Whether due to the overwhelming demands on their time or a last-minute request for information, our clients are sometimes forced to create presentations on the fly. When you do not have a lot of time, you can still prepare a great presentation. Start with these tips:
Know Your Goal
Too often, we come across a business presenter who has not fully considered why he or she is presenting. Naturally, this leads to a lost opportunity to connect with the audience and make an impact.
Be clear. Why are you presenting? Why is the information needed now? When you know your goal, you can more quickly determine what to include or exclude in order to achieve your goal.
Focus on What Your Audience Needs
To whom are you speaking? With whom do you need to connect? And, what’s important to that person or group? All successful presentations start with an immediate connection, catering to the needs of the listeners and giving them a reason to stay with you.
Focus on Key Points
There’s nothing like a time-crunch that forces you to focus on the essentials. In anticipation of such occurrences, boil your message down to those two, maybe three or four core points you need to communicate. When time is tight, staying as focused on the essentials as possible allows you to have stronger impact. If you have time, you can flesh out a few supporting details that will help your audience more fully understand your core points.
Rally the Troops
Call in favors, solicit for help, and get others on your team and in your organization to pitch in with the presentation prep work. The more help you can get, the better, whether they help fact check, prepare visuals, or give you feedback as you practice. If you are delivering a major presentation that will be highly visible to your industry peers or shareholders, we recommend you alert your corporate communications team. They may be able to help as well.
Breathe
When under pressure, people often become anxious, and that’s not conducive for working quickly and effectively. Take a few moments to breathe. The physiological impact of breathing helps clear your mind and calms you. Proper breathing will enable you to pull together your thoughts and help you focus on what you want to say in your presentation.
We also recommend taking a few moments to breathe just before presenting. Slow, full breaths lessen the visual signs of nervousness, which is important, because your body language speaks volumes.
In January, the American Express OPEN Forum asked for my advice on preparing a presentation when you’re under pressure and out of time. Read the full article here.
Franchetti Communications delivers accelerated results by designing power-packed media interview and presentation training sessions around your unique goals, in person and via teleconference. Franchetti Communications works with corporations and business leaders to develop communication strategy, messaging, and PR strategy. Follow Franchetti Communications on LinkedIn, and be sure to download our special report: 6 Ways to Guarantee Your Message Cuts Through the Clutter.