3 questions to ask yourself before giving a presentation

Organisational clarity is accomplished when all energies and creative forces in an organisation flow in the desired direction. This means that every member of a team is clear on their roles, the specific goals and the intended outcome of the project or task in the company’s focus. It allows everyone to see where they fit into the bigger picture. Without communication, organisational clarity is impossible to accomplish.

One way a leader can work towards organisational clarity is by giving clear, informative presentations. They can do this by asking the right questions.  

This blog was submitted by Bookboon Author Bertram Valentin.

Presentation skill: Don’t overload on information

Given the pressures and the speed of change in organisations, leaders can become deeply entangled in their own thoughts. When this happens, they tend to overload their presentations with a lot of information which can cause staff to become confused, frustrated and bored.

As you begin preparing your presentation, ask yourself the following question:

What key statement do I want my listeners to remember next week?

Identifying a clear and concise statement will focus your own thinking when it comes to your preparation work and will have the same effect on your presentation. Giving a presentation is not about condensing your thoughts into a number of slides but about connecting to your audience and communicating a message that makes a lasting impact on their thinking and actions.

Presentation skill: Phone a friend

If possible, before presenting, give your presentation to someone outside of your field or department and ask them:

How would you summarise the presentation in one sentence? 

What an unbiased listener takes away from a presentation can be educational and sometimes unexpected. It will give you useful feedback for further sharpening your message.

Presentation skill: Ask and answer

A presentation is a training or coaching tool and should, ideally, answer the questions most listeners would have on the presentation topic. Think of a presentation as a FAQ page on a website. Instead of articulating key statements to be included in your presentation begin with writing down the key questions you intend to answer.

Ask yourself: What are the key questions this presentation should answer?

A good way to begin a presentation is by actually providing listeners with some of the questions you will answer. Starting with a question will evoke a listeners curiosity and increase their attention span.