Business Presentations - Preparation

Preparation is the key to success. Knowing what you are going to talk about, knowing whom you are talking to, knowing what they are interested in, and knowing how you will perform. All this knowing comes from preparation.

If there is one single golden rule of presenting it is:

Preparation Preparation Preparation

The more preparation you do, the more you think about your presentation, invariably, the better it will be. You cannot rehearse too much, or know too much about you audience or the subject.

Being well prepared is one of the best ways to conquer nerves.

Preparation beats trepidation every time.

Knowing what the slides are and having seen someone else give a presentation, is not the same as giving it yourself. If you have a corporate presentation to give, where you did not write the slides, one of the biggest pit falls is to think you can give the presentation, just because you know the subject and have seen someone else do it.

You need to make the presentation your own. Think up your own introduction, your own anecdotes and your own humorous asides. The slides after all are not the presentation; they are just the visual aids. Even using a “standard” set of company presentation slides, you still need to create the presentation in you own head.

Have you ever known anyone to wash a hire car? No. Why bother if it’s not yours. But if you own a car, you have to wash it and polish it yourself to get to know it. To see where the stone chips are etc. The same with a presentation you need to wash it and wring it out before you can present it.

Poor Preparation Produces

Perfectly Pathetic Presentations

Video taping yourself giving the presentation is one of the best ways of practising and then refining and improving your presentation.

If you are driving to an event, where you will be presenting, turn the radio or CD player, in the car off, then give the presentation. Make a note of the time you start and speak the presentation aloud, not just in your head.

Not only will this ensure everything is fresh in your mind when you get to the event, but you can check how long it is likely to take.

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