A Killer Presentation
By Manik Thapar (MBA)
Speaking to large groups involves learned techniques and
practice, practice, practice. If you haven't stepped to the
podium, you can. If you have been a featured speaker, you can
get better.
"A good presentation is about the topic--not you," says T.
Stephen Eggleston, founder of The Eggleston Group in Alexandria,
Va., and director of Internet Technology for Kobrand in New
York. "Get rid of everything that doesn't contribute to the
message."
Tuck away the stomach back-flips and get busy on your
presentation. Here's how:
Begin with the obvious: Know your subject. Some speakers
overlook this basic point and quickly come unglued during the
question-and-answer period. The audience assumes you're an
expert with knowledge to impart. As the featured speaker, you
should assume that your audience is informed, curious and
bursting with pointed questions.
"If a small amount of research will help you, imagine what a
moderate amount will do.
Know your audience. You wouldn't make the same presentation
about a new software package to engineers, accountants and top
managers. The engineers want to know about the tool's whizzes
and whirrs--what it can do for them and why it beats competing
products. The accountants want to know what it will cost and how
it will save them money. Top management wants to know how it
will boost productivity and give the company an edge over the
competition. So adjust your pitch as needed.
Develop a theme for your presentation. The topic of discussion
may be complex, and its ramifications may not be fully apparent,
but you've got to sum it up in a few short sentences. At the
beginning of your presentation, you must tell the audience: 1)
"You need to know this because...," 2) "Knowing this will help
you to..." and 3) "Here's what you need to know..."
After defining the focus of your presentation, you're ready to
draft an outline. Remember, you don't want to read a script to
the audience because doing so is a snoozer and an insult. To
connect with the audience, you must be animated and enthusiastic
about the topic.
For some, notes scribbled on 3-by-5 index cards are enough,
while others need more detail when outlining. Don't try to
memorize your presentation, because even if you don't sound like
a robot on a bad hair day, you're bound to stumble or skip a
portion, and going back to the missed material will be awkward
and disjointed.
The presentation should be simple and direct. It includes an
opening, body, summary and closing.
"Some say you should always begin with a joke or an anecdote,"
Eggleston says. "It's not a rule, and if it were, it should be
ignored."
The opening sets the stage for what's ahead. State the purpose
of the presentation and quickly summarize the main points to be
covered.
The body of the presentation covers the nits and grits of the
topic in detail. Break the issues into discrete parts that the
audience can easily understand. Each subsection should make a
single point.
Keep the summary short. This is where you underscore the
presentation's theme and key points.
After a question-and-answer period, thank your audience for
their attention and hand out any material that wasn't vital to
the presentation. In general, material handed out during the
presentation is a distraction and will weaken the impact of your
talk.
Remember two critical points when preparing a presentation.
First, take Henry David Thoreau's advice and "Simplify,
simplify." It's your job as speaker to translate complex details
into simple, direct sentences.
Second, follow the advice of broadcast editors everywhere: "Tell
them what you're going to say, say it and then tell them what
you've just said." Repetition needn't be repetitious.
Reinforcing central points of the presentation depends on your
skill as a speaker and takes practice. Getting it right is the
difference between an effective presentation and wasting the
audience's time.
Slides can be a key element of a solid presentation. Keep in
mind that slides are bullet points--not paragraphs. If you have
to say, "I know you can't read this, but ..." you've flubbed it.
In most cases, limit each slide to two or three key points
expressed as succinctly as possible.
If a member of the audience nails you with a question you can't
answer, don't be afraid to say, "I don't know. I'll have to look
that up and get back to you." Thrashing around for an
answer--any answer--will be obvious to the audience and
instantly kill your credibility.
If you're confronted with a heckler who won't shut up, say,
"Let's talk privately at the conclusion of my presentation.
There are others with questions I must get to now."
The foundations of a solid presentation are the same whether
you're speaking to a service club or a giant like Exxon Mobil ,
eBay and JPMorgan Chase .
Finally, remember that no matter how detailed your preparation,
things can still go wrong.
"You never know what will happen," Eggleston says. "The
extension cord for the projector won't be long enough, there
won't be a plug or the bulb will burn out. So no matter how
carefully you've prepared your visuals, always be ready to sing
a cappella."
visit my site http://www.careerpath.cc
About the author:
Manik Thapar (MBA) http://www.careerpath.cc
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