How to Deliver a Presentation with Clarity and Confidence.
You’ve been offered the opportunity to stand in the spotlight, in front of 140 potential buyers, to introduce yourself and your business. The only catch? You have strictly 2 minutes to stand, deliver – and offer great value.
That’s how it was for me when preparing for my Partner in Focus spot at our Chamber’s recent Celebrating Women in Business function. As an experienced presenter I knew how to prepare myself. The challenge was to be succinct.
Afterwards, our Chairman enthused that I had ‘nailed it’ and other seasoned presenters congratulated me as well. I was asked to share with Chamber Members, how I approached this challenge and to offer training or coaching for those who would like to hone their own presentations. Hence this article.
The number of new conversations arising from this event, the additional confidence boost thanks to the positive feedback, the deeper connection I’ve developed with our events team, meeting two amazing speakers and the satisfaction of producing an important new piece of content – all made this well worth all the effort involved!
It’s a wonderful experience for anyone, to learn the discipline and commit to the practice required, in getting to the point!
Below is a summary of the 7 steps I took in getting ready.
1. I began with content I already had, to avoid reinventing when I could reuse
a. I pulled together about 15 slides and created a few more
b.The final culled version 5 had 8 slides, #1 was just my logo and the last slide was ‘thank you’.
2. Asked my ‘angels’ – trusted advisors: What to include?
a. I asked my close network of fellow coaches, and people I’m doing a public speaking course with.
b.Also my MyBoard (inner circle network) team and my marketing coach.
3. I checked out and connected with the other speakers. This is a team effort!
4. I studied the agenda, where I fitted in and was mindful of balancing consistency with the event theme, with my uniqueness and message.
5. The final cut:
a. The ‘angels’ all said that in such a short window I should focus on ONE message idea only, with a relatable offer:
i. My key message was: “Leadership is an inside job”. I spoke about the need for business owners to manage their mindset and their energy well, so that they can be the fully-present and inspirational leaders they need to be
ii. My gift for the day was a copy of my new e-book “Its not just the Flu that’s Making You Tired: 12 Common Energy Drainers and How to Deal With Them”; and/or a complimentary business and energy health check with me.
b. Since people can read my bio and company profile on my website, I pointed to it on a slide but did not reiterate what’s already there
c. I include some storytelling that was personal and relevant
i. I shared in 20 seconds, how I came up with the name and branding for Iris Group
ii. I shared one client’s story using images and quotations from her testimonials; also a conceptual graphic, showing how I work.
6. Practice with a timer until you have control of this beast!
a. I rehearsed each version of the presentation, using the voice recorder on my phone, then playing back and noticing where I was still waffling
b. I used a combination of scripting/reading and then highlighting keywords until I no longer required notes
c. Developed a clear structure as to how my 120 seconds were to be allocated across the slides
d. Reached a stage where I could fully trust myself not to waffle and to deliver on time.
7. Manage your energy:
a. Have a clear intention as to how you want to connect with people and the impression you want to generate
b. Organise yourself so you can be in that energy on the day (well rested, handouts ready, well hydrated, early/on-time, clear calendar so you don’t have to rush off afterwards)
c. Relax and enjoy your moment!
If you would like a personal session with me to help you with presentation skills, confidence, clarity or delivery, please email me here and we can discuss timing, fees, etc.
