Preparing for presentations

How many times, after giving a presentation, have you wished that it had been better? A presentation does not only give you the opportunity to present information but also gives you a chance to impress people who matter. Major business discussions, promotions, interviews etc are all based on how well you present. So, presentations have the power to make or break your chances of success.

Creating and delivering a powerful presentations is not as difficult as we all think. Most presentations go bad just because the presenter does not prepare well. So if you need an applause for your presentation, follow these simple rules -

• Research the subject: Make sure that you have enough knowledge about the subject on which you will focus. Spend time researching and making notes, if required. Keep these notes handy as they will help you answer queries that might crop up during the presentation.
• Understand the audience profile: A thorough knowledge of the audience profile helps you decide the visuals, format, layout etc for the presentation. It also helps you in anticipating the kind of questions and queries that may come up during the presentation and preparing for them in advance.
• Create the presentation material: Keep the audience profile in mind when creating the presentation material. Make notes of important supporting things that you would like to refer to while presenting the material. Keep the text on screen to a minimum and try to use bullets points to list out the things that you want to discuss. Make sure that the screen is not cluttered with unnecessary information. Try to use more pictures and media elements as it keeps the audience hooked on to the presentation. Last, but not the least, arrange the presentation material-slides decks, visual aids etc - in a logical order and ensure that there is a proper flow when you transition from one point to another, one slide to another and so on.
• Rehearse the presentation: Rehearse a couple of time before making the actual presentation. You can ask your friends and family to be a part of mock presentations and give inputs and feedback. You can also try rehearsing in front of the mirror to gain confidence. Practice everything that you can, starting from your opening line to your signing off dialogue.
• Prepare the presentation room: Reach the presentation room before anyone else does. Arrange things the way you want. Test the presentation material and ensure that whatever you need for the presentation - projector, computer, screen etc - are all working fine. Knowledge and confidence is a lethal combination. Preparing properly for a presentation adds confidence to your knowledge and paves your way to a powerful presentation.