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One of the key reasons many presentations or public speeches fail to hit the mark is because the presenter has spent insufficient time planning the content and structure. The tendency is to rush in to writing a script or preparing a PowerPoint presentation without first stepping back to analyse what’s needed and what’s going to work best.

This article outlines six key questions which, if carefully considered and acted upon at the planning stage, will improve the effectiveness of any presentation.

What

The first thing to clarify is what you are talking about. Whilst the subject matter is often clear from the outset, it isn’t always. Titles and expectations can be ambiguous and it’s important to clear up any ambiguity at the start.

Who

Before getting down to detailed planning, it’s important to understand your audience.

Who are you talking to? What is their level of knowledge and interest? What are their expectations? How many of them will there be?

Many people approach presentations back to front. Their starting point is ‘what do I want to tell them or want them to know?’ Effective presenters, however, put themselves in their audience’s shoes and ask themselves

• Why are they here (and are they volunteers or press-ganged)?
• How much do they know already?
• How much do they think they know? (this may be different from how much they really know and need to be addressed sensitively)
• Do they want to be informed? Persuaded? Entertained? Or is it something else? Or possibly a combination of some/all of these?
• What’s in it for them?
• Why would they be interested/what would catch their interest?
• If there’s just one message I’d like them to take home and act on, what is it?

If you spend time considering and answering these questions, you’ll have some very useful information to help you decide on the detailed content and how best to present it.

Why

Considering your audience, while vital, is only part of the equation. Ask yourself ‘why am I giving this speech or presentation?’ Note, the question here is not ‘why is this presentation happening?’ It’s why are you, rather than anyone else, giving it. Having established that, ask yourself:

• What is my objective?
• What impression do I want to leave the audience with – of me, my product, service or company?
• What action do I want them to take as result of listening to me?

Do you want to

• Inform
• Persuade
• Entertain

them? Is there another purpose? Or a mix of some or all of these? What/s most important?

Now put this alongside the information you’ve already gathered – how do the two compare? What adjustments might you need to make to ensure that you take proper account of the needs of both your audience and your own objectives?

When

You’ll also find it helpful to consider some questions about time.

For example, when and in what context is the presentation taking place? If it’s straight after lunch (often referred to as ‘the graveyard slot’), for example, you’ll want to pay even more attention than usual to how you grab and keep people’s attention.

If it’s part of a conference programme, then you’ll find it helpful to consider how it dovetails with other elements of the agenda. If it’s an after dinner speech you may wish to keep it relatively brief and upbeat though this will, of course, depend on the wider circumstances.

And, of course, you’ll want to be absolutely clear about how long you’ve got, and whether that includes time for any questions/discussions that may follow.

Where

As part of your planning, it’s important to consider where you are giving the speech or presentation – its size, facilities and how much flexibility there is with regard, for example, to seating arrangements.

If, for example, it’s a large auditorium, then you’ll almost certainly need to use a microphone and, if possible, should ideally practise with this first. You’ll also want to consider how you use the stage – or whether you’re going to stand at a lectern and use powerful visuals centre stage, to help you tell your story.

If you want to include a demonstration, then you’ll need to be satisfied that everyone will be able to see/hear easily.

Whatever the size of the venue, it’s always wise to check what facilities they have and that any planned equipment or other aids are available or can be safely accommodated.

How

Once you’ve got clarity about the five previous questions you’re be in a good position to decide how to structure your content, and how best to deliver it. Would it be helpful, for example, to include a demonstration or some ‘hands on’ practice? What, if any, audio-visual aids would enhance your overall effectiveness – or can you, as is often the case, do just as well without?

If you keep these six questions in mind when planning your presentation you’ll find it easy to decide what to leave in, what to take out and how to deliver it for maximum positive effect.

I keep six honest serving-men

(They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who.

From: The Elephant’s Child by Rudyard Kipling

I still remember the first time I was asked to prepare a commercial presentation for a potential client. On the one hand I was grateful for this amazing opportunity, on the other… I was terrified! That time I had no idea where to start from, how should I prepare myself and the presentation in order to make a great impression and consequently win the contract for the company. Hundreds of successful presentations later I believe that the greatest advice on how to prepare a powerful presentation I got from Abraham Lincoln, who said “If you had eight hours to chop down a tree, spend six hours sharpening your ax”!

A successful presentation is not a coincidence. It is an art, a performance created for a unique audience. The key to success is the careful mix of your personality and the workshop tools available: words, gestures, and interpersonal skills. The presenter has to adopt the clients’ perspective and be attentive to their needs, while simultaneously striving to achieve his or her own objectives.

Start from asking yourself four basics questions that will help you to set the objectives for your presentation:

1. Who am I as a presenter?
The primary challenge for the presenter is… self-awareness. Awareness of your own strengths and abilities, as well as the shortcomings. This will allow you to adopt the method of delivery to your own, unique style. You need to feel relaxed in order to create a personal connection with your audience. Unnatural behavior greatly reduces the credibility of the message and thus, has a negative impact on the perception of the presenter and the effectiveness of the presentation.

2. Who is my audience and what arguments should I use?
Another milestone on the road to create a powerful presentation is profound knowledge of your audience. Initially, acting solely as listeners, by the final scene it’s them who take over the initiative and make the ultimate decisions. Hence it is vital to know and understand the strategic needs and expectations of your clients, to be able to address them adequately.

3. What is my goal?
For you it may be obvious, but definitely not for many of the presenters I had the pleasure to shadow during their performance! So let me just emphasize it one more time- make it very clear to yourself and to your audience what the key point and objectives of the presentation are. You don’t want to leave the meeting with a bitter feeling of unfulfilled expectations.

4. How should I build my presentation?
Simplicity and consistency of the message is always appreciated. A small number of slides, intriguing and evocative words, surprising and applicable metaphors, many examples and creative and aesthetic visuals – this is the recipe for an interesting and engaging presentation which will remain in memory of even the most demanding audience.

Presenting, although described as an art, is NOT a so-called ” art for art’s sake “. It has an explicit purpose and an individualized audience, and therefore cannot be prepared in advance and used for any occasion. Every presentation should be created as a unique masterpiece of the presenter which triggers and inspires the public!