Take the Stage
Its been said that people are more afraid of public speaking than dying. Its not fear of speaking, but fear of embarrassment that keeps most people away from the microphone. Truly great speakers are a sight to behold. But barring all natural talent, each of these speakers have one thing in common - a well prepared speech. Academy Awards are not presented for off-the-cuff remarks. They are awarded after long rehearsals, major script rewrites, and numerous takes.
You have written the Paper, isolated the most important points, created stunningly clear graphs, edited hundreds of photos down to a precious few. You know your subject and are ready to go. Here are a few tips to help you feel prepared when taking the stage.
Arrive early.
Arrive early enough to look over the room. Where is the screen? Where should you stand? Or sit? If some of the equipment is being provided, look over the controls and connections. If you have questions ask for assistance. You may be able to just hand a CD to a technical who has already set up the equipment.
If you are to provide the equipment for the presentation, set it up. Make all the connections. Turn everything on. Focus and adjust the image for the top of the screen. When everything is working, set your presentation to the first slide and let your computer sleep. Set the projector to ready mode. Put everything not needed for the presentation out of the way. Relax.
Reassure your Audience.
Reassure your audience that they will not need to take notes as you will be leaving them with their own copy of the Paper. Tell them at the beginning. That way they can relax. Never pass out the paper before your presentation. You want your audience to focus their attention on you.
Tell them what you are going to tell them.
Give the audience the overview and introduction to what brought you together. State the problem and the solution you will offer. Tell them what new material or process you will be describing.
Tell them what you came to tell them.
Tell them in detail about your topic. Cover the data you have, note the graphs and their significance. This is the heart of the presentation.
Tell them what you told them.
Restate the problem/solution, etc. Go over the big data again. State your conclusions.
Take Questions.
Answer any questions. Clarify any points. This is where you take notes on how to improve your next presentation.
Call to Action.
There will always be a need for action. Always. If there is no need for action, there was no need for the presentation. You could have sent an e-mail.
What needs to be done now? Now that we have new information? Now that we know about a new product or service? Now that we have identified the cause of the problem? What is the next step? And who will take charge of it? When you have planned the next step, with dates and names, the presentation is over.
Finally, Thank Your Audience.
Pass out the Paper and thank the audience for their time. Hopefully each in attendance feels that they benefited from your presentation. But they still had to clear their schedule, perhaps travel, and left a mountain of work on their desk to listen to you. Thank them for their kindness.