In Part 1, I introduced 3 Ps: Plan, Prepare and Present.
The important point to reinforce from Part 1 on planning is: start with audience in mind, and to capture your thoughts in analog (on a whiteboard, notepad, etc.) even before you open up PowerPoint. Moving on to Prepare
Prepare
Perform dry runs – so your final one isn't dry:-). Have you ever noticed how great artists take time to practice
before every performance (e.g. on Broadway). The same goes for athletes. Ditto for presentations. The more you practice, the more confident you are. Speaking personally, it has made me less nervous and less prone to mistakes.
A great way to prepare is with people you know, i.e. trusted colleagues, family and friends. The less they know your material, the better.This will help you avoid the Curse of Knowledge referenced in the book "Made to Stick". In other words, it will help you avoid language and/or terms that are difficult to understand, statements that make the audience feel like you are talking over them (or down to them), and so on. It will also help hone your Q&A skills.
If you can't find someone, talk to your pet – dog, cat, goldfish, whatever. They pay attention and don't talk back :-)Finally, practice by talking to yourself in front of a mirror.
Anticipate Murphy’s Law – have a backup plan or two! One of the ultimate back up plans is – no slides. This is hard, but think about it – if you can communicate most (if not all) of what you want to say without slides, then you're probably the best prepared you'll ever be. It also serves to fine tune the "elevator pitch".
I also like to make JPG images of my slides (an easy option of the Save As menu in PowerPoint) so that in a pinch, I can always project the images. Sometimes you end up in situations where you don't have PowerPoint handy (or the correct version) so it's always a good idea to have images. Which is probably another reason to avoid too many animations and transitions in your slides.
Do reconnaissance missions. Whenever possible, do a lay of the land check. I have avoided many potential embarrassments this way. Try to get to the exact location you'll be presenting early enough so you can get a feel for the small, but important things that might impact the outcome of your presentation. For example,
What if you can't get there early and you have to make adjustments? Obviously remain calm and try to do the best you can. In a pinch, remember what I said about no slides?
The important point to reinforce from Part 1 on planning is: start with audience in mind, and to capture your thoughts in analog (on a whiteboard, notepad, etc.) even before you open up PowerPoint. Moving on to Prepare
Prepare
Perform dry runs – so your final one isn't dry:-). Have you ever noticed how great artists take time to practice
before every performance (e.g. on Broadway). The same goes for athletes. Ditto for presentations. The more you practice, the more confident you are. Speaking personally, it has made me less nervous and less prone to mistakes.
A great way to prepare is with people you know, i.e. trusted colleagues, family and friends. The less they know your material, the better.This will help you avoid the Curse of Knowledge referenced in the book "Made to Stick". In other words, it will help you avoid language and/or terms that are difficult to understand, statements that make the audience feel like you are talking over them (or down to them), and so on. It will also help hone your Q&A skills.
If you can't find someone, talk to your pet – dog, cat, goldfish, whatever. They pay attention and don't talk back :-)Finally, practice by talking to yourself in front of a mirror.
Anticipate Murphy’s Law – have a backup plan or two! One of the ultimate back up plans is – no slides. This is hard, but think about it – if you can communicate most (if not all) of what you want to say without slides, then you're probably the best prepared you'll ever be. It also serves to fine tune the "elevator pitch".
I also like to make JPG images of my slides (an easy option of the Save As menu in PowerPoint) so that in a pinch, I can always project the images. Sometimes you end up in situations where you don't have PowerPoint handy (or the correct version) so it's always a good idea to have images. Which is probably another reason to avoid too many animations and transitions in your slides.
Do reconnaissance missions. Whenever possible, do a lay of the land check. I have avoided many potential embarrassments this way. Try to get to the exact location you'll be presenting early enough so you can get a feel for the small, but important things that might impact the outcome of your presentation. For example,
- Are you presenting alone or in a panel?
- How will the audience be facing you?
- Can they see everything you have to present? Is the room long or wide or both?
- Is the room dark or bright – will that affect your slide background (dark vs. light)?
- Is the projector bright enough?
- Will the cords reach so that everything is positioned well without you tripping over it?
What if you can't get there early and you have to make adjustments? Obviously remain calm and try to do the best you can. In a pinch, remember what I said about no slides?
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