Set-up and organize the where applicable Thank audience for the opportunity to make the presentation Make the presentation according to prepared plan Modify presentation to optimize impact and success as required on the basis of immediate feedback from audience Respond to questions as required Conclude presentation Element 3: Review a presentation Follow-up on matters raised during the presentation Evaluate personal performance in the planning and delivery of the presentation Staff briefings Business planning meetings. Logistics of the presentation may include: Day and date Time of day – including duration of presentation Location and style of venue Content and of presentation – including parameters and level of detail to be covered Nature of presentation – including a straight presentation, inclusion of ‘question and answer’ session, inclusion of demonstrations, handouts, samples and/or products Objectives for the presentation – including main points to be covered or made Context of the presentation Guidelines imposed or required for the presentation. Audience for the presentation may relate to: Number in the audience Seating arrangements in the room/area where the presentation will take place Age and gender Seniority or status of people who will be at the presentation Nature of the relationship between the speaker and the host enterprise Their existing knowledge and understanding of the presentation topic Their need to obtain information from the meeting. Research may include: Studying internal information – including documentation, books, policies, procedures, data and other relevant material
Revising and editing the written draft presentation. Supporting materials and visual aids may include: PowerPoint presentation Handouts – including brochures, notes, photographs, quotations and supplementary information Sample materials, giveaways and real products Reports Slides Props Videos and DVDs Charts. Presentation equipment may include: Microphone Overhead projector Slide and PowerPoint projector Video monitor Computer White boards and chalk boards. and practice may include: Timing the presentation Presenting to an actual audience of selected people who will provide supportive feedback Presenting required information in a clear and concise manner Promoting the host enterprise, where appropriate, during the presentation
Slide No Trainer Notes Trainer indicates to trainees the importance of research by stating: The effectiveness or success of every presentation is decided before the presentation begins by the amount and quality of the research and planning that has gone into it ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’ – this is an old but valuable and truthful adage holding very true when it comes to presentations A presentation without research lacks focus, lacks direction and usually fails to achieve not only its objective but anything positive at all The contents of the presentation must be fact-based as opposed to The failure of a presentation can always be traced back to a lack of planning, research and preparation. Slide Slide No Trainer Trainer explains the important requirements of research indicating it is essential the information presented in a presentation is: Current – inclusions may vary over time, and prices also change Comprehensive – to provide all the information required by those in attendance Accurate – are no mistakes, errors or omissions Relevant to the identified or required content – the information must provide information on the issues of interest to the audience and not contain irrelevancies. Slide No Trainer Notes Trainer informs trainees that research for a presentation may require investigation into ‘internal’ information (that is, information within the business) and/or ‘external’ information. ‘Internal’ information may include: Documentation such as: of record (sales, costs, orders, payments, receipts)
Slide No Trainer Notes Trainer mentions to trainees research should also seek to identify trends in relation to the being presented, highlighting these trends may be: Established trends – that is, trends common to the and recognised as having been present over a significant period. These may include, for example, issues such as: Rise or fall in numbers the product or service Increase or decrease in satisfaction Increase or decrease in prices Emerging trends – that is, trends revealed by recent data indicating something new/different is happening in relation to the topic/focus of the presentation. This may be, for example: Preference for sea travel rather than air travel Trend towards western food by domestic customers Increase in payment using debit cards. Class Activity – Discussion Trainer asks trainees to contribute from their experience what they believe to be (as appropriate to their labour division and/or industry sub-sector): Established trends Emerging trends. Slide Slide No Trainer Trainer advises trainees the research process should also seek to identify if similar presentations have been previously delivered to: Identify lessons learned to build on positives and avoid repeating previous mistakes Discover content already/previously covered to potentially save time on research (ensure it is still current and relevant) Learn techniques and strategies used. This can form the basis of this presentation Obtain script followed to use as a draft for this presentation. Slide No Trainer Notes Trainer continues to give trainees reasons why it is useful to research if similar presentations have already been delivered: Determine duration, puts activities and all other content into context
with the new concept before beginning to explain and describe individual products Use language with a meaning to the audience and develop short sentences. By contrast, with groups of colleagues you should be able to use industry terminology safe in the knowledge they understand what you are talking about. It should also be safe to use specific in-house terms, abbreviations and acronyms but this may be totally inappropriate and ineffective if the same presentation was being made to outsiders Make sure the information is presented in an informative and interesting manner. You are not asked to be ‘an entertainer’ but the presentation itself should be entertaining and informative: This highlights the need for you to pay attention, in the planning phase, not only to what you are going to say but how you are going to say and present it A fundamental requirement of any presentation is that you do not send the audience to sleep! Slide No Trainer Notes Trainer continues to provide trainees with advice when writing a draft for a presentation: Identify where information can be more appropriately presented with the use of visual aids. After all they say a picture is worth a thousand words and this is often the case in a presentation: An actual product or sample is worth ten thousand words You can be more effective in your representation of statistics if you show a graphic containing a chart or a table rather than reel off a series of statistics and you can be more effective in your description of a product if you show a photograph or hand around an actual sample Once the main body of your presentation has been written, go back and the introduction and the ending/summary: Note the sequence in which the presentation is planned, does not follow the sequence in which it is delivered. The body is always written first and the introduction and the ending follow Never try to write the introduction first, then the main body First draft will always have to be changed before the actual briefing takes place. A successful presentation often has the draft presentation worked and re-worked numerous times. This is all part of the planning and preparation process and is to be expected. Class Activity – Individual Exercise
Was too much time on one aspect of the planning and preparation at the expense of other/more important aspects? Did the budget (if applicable) sufficient time planning and preparation? What are the lessons to be learned? Slide Slide No Trainer Notes Trainer advises trainees evaluation should also address ‘support materials used’ considering questions such as: Were sufficient quantities (of handouts, items, merchandise, product) obtained to use in the presentation so all attendees received a copy/item? Were support materials (handouts, overheads, PowerPoint slides, charts, graphs, actual items) appropriate to the presentation and within the capacity of the audience to understand? Were support materials used or referred to at the most appropriate time within the presentation? Did use of (or timing of the use of) the support materials distract from the presentation, or enhance it? Class Activity – Discussion Trainer asks trainees to identify other questions that could be asked when evaluating ‘support materials used’. Possible responses could include: Were materials grammatically correct and free of spelling errors? Were they well laid out, attractive, easy to use and read? Was the language, terms and level of materials appropriate to the knowledge and experience levels of the audience? Could different or better materials have been used? Could the timing of the use of support materials been modified to make their use more effective? Were you able to professionally and effectively use any technology required to display or use the support materials? Slide No Trainer Notes Trainer suggests ‘content’ should also be evaluated through questions such as: