Ten Commandments of Preparing for Presentations

Think first, then plan. And being prepared for the unexpected isn’t just for the Boy Scouts.

 

Mark From Marketing Says...

 

It was Rehearsal Day, and panic was in the air. The firm’s Senior Leadership was preparing for two days of due-diligence presentations to the investors, but hadn’t shared their individual presentations with each other. Things weren’t going well at the run-through, and as a result, staff was running.

 

“Everywhere I’ve worked,” the wise office manager quietly observed, “this always happens. Everywhere. They’re never as prepared as they think they are.”

 

That may be true. But marketers don’t have the luxury of arriving unprepared for a presentation, especially if we’re demonstrating a new program to our colleagues and leadership. Often, this is our ONE chance to shine, our opportunity to highlight our ideas, value and relevance to the rest of the organization. For us, arriving unprepared at such a presentation is perhaps the most mortal of sins in corporate life.

 

I've seen this too often, and I still have the t-shirt from helping to pick-up the pieces afterwards. So, here are my 10 “commandments” that can help minimize the possibility of day-of presentation catastrophe…and to make sure that comedy does NOT ensue:

 

I. Before anything else, thou shalt draw thyself a roadmap: There’s no point in deciding how a presentation will look until I’ve completely thought-through why I’m doing it in the first place, to whom I'm delivering it, and what I want to achieve as a result of my presenting it. Then, I can develop my vision for the presentation, particularly what media will deliver my message best. A presentation doesn’t have to be an all-PowerPoint show, after all.

 

II. Thou shalt plan thoroughly: I begin by setting a personal delivery “due-date” of 48 hours before the presentation event, then work backwards through the approvals to the design and production process. I then consider the Big Questions: how long will the stakeholder, leadership and legal reviews require; how long will I have for my own review; and how much time will Creative need to design and produce the materials? Being late is NEVER an option.

 

III. Thou shalt establish the stakeholder/supervisor review schedule as early as possible: I meet with my stakeholders and leadership individually to establish how long they will need to approve the draft presentation, and how long their stakeholders and leadership will need to complete their approvals as well. Knowing where a particular point of friction in the approval process might appear – such as the extra time Legal might take to complete their review – pays dividends later. Remember: NOTHING moves in the client's direction without the appropriate final approvals!

 

IV. Thou shalt closely proofread copy before stakeholder review: I believe that correctable errors on presentation materials are acceptable within the department, but definitely are NOT acceptable once a draft presentation has been sent for stakeholder/leadership review. I know the embarrassment I may feel by having the staff catch my mistakes won’t begin to match the sheer mortification I’d experience if my boss, her boss or –perish the thought – the company president should point them out while I'm delivering my presentation! Proof early, proof often, and get other people to help with the proofing.

 

V. Thou shalt be Captain of thy own presentation: Designing a presentation is, next to actually delivering it, is probably the most fun part of the production process. However, too much creativity in a presentation can get in the way of good communication. It might be boring for the folks in the Art Department, but my goal is to effectively communicate an initiative or concept to a group of stakeholders, not necessarily to accommodate their artistic vision. As the presenter, I know more about the product and the audience I'm presenting to than the artist does, so I’m always prepared to politely turn-down any bolder-than-necessary design suggestions if they don’t clearly “fit” the product or audience.

 

VI. Thou shalt plan ahead for The Unforeseen during production: There's simply no way to avoid it – you-know-what happens, and it happens to all of us. What’s good about having lived through the experience of having "it" happen to me (a number of times) is not only remembering how I handled the situation the last time it happened, but also knowing how to deal it should it happen this time. Being prepared for The Unforeseen is always good, but also having a little patience and some extra time in the schedule can cure most production glitches without causing undue stress.

 

VII. Thou shalt have thy own trip together the day before the presentation: if my ultimate goal is to deliver a successful presentation, my penultimate goal is to make sure that presentation is as ready as I can make it the day before I deliver it. It’s a little like closing the textbook for the last time before taking a final exam: by then, I know the material. I know the presentation is as ready as I can make it. And most importantly, I know that I’m ready to deliver it.

 

VII. Thou shalt arrive early the day of the presentation, and test thy equipment one last time before anyone else shows up: I've learned that no matter how much I’ve prepared and rehearsedbeforehand, the gremlins might have come along for the ride anyway and made things…interesting. So, I make sure I arrive at least half an hour before the event, and test-run the presentation one last time. Doing this once, I caught a superimposed “Buy This Graphic Now” over a graphic that would have displayed during the actual presentation. It hadn’t displayed during earlier run-throughs, and the designer had no idea it was about to appear. I still shake a little when I think of what might have happened had it run...

 

IX. Thou shalt have a Plan B. And having a Plan C in reserve isn’t a Bad Idea, either: In a sense, this commandment is an extension of being ready to address any unforeseen issues or a day-of onsite surprise. While I expect a glitch or two in the production process, I also know that I have to be ready in case Something Awful happens onsite. Having a Plan B ready – or even, Plan C – can be as simple as knowing where the nearest commercial quick-print/business center is, what their hours are and if they can produce something quickly from my own laptop computer.

 

X. Thou shalt do thy homework, and be confident: All of this thinking, planning and preparation should lead to one goal: a confident, relaxed delivery of the presentation. “Know what you say, say what you know” is more than a funny catch-phrase from parochial school; it’s a roadmap to a successful presentation. That road is open, with the right kind of thought, planning and preparation.

 

Best of luck!

 

Mark Paulson is a marketing and communications strategist with extensive experience in for-profit, not-for-profit, technology, and professional membership association settings. No matter the channel or setting, he is an eloquent communicator who can tell your organization's or product's story to your customers or specific audience groups.