Successful Presentation Stuff

I attended a really good presentation recently and I was thinking about the countless presentations we all make in our business. Whether it’s a formal talk at a service club, a staff meeting topic, or a visit with a prospective donor couple, we are making a presentation. And the stuff that we say will determine the outcome. So here are four things I jotted down about why this was such a good presentation:

1 – Be sure you really know your stuff! The listener can tell after the first three or four minutes whether you know what you are talking about. Do your homework, and know the key points you want the listener to understand and remember. You can’t cover for knowledge and understanding with too much talking.

2 – Be prepared by knowing whom you are stuffing! The service club presentation shouldn’t be the history of the organization unless there’s a reason to tell them about it. The new office technology introduction doesn’t need to include why a particular system or firm was selected.

3 – Know when they are stuffed! Key prospects can be easily overwhelmed with too much information about all the choices available to them. Focus the presentation on their one or two key interests, not the whole menu of opportunities.

4 – Don’t give everybody the same old stuff! Our business is very individualized and success is directly relative to matching the listener to specific capabilities to help. Even the service club speech should be tailored to that particular audience. The Lions aren’t the same as the Rotary or the Soroptimists or the Junior League. Your presentations shouldn’t be the same either.

This presentation was the best, and the presenter did all of the above in a seamless and enjoyable manner.

Helen Monroe