the same room, or will other participants be calling in, perhaps from other time zones? If presenting during a meal, will food be provided or will participants be bringing in their own food?

Determining What You Already Know about Your Audience

Once you have researched your audience and speaking occasion, a great way to ensure that the concerns of everyone who has a ...