THE 7 STEPS TO CREATING A POWERFUL PRESENTATION

This is the first in a series of 7 articles on creating a powerful presentation:

Step 1 focuses on defining the goals of your presentation.

Step 2 looks at the most important part of your presentation - the close or end.

Step 3 is designing your opening - the second most important part of your presentation - if you mess this step up then you make it much harder to bring your audience back.

Step 4 is planning the content of your presentation and adding spice.

Step 5 discusses designing your visuals.

Step 6 examines how to define and tailor to your audience.

Step 7 considers the subject of rehearsal and preparation tips and tricks.

STEP 1: Define your goals

This crucial step is often forgotten or added as an afterthought but it is one of the keys to your presentation or speech's success. Without goals you are without a compass and the resulting presentation will wander through 'uncharted territory'  (be directionless / unfocussed) and fail to find you 'food', 'water' or 'shelter' (respond to the audience's needs and make the sale or sell your ideas).

When defining your goals, some of the questions you want to ask yourself are: What is the purpose of the presentation? What do I want to have after my presentation? When it's all over, what is it I want the audience to do, have, believe or think? What are the rewards and benefits of doing this for a) me b) the audience?

There are many methods of setting goals. One that I use is the SMART way; that is SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, REALISTIC, TIME-FACTORED.

SPECIFIC and MEASURABLE

This is the point where most people become confused and often give up on setting goals. If you generalise or use a weak statement at this point you will have a general or weak objective that has little chance of being met. As you form your goal it is SPECIFIC and MEASURABLE in that it has precise targets. Do you want to sell your product? Then, how many units of your product do you want to sell? 50? 500? Do you want your decision-maker to sign a contract? Then how long will the contract be? How much will it be worth?

How will you know you have succeeded? What is the tangible proof? A signed contract in your briefcase as you leave the meeting? Ten people approaching you at the end of the presentation and asking for your business card? Use figures, numbers and dates to hone your goals.

Finally, formulate your goals and objectives positively so they're about what you want to achieve not what you want to avoid.

ATTAINABLE and REALISTIC

Your goal should be a bit of a stretch for you. If it's too easy then there's no real motivation or sense of achievement when you've attained it. Of course, don't go to the other extreme and set the bar so high that you'll never reach it. A goal is attainable when you can see the whole process of what it takes to achieve it. If you can see all the steps it takes for you to reach the goal and the steps are realistic (no million-dollar contracts after your first presentation or standing ovations and requests for your autograph in the conference room) then the goal is attainable. Opening negotiations with a prospect after a presentation might be an attainable and realistic goal, being asked 5 questions about your product by the audience might be another.

TIME-FACTORED

You can take forever to accomplish something with your presentation or speech. Not having a time frame ensures that your goal is weak and general again. Put a reasonable time limit on when you will finish what you started with your presentation. If the goal is flexible there is breathing room and having temporary setbacks is not a crime but make sure you commit something to paper. "By the end of July" or "at the end of the week" are time-factored goals whereas "by 1.30pm on Friday, January 31 st  " could be too inflexible and allows little room for error.

Here are some SMART example objectives:

• I want 5 people to congratulate me at the end of my speech.

So be SMART with your goals and if you follow the steps I've outlined above you've taken an important step towards creating a powerful presentation - your goals will be the compass to 'guide' the design of your presentation or speech. Good luck with your goal-setting and let me know how you get on.

Read Step 2 to continue the journey.