Knowing how to plan a presentation is a useful and necessary skill in work, community, school and social environments. In a professional setting, presenters inform other people, sell products, explain important decisions, and inspire others to think to come up with new ideas. In politics and in the community, presentations are often made to influence important decisions or to inspire to find a solution to a problem. School presentations make you practice to become clear and effective in your presentation. Even on certain social occasions, such as making a toast at a wedding, presentation skills are required. Here you can find some tips for planning a presentation in any area.
Steps
Step 1. Decide on the topic
- Choose a topic that you find interesting. One area where people often lack is to make the presentation interesting. Planning a presentation can take time, so choose an interesting topic that will keep you stimulated during the preparation and presentation itself.
- Determine the scope of the topic. Adjust the scope of the topic according to the time you are allowed. If you only have 5 minutes to talk about a very large topic, give a general overview or focus on a specific aspect.
Step 2. Get information on the topic to be covered
- Review business documents and previous presentations on the subject. For a business presentation, study relevant documents and data, such as product descriptions, customer feedback, statistics, and other data that can be incorporated into your presentation.
- Research academic sources. For a school presentation, try to understand the teacher's requests for the presentation. You may be asked to cite information from academic books, articles or journals.
- Talk to experts and knowledgeable people. When talking about a famous writer, for example, it might be a good idea to find out about his biography and bibliography to do your job better.
Step 3. Outline the presentation
Your presentation should have an introduction, a core and a conclusion.
- Introduce yourself and the topic. A good introduction clearly explains who you are, what the topic is, and what you will be talking about in the presentation.
- Identify the topics to be covered in the central part of the speech. The specific intent of your presentation will guide this section. In most cases, the central part of the presentation should be organized by ordered points, so that listeners move from one topic to the next.
- Close the presentation. Summarize the concepts you have presented, thank the audience for their attention, and leave room for questions if possible.
Step 4. Determine what tools you need for the presentation
You can use flyers, slides, videos, audio recordings or other tools to enhance your presentation. Video and audio supports stimulate attention and attract people with different learning styles.
- Create good quality visual aids. Enhance your audience experience by making visual aids that are easy to read. Avoid using small fonts or colors that make reading difficult.
- Do not overdo the use of support tools. For example, avoid requiring the audience to read flyers or slides for an extended period of time. Explain the concepts yourself and use the supporting tools only to highlight specific points.
Step 5. Rehearse your presentation several times
The process of planning a presentation requires a lot of testing.
- Use a script. Practice writing your presentation on cards or using your first draft as a guide.
- Ask friends, family or colleagues to listen to your presentation. Ask them for an honest opinion about the clarity of the content, your way of doing things, the quality of your voice and the pace at which you proceed.
