Recently, we talked about the way that I approach a presentation, both in person and over video. I wanted to dive deeper into a method for setting up any talk, whether it’s a stakeholder meeting, a cast brainstorm, or a keynote speech. You’ve heard it before, but incorporating stories and examples will make you stand out and, most importantly, allow the audience to remember you. But what does that look like in action?
Prep your presentation
OK, we made it through the brainstorming phase (during Part One) where we remind ourselves why we’re getting up there in the first place. Next, we’re going to practice and get the flow down. I’m going to jump right to the larger challenge first, the body of your speech and the stories you put in it. After some tips for strengthening your content, we’ll return to prompts for your presentation.
What are the 5 most important things you want to share in general?
When you’re excited about a topic, it can feel like everything you have to say is essential. But part of being a good presenter means whittling down to the KEY TOPICS and giving your audience exactly what they want and need. For a short talk, five things might take up your time or even be too many (for example, if you have only five minutes, stick to three). However, a longer presentation will need 3-5 per major section.
What stories/anecdotes come to mind for this?
Presenting the big ideas might seem most important, but often your audience won’t really understand (on a deeper level) until they have examples. Stories can further draw your listeners in, allowing them to feel what you’re saying, not just think it. Make a list that’s longer than you need — sometimes your best ideas will come after you think you are done.
Edit yourself
Great! You’ve identified the central concepts/major points, and you have a buffet of anecdotes from which to choose to season your awesome presentation. What’s next?
As we all know, not every idea we have is a good one. What we sometimes forget is that not every good idea belongs in THIS presentation! Sort through your ideas, putting the most efficient ones into your speech, and saving the others for a different time. (I have a writer friend who calls the practice ‘putting it in the parking lot.’ She has a section in each notebook for ‘parking lot’ ideas to use later!) Take a pass at your anecdote list, giving each a Y, N, or M for maybe. Do you still have too many choices? Great! Take a hard look at the “Yes” group. Which are the 2 or 3 shortest and most impactful? Make sure that they are significantly different from each other.
Now that I’ve narrowed that down, what about the rest of my presentation?
You can have the most amazing content in the world, but if how you present them isn’t engaging, it just won’t matter.
How shall I introduce myself?
Ever heard that you have to hook your audience in the first 30 seconds? This might arguably matter even more on video where it’s easier for your listeners to open their phones or pull up the news on a separate tab without anyone noticing. If your hook happens in the first 10-15 seconds? Even better!
How can I continue to check in and re-engage my audience…
Jokes? Questions? Polls? Other? You’ll notice the various video conferencing apps have all sorts of ways to keep your audience engaged or hanging on your every word. Use these to your advantage! Maybe you ask everyone to put an idea into the chat or throw up a poll or start a discussion, some methods work well no matter the medium and others only apply to video meetings.
How can I help the participants know I value them/feel valued?
For me, the answer to this question takes multiple forms in the same talk. I ask myself the following questions:
- Am I using gender-inclusive language or gender variety language?
- When in my talk should I agree/acknowledge that the concept is unusual or emotionally challenging?
- Are there moments where I should ask how folks are doing, or if they have a question?
- Have I made sure to thank them sincerely early on in my speech?
- Is there an appropriate time to set my viewers up for success by inviting examples or strategies from the audience?
Just jot down a couple ideas on a separate post-it note.
All this prep should leave you with a clean, easy to follow outline for yourself as well as a clear sense of the overarching narrative in your mind. When it’s go time, trust your work and focus on connecting with your audience. You are the medium by which they resonate with the material. They will feel your passion and compassion, and get so much more from the presentation because you spent the time engaging them.
