- Find out about your audience i.e. age profile, gender mix, business etc.
- Ask yourself as a result of my talk what do I want my audience to do, more of, less of, stop or start.
- Decide what is the key point you want your audience to take away from the presentation.
- Decide on an exciting opening that gets the audiences attention; fail to do this and you struggle for the rest of the presentation.
- Devise a really high impact closing statement that leaves them in no doubt as to your message.
- Find opportunities to practise, a quiet place, speak out loud when rehearsing your talk.
- Check the timing of your presentation to ensure that it meets the time requirements. Remember, as soon as you have run over time, you have lost your audiences attention.
- Prepare answers to questions you are likely to be asked in the Q & A session. Do not let yourself be surprised.
- Enjoy it, if you have fun, your audience will have fun. Remember people who enjoy themselves learn more quickly.
- Decide on a structure/format suited to your talk i.e. is it to entertain, persuade, convince or educate.
