How to Prepare a High-Stakes Business Presentation – Your 3-Phase Process

PowerPoint is terrible for planning business presentations.  Creating slides for a PowerPoint presentation first is the biggest presenting mistake we see (and frequently it wastes a lot of valuable time).

“PowerPoint makes us stupid.”
— General James Mattis, US Marine Corps

To prepare properly, you need to know your target audience.  For example, you might be addressing just 10 people in an audience of 1000

Or you might want everyone in the room to change their behaviour slightly. The more tightly you define your objective, the greater your chance of success. For example, when you present to the board, you need to confider what is important to them and that they are busy people with a lot on their plates.

To really understand your audience, stand in their shoes. Ask yourself:

– Why are they coming?
– What’s on their mind?
– What concerns do they have?
– What ideas will resonate with them?
– What language will they recognise?
– What are the main points they expect?

The better you understand your audience, their fears, concerns and desires, the more focused you will be and the more confident you can be that you will address their concerns. And you’ll be better at grabbing and maintaining your audience’s attention.

“If you don’t know what your audience cares about, you’ve already lost them.”
— Carmine Gallo, Communication Expert and Author

Distil what you want to say into a single sentence. This is probably the hardest aspect of planning a powerful business presentation, but it is also a key first step in creating a winning high-stakes presentation.

This phrase should encapsulates your presentation. Avoid vague statements like “I want to tell them about our new product” The sharper your message, the better.

Imagine someone in your audience being asked after your presentation, ‘What was that presentation about?’  If you know exactly what they will answer, you have a brilliant presentation. Read more about the So What Test.

You can always use our messaging cracker process to create powerful messages for effective business presentations.

“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.”
— Dianna Booher, Communication Expert

A three part structure is often the most effective. For each part of your presentation, have a clear message. You need a strong start to your presentation.  Then three key parts to your presentation.  Then finish with a powerful end. 

“No one remembers a long list of facts. Divide your content into clear, digestible chunks.”
— Nancy Duarte, Presentation Expert and Author

Work out something that will make people sit up and listen. Tell them what you are going to tell them.  Get them excited.  Learn more here about how to start a presentation with impact.

“The first 10 seconds of your speech are the most important. They set the stage for everything that follows.”
— Scott Berkun, Author of Confessions of a Public Speaker

Learn how to use stories in your business presentations. Find ones to support your messages.

The more you illustrate what you want to say with a real story, the more powerful your presentation becomes. The best stories are personal real life examples. And bring it to life with memorable phrases.

“Stories are the single most powerful weapon in a leader’s arsenal.”
— Dr. Howard Gardner, Psychologist and Professor at Harvard University

What you say last will be remembered best.  This could be a call to action. A memorable phrase. Or it could be a famous quote. Here are some tips about ending your presentation effectively.

“Your closing is the parting impression you leave with your audience. Make it powerful.”
— Patricia Fripp, Speaker and Presentation Skills Expert

Cut out all jargon or corporate speak. Your presentation skills training should teach you some basic elements of rhetoric which will bring life to your presentations and make it easy for you to engage your audiences.

Learn about Power Language and how to use it in your presentations. For example, rhetorical questions, metaphor and story telling are some of the many tools you can apply towards presentation success.

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
— Albert Einstein

A presentation is a performance. If you look and sound good there is a better chance of success in your presentation.

Non-verbal communication and body language play a crucial role in how your message is perceived. Maintain eye contact, use gestures and vary your tone to convey enthusiasm and confidence.

Pausing at key moments can also give your audience time to digest information. You will also look and sound more confident when you present.  Discover the Power of the pause in presentations.

“The pause is as important as the word.”
— Unknown

When preparing important business presentations, you need to dedicate time to preparing answers to potential questions. Practice how you will answer questions using tried and tested question answering techniques.  

Don’t just leave it to a Q&A session. Perhaps answer questions throughout your presentation.

“I would rather have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned.”
— Richard Feynman

You may now decide that some charts, diagrams or pictures will help get your message across even more powerfully. If you do use these in your presentation, make sure you use best practice for preparing your visuals, slides and charts.

“PowerPoint is like a crutch; you can lean on it, but it won’t make you walk.”
— Unknown

You will only take your skills to the next level by practising your important presentation. The best business presentation training will show you a method and process so that you continue to improve after your training.

For example, you could use a knowledgeable audience or record yourself on camera to refine your performance and to set up a feedback loop.

“The more I practise, the luckier I get.”
— Gary Player, Professional Golfer

After your presentation, gather feedback from trusted colleagues or audience members.

Constructive criticism will give you valuable insights to help you refine your skills for future presentations. Continuous improvement is key to becoming a more effective presenter.

When you work with a presentation coach, you’ll find it much easier to get constructive feedback that will speed you on your way to success.

If you want to learn about the business presentation training workshops we run, call us today