How to Prepare a Presentation – what not to do

How do you prepare a presentation?

First, understand how NOT to prepare a presentation.

This what most people do to prepare presentations:

1. Switch on their computer

2. Open up PowerPoint

3. Search out other presentations given recently

4. Start making changes to PowerPoint slides

5. Print out the first batch of slides

6. Scribble all over them

7. Re-edit these slides

8. Keep on at the slides until late at night

9. Work at it over the weekend

10. Give it to a colleague to look at

11. Incorporate those comments

12. Work until late at night again

13. Rehearse in the taxi on the way to the meeting

Then, start with:

“Hello, my name is John Smith and I am here today to talk about…..”

This process is akin to making a movie by going out with a camera hoping to find interesting things to film.

It is why so many presentations are deathly boring.  Learn how to prepare a presentation.

How to prepare your great presentation – 10 steps

1. Do NOT open PowerPoint

2. Be clear on who your audience is and what you want to achieve.

3. Have a single message that summarises your talk

4. Break down your presentation into clear parts 

5. Start your presentation with a high impact statement

6. Identify stories, anecdotes and examples 

7. Finish your presentation with a clear message, request or call to action 

8. Use clear simple language 

9. Incorporate pauses, short sentences, great eye contact

10. Work out what questions you could be asked

11. Now, work out if you really need any visual aids or handouts

12. Practise, practise, practise 

How to be confident of preparing a great presentation?

Next steps: Get in touch to learn a much better way of preparing a compelling persuasive presentation.

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