Selling Ideas

Chapter 8

Presentations3 basic pillars of a successful presentation Planning Preparation Practice

Planning a presentation If you were ask to make a presentation, you

may ask these following questions: What is to be the subject? Who is to be in the audience and how many? Where is it going to be? When is it going to be held? How long is it expected to last?

Planning a presentation 2 Before proceeding to that FIVE question,

you should ask first the most important one. What is the Objective of the presentation? If you do not understand the presentation you will make a lousy presentation. Make sure you understand the your objective(s) then and only then, should you address the FIVE standard question.

Planning a presentation 3 The subject sounds a very simple

consideration. However, you will find that in nearly every case, you have to do a ruthless selection job on what you are going to tell your audience about a particular subject, and that this selection will be conditioned by a number of other factors, particularly the audience.

Planning a presentation 4 Level of interest. Consider the effect it will have

on the business Comfort – stray into areas outside their expertise

and you run the danger of making them very uncomfortable.

Place – consider the space, can you use an overhead projector,

Time – don’t forget that people will want to ask question.

Preparing the presentation Structure – A presentation needs a

beginning, a middle and an end. Introduction – introduce yourself and your

credentials. Introduced your topic. Remember to introduce the topic from their point of view. Introduced your agenda.

Preparing the presentation 2 Content – the words. At this point you need to

consider what type of presentation you are going to give. Consider the size of your audience.

If you are presenting to more than fifteen to twenty people, you probably need to prepare a ‘theatre’ presentation. A smaller audience will often be seated around a conference table, with you at one end.

Preparing the presentation 3Regardless of the type presentation, the first step is

always to divide your talk into the messages which you wish to deliver. “sell yourself”, “sell your company”, “sell the idea”

Content – the visuals. Visuals enhances presentation: First, people take in information differently. Some may find that they learn through their eyes, some through their ears. And some both. Your visual should then complement what you are saying

Preparing the presentation 4 Preparing the Delivery. Control your nerves.

The best way to control your nerves is through meticulous planning and rigorous preparation. Key points to prepare the speech: Prepare the presentation in plenty of time. Rehearse the presentation. Familiarize yourself with your stage

Preparing the presentation 5 Decide on the notes to be used Options for visuals Seeding the audience Handouts Handling question

Delivering the Presentation Be on time; dress appropriately; smile;

number your visuals and notes. Make sure you can see a clock or a watch so that you can ensure you are keeping to time.

You have to handle questions properly. Give your audience permission to ask

question Make sure you understand the question

Delivering the Presentation 2 Ask for the order. You must ask for the

decision or action you require. Thank your audience. In relief that the

presentation is over, and has gone well, it is easy to forget the simple courtesies of thanking your audience for their attention and questions.

Reviewing the presentation If you are going to improve your

presentation technique, then you must learn from experience. If you have set your objectives for a presentation clearly, then measuring whether you have achieved them is relatively simple. A review and a constructive criticism from a colleague or your manager should be an integral part.

The written word Many of the ‘rules’ associated with making an

effective presentation are equally relevant when writing a report or a memo. Some useful rules: Deliver the message: you are writing because

you have something to say. Make the message clear in your mind

Get the structure right. A logical structure makes a communication easier to read and to understand.

The written word 2 Answer the questions: Don’t leave obvious

questions unanswered. Be concise: a business document should be as

long as it needs to be, and no longer. Use simple language: choose short words Draft first: Preparing a rough draft will save time

in the long run in all but the shortest of memos. Don’t be negative: a report or a memo should

contain some recommendations for a positive action.

The written word 3 Conform to organizational style: there is often an

expectation within an organization that communications will conform to an organizational style.

Preparing a report: Check expectations: it is always worth while

looking at some recent reports to see how they are constructed.

Plan the Project. Plan the structure. If you don’t have a ‘house

style’ use the standard format.

The written word 4 Parts of a report

Heading Page: this should include a title, a date, details of the author and probably details of the recipient

Contents page: a list of the sections in the report, with page numbers

The management summary: 1 – 2 pages in length, covering main findings and recommendations

The written word 5 The Introduction: describing the purpose of the

report, its structure, the background to its writing, and some details about the author.

A description of the current situation: if appropriate – you may want something quite different

The findings of the report Recommendations and conclusions Acknowledgements Appendices: generally supporting material Bibliography

Meetings Meetings are integral part of business and

management, for good or ill. They are often an appalling waste of time and money.

Types of meetings: The regular meeting: these ranges from

morning prayers; The Problem solving meeting: usually called

to address a particular problem. The attendees are often drawn from across the business and are unused to each other.

Meetings 2 Forming. Describes the development of

temporary or permanent relationships between the group members. A balanced needs to be achieved and roles and responsibilities worked out and acknowledged.

Storming. Is the period of conflict in the early stages of a meeting. Members may declare their positions very firmly in advance of the agenda item in question.

Meetings 3 Norming. Describes the way in which the

meeting starts to settle down and the level of conflicts is reduced. People begin to accept their roles and to talk to each other in a more constructive way.

Performing. Is the part of the meeting when the really useful work is done. The members begin to consider the problems more objectively, and to advance constructive suggestions.

Meetings 4 Project Meeting: Project meetings are less

easy to characterize, as their nature will vary with the length of the project. This sort of project meeting should be limited in length;

Purpose of meeting: problem solving, reporting progress, getting people’s acceptance and cooperation with planned change and obtaining consensus about the difficult problems.

The Value of meetings A meeting is an investment of a valuable time by

the people who attend it. It is worth calculating the cost of meetings together with the resultant benefits and measuring the overall value of that meeting. Importance of agenda Length of time taken Quality of attendance Decision capability

Ensuring a useful meeting Successful meetings don’t just happen.

They require a substantial amount of planning and preparation. Here is a checklist: Agenda and time table: even an emergency

meeting must have one. The agreement that the meeting will continue until the problem is solved is a timetable of a sort;

Ensuring a useful meeting 2 The right attendance: a meeting without decision

makers is just an excuse for a chat. Of course, if the purpose is to recommend a decisions to a higher level, that is acceptable;

Punctuality – start and finish: apart from the discourtesy shown to colleagues, lack of punctuality demonstrates the low priority of the meeting in that person’s eyes

Documentation: the best meeting of the year is a waste of time unless it is documented. Documentation of the decisions taken with associated action lists are the absolute minimum.

Running a successful meeting If you are in the chair at a meeting, you

have a great responsibility. You need to be firm but diplomatic, and prepared. You may take decision which will disappoint somebody. Sometimes a decision is better than no decision – but be positive.

People Problems Despite your best efforts to plan and run well-prepared

and managed meetings, people attending them can always sabotage (interrupt) a meeting. Their motives will vary; their nuisance (annoyance) value is consistent.

Other people transgress the simple courtesies. Other people are belligerent by nature and try to convert

any discussion into a fight. Some people talk too much, and worse still, wander off the

point.It sounds very difficult, but no one said managing people was

easy.