Develop Content for a Business Presentation
Have you ever been put on the spot to deliver a presentation? I often hear from people who have been given what feels like no time to develop content for their business presentation, next to no time to present and way too much information to cover. For example, you may have ten things to discuss in only fifteen minutes. Many people make the mistake of trying to cover too much information in the allotted time. In order to get through all of the material, they talk too fast, rush through the information and leave the audience overwhelmed, confused and downright bored. That’s hardly the result you want!
When organizing content for a presentation or meeting, take a few moments to really think about your audience’s goals and what you want your audience to get from the meeting. Be decisive about these points. The following four tips can help you better organize your content so your presentation inspires and informs.
1. Who is attending?
Before you write anything, first determine what your audience wants from you as it relates to the topic. To do this, list two to four goals you know your listeners would like to accomplish as a result of your meeting or presentation. Ask yourself: Why do they care about your topic? What problem are you going to solve for them. Give them a good reason for being there.
2. Be concise.
Most communications, whether they’re 30 minutes or three hours, should have an outlined agenda. We recommend you discuss from three to five key topics. Most people walk away from a presentation or meeting and are able to recall only two to three key points. In other words, if you try to cover a lot of different topics, you’re not going to be able to focus on anything important and you’ll lose your listeners. You’re better off to have shorter meetings with fewer points then one long meeting covering everything.
3. State your goals.
In the first minute of your presentation or communication, state the two or three goals you’ve identified for your audience. Make it clear why they should listen to you and how you’re going to help them accomplish what they want to do. Don’t go into detail yet; just state their goals.
4. Be repetitive.
At the conclusion of each slide or key point of your presentation, you will want to restate one of the goals back to the audience. Yes, this is repetitive, but your listeners need repetition for the information to sink in. Remember, they don’t know the topic as well as you, so they need to hear the key points and goals often to get the full impact of your message and to remember why it’s important to them.
Additional Resources:
1. Video: Watch Sheri Jeavons’ Presentation Skills Training Video: How to Create Effective Presentations with High Impact Introductions
2. Join us live for an upcoming free educational webinar.
3. Contact us regarding customized presentation skills training for your professionals:
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