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.

10 Ways to impress your boss

• Prioritize work intelligently. Learn the way your boss measures work. Toil on the ones which is of utmost importance to him/her. If your boss is a numbers person then count your results and if he/she is a client oriented person then talk in those terms. Prioritizing work also helps in saying no to the lesser important tasks especially in situations when you have too much to do. You will receive appreciation for concentrating on your boss’s requirements.
  
  
• Involve boss in your work. You could have done a brilliant job, but if your boss is unaware, it's like it never happened. Therefore, it is essential to beat your own trumpet. Keep your boss in the loop every time you win some client, save money, finish a project or do anything which might be of his/her interest.
  
  
• Be aware. Know what is going around in the market, read and be informed of the latest in your area of work. Be prompt in asking intelligent questions at meetings and come up with bright ideas. Become an asset in the team.
  
  
• Speak your boss’s language. Correspond with your superior in the medium that is preferred - e-mails, sms or phone. Communicating accordingly will ensure that information is received and noted.
  
  
• Be pro-active. Undertake new responsibilities apart from the ones already designated to you. Make sure to manage all tasks efficiently. Mark the loopholes in the process and rectify it before your boss points out. By the time he/she does, your work will speak your worth in the company.
  
  
• Carry the label of dependability. Fulfill your duties in any given situation. Be the one on whom your boss can count on in the time of crisis. Build your network for quick accomplishment of tasks that require inputs from the other departments.
  
  
• Spread positivity. Stay happy. Do not get entangled in office politics. Be patient with people and assist them in their work. Be a source of positivity and inspiration to others.
  
  
• Be punctual. Coming late to office is unacceptable. Always be available for work. You are sure to score some brownie points for being there when need be.
  
  
• Use your time effectively. Do not waste your time chatting or gossiping in office. Instead, be productive .However, this does not mean you cannot take breaks. Limit your breaks to 2 or 3 and do not exceed its duration to more than 10 minutes.
  
  
• Be a problem solver. Tackle all teething problems by yourself. Bail out your co-workers from tricky situations. Rush to your superiors only for bigger problems after attempting to solve them yourself. Build a name for resolving issues on your own.

Believe in yourself and work hard. Let work speak for you, and there is no way anyone will be able to ignore you. If you manage to impress your boss, you win the missing key to his good books.

5 ways to achieve success

1. Have a vision: It is important to have a dream or a vision. This should be both for yourself and for your organization. Always dream big and aim high.


2. Set a measurable milestone: before starting a new project, be sure of the end result. Define measurable milestones. Keep enough time in between two projects. Don't lose customer focus - always keep in mind what your output will be and how it will make a difference to your customers (co-workers/departments).


3. Take responsibility: you should be a leader and inspire people around you. Try to build team spirit and constantly encourage your team-mates. Communicate and share success, plans, visions and problems with your team members. Always give a macro picture to your team. It's important that the members know the big picture and where they fit in.


4. Play on your strengths: be passionate about and committed to your dreams and goals. Be determined to make a difference in whatever you do and don't be afraid of making mistakes. Believe in yourself and play on your strengths. Have a style — do things differently — create an identity for yourself.


5. Keep a check: always keep a check on what you are doing. Assess your progress and measure it against the objectives and goals you had set. Seek a feedback and make the necessary corrections. Learn from your own as well as other's successes and failures.

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