The end of the year is full of presentation opportunities, from “state of the company” addresses to keynote speeches at holiday parties. If you’re recruited to give one of those presentations, you want to engage your audience and really shine with a memorable offering. That’s why here at YES! Your Human Resources Solution, we’re launching a three-part series on how to give a great presentation, and in plenty of time to plan, produce, and perfect your speech by year-end. We’ll start where any good presenter would, at the planning phase.

PLANNING YOUR PRESENTATION

An engaging talk starts with a well-planned story that really speaks to your audience. As you plan your presentation, take these steps to ensure your listeners’ eyes stay locked on you and not on a smartphone:

• Determine the right topic for your audience. You and your unique experience were chosen for this presentation, but the presentation should be planned with your audience in mind, not you. What can you discuss that will have a relevant, day-to-day application? What firsthand knowledge can you impart to help your audience solve a problem or to improve their lives? It may help to select the topic and its framework in tandem; memorable presentations are often framed by a story from the presenter’s past, which makes the topic more relatable and the presentation more authentic.
• Translate that topic to paper. We don’t mean you should write out a word-for-word speech! Reading word for word can deaden your delivery and make your presentation sound academic, or worse, hollow. So stick to notes, literally: sticky notes with key points will keep you on topic while leaving room for improvisation. Make one note for each talking point you want to make in your presentation. Then spread out the notes on a tabletop. Arrange them in a roadmap that unfolds logically with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and with each point building on the last to culminate in one overarching point. When your roadmap is set, copy the sticky notes onto numbered notecards. You should only need a word or two to remember each talking point, followed by a word or two to spark the transition to your next talking point.
• Practice your presentation. First of all, study your notes until you know them inside and out. The two words on each notecard should be enough to elicit thorough discussion of each idea, followed by a graceful transition to the next idea. Once you’ve memorized your roadmap, practice! Whether you give your presentation in front of a mirror, record it on your computer, or deliver it in front of a few family members, you’ll grow more confident in each delivery. You’ll also learn whether you need to slow down or speed up your delivery, for clarity or time. Remember that if you’re nervous, you’ll be inclined to talk faster, so think about adding pauses between each thought.

Once you have your presentation’s roadmap all planned out and practiced, you’re ready for the production phase—putting it all together in an audio-visual, social-media-friendly masterpiece that is sure to wow. Tune in next week to find out how!