The Perfect Presentation

from Able Leader, July 2007

by Steve Kaye

Many of you responded to my request for ideas on the Perfect Presentation.

Here's what you told me.

1) It works.

That is, the presentation accomplishes something. It informs, inspires, or entertains. It sells something, changes viewpoints, or starts action.

People want a result. And a good presentation delivers one.

Notice that every result represents a change. And so, you must design your presentation to bring about a change.

Action: Identify the goal for your presentation.

This goal will be the change that you want to cause.

If the goal seems vague or unknown, you will need to determine what it is. Conduct information interviews with key members of the audience to identify: a) What they want from your presentation, b) How it can help them, and c) What they already know.

2) It stirs.

The best presentations do more than just feed ideas. They make people think.

For example, I attended a extraordinary presentation in May where I took five pages of notes. What's special here is that only about a fourth of my notes were ideas delivered by the speaker. The rest were ideas that occurred to me as a result of what the speaker said.

True, this does reflect the way that I listen. I'm always seeking applications, implications, and extensions of what I hear.

My point is this: I want more than facts. I want growth.

Action: Plan a presentation that makes people think.

Do more than report news or facts that everyone knows. Instead, provide conclusions and interpretations. Weave questions into your presentation. Challenge people with possibilities. Take their minds into places where they have never been.

3) It lifts.

Life is complex. Business is filled with anxiety. Everything is marked with drama.

Often the reason for a presentation is to remedy a bad situation. For example, something broke. Sales lagged expectations. Competitors changed strategy.

The implications may be glum.

But no one wants to be left holding a problem. Instead, they want at least a direction toward a solution.

Action: Prepare recommendations.

Leaders do more than show the way. They sell hope. They inspire people to work toward a better future. They create confidence that obstacles can be overcome.

4) It sings.

People have remarkable tolerance. They will forgive dropped pens, broken sentences, and forgotten facts.

But they have little patience for unprepared work.

Why? Because a lack of preparation insults the audience. It's similar to announcing at the beginning that you cared so little for their time that you decided to ignore preparing.

We prepare out of respect for the audience.

Action: Prepare. Plan. Rehearse.

Begin by writing out the goal for your presentation. Then plan key points that will achieve your goal. Support these points with evidence, stories, and examples.

Rehearse parts of your presentation. Talk through them when by yourself. Try expressing them during conversations. Give the entire presentation in the meeting room a day or so before the meeting.

Important: Practice with a clock so that you know how to finish on time.

5) It stays.

The perfect presentation goes home with the audience.

It remains in their thoughts. It follows them. It comes back when situations remind them of what you said.

Then people keep the ideas alive. They quote what you said. They tell others what they learned.

The perfect presentation lasts a long time because it was memorable.

Action: Be quotable.

Craft unique ways of expressing ideas. Find clear, concise ways to make your points. Work with words by writing in a journal, keeping an idea inventory, and reading.

Leaders are thinkers. Thus, they are always seeking new ideas and profound ways to express them.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
714-528-1300