The fun part of preparing your presentation
We’re ready for the fun part of preparing your presentation! We’ve talked about the first eight steps of my 12-step “formula” for putting together a presentation. We’ve addressed coming up with ideas and formulating the content of your presentations. Now, let’s talk about the fun stuff: preparing your visuals, rehearsing your questions and answers, and practicing your delivery. The final four steps are:
(9) Prepare your visuals
Plan and create your visuals and integrate them into your presentation. Like the development of your introduction and conclusion, notice how late in the process this step is taken.
(10) Brainstorm questions and answers
Brainstorm potential questions that may arise in your question and answer session. Think of every possible question (and prepare every possible answer). Plan your responses, and speak them out loud.
(11) Practice and rehearse your delivery
Sit and read through your presentation. Then sit and speak through your presentation. Listen for glitches (pronunciation stumbles, “mouthy” sentences/phrases, etc.) and change your presentation accordingly for speaker/listener ease. Reduce your speech outline to phrases, words, and visual images. Stand and practice, with heavy reliance on notes. Tape further reduced notes on wall, then practice gestures and posture. Turn to your living room/office and then practice eye contact. Practice with your “speaking voice” (practice inflection, pauses, pace, and volume).
Get into the real space in which you will be making your presentation (or one similar). Practice all of the above, plus “staging” (movement as visual punctuation to content, walking to visuals, standing next to visuals, etc.). Actors and directors call this “blocking.” Videotape yourself. Bring in someone with objectivity and good coaching skills to give you feedback (friend, peer, or presentation consultant – depending on the stakes).
(12) Practice the question and answer session
Rehearse the possible questions and answers one more time!
Next:
We’ll talk about hooking your audience in 30 seconds. In my next blog musing, we’ll address how you can send messages of competence, enthusiasm, and sincerity…in 30 seconds.
