3 Do’s (and 3 big DON’Ts) before your next presentation

Great pitches and presentations don’t magically materialize in a sprinkle of fairy dust (although it would be nice if that were true). 

In real life, prepping for a speaking event takes some serious sweat, planning and skills. We have to plan our message, pull together our facts and figures, and practice over and over again until we feel confident enough to deliver. Great presentations don’t just happen, and behind every glowing microphone moment is a WHOLE lotta practice and preparation. 

To help you improve next time you’re in the spotlight, here are some simple “do’s” and “don’ts” to follow. 

3 Do’s 

1. DO rehearse. Prepping for a speaking event isn’t like getting ready for a conversation. You need to take time to remember your main message, back-up arguments, and the key points…and rehearsal sessions are the only way to really get them committed to memory. You don’t need to memorize like a Shakespearian actor, but you do need to know exactly what you’re talking about…and why. 

2. DO your research. Yes, this means research about your subject, but ALSO about your audience. Who are you speaking to? If you talking to potential investors or clients, it’s important to really understand where they are coming from (both literally and figuratively). 

3. DO decide on your Main Message. Before you start organizing your presentation, you need to decide exactly what your Main Message is. What are you trying to say? What do you want the audience to remember? What’s your main point? Make your main message as simple as possible, and make sure your call to action (CTA) is linked to your message clearly.

3 Don’ts

1. Don’t procrastinate. When we are nervous about a speaking event, it’s normal to feel uncomfortable and want to delay working on our presentation. Many of us procrastinate before our scary big speech until the last minute, frantically throwing together a messy presentation that bores the pants off the audience.But procrastination is a nasty, nasty beast that exchanges comfort (hello, chocolate fudge ice cream and Bones re-runs) for productivity. If you want to deliver a great presentation, you need time to prepare, rehearse and  strategize. Give yourself enough time to prepare effectively. 

2. Don’t cram everything in. Editing is always the hardest part of crafting a good presentation. When we’re worried about our impact, we tend to shove more and more data, drama and documents into our pitch. The problem? An over-crowded presentation is messy and CONFUSING. Your message quickly gets lost under all the noise, so learn how to cut, cut, cut.

3. Don’t shy away. When we’re nervous presenters, we tend to feel insecure and shy. We avoid connecting with our audience, and we lose our confidence in front of a crowd. If we’re shying away, we avoid really making an impact with the audience. The audience loses interest, and we lose the opportunity to share our work with them. It takes practice, but learn how to share with confidence and connect.