“The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise and is not preceded by a period of worry and depression.“
-John Preston
I meet a lot of speakers who seem to wear their lack of preparation as a badge of honor. They show up for their presentation at the last moment, with a few notes scribbled on a napkin and a borrowed set of slides, and count on their wit, charm and charisma to carry them through.
Sometimes they manage to pull it off. A shoeshine and a smile will still take you a long way, as will a confident attitude, a deep knowledge of your subject and a quick wit, but an improvised presentation will always fall short of what it could have been.
It’s the coulda / woulda / shouldas that always come back to bite you. You realize during the Q&A that your data is not as up-to-date as it could have been, you would have been more effective if you had customized your PowerPoint file specifically for the client or you should have checked that the data file was compatible with the operating system version of the computer you are using.
There are three simple ways to guard against falling short of your presentation’s potential; preparation, rehearsal and feedback. These are not specialized techniques for advanced speakers. They are the fundamental requirements for getting the most out of the time and attention that your audience gives you.
Pay your audience the respect they deserve. Take the time to make your presentation more than the best you could do on the fly.
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Good advice, R.L.
Steve Jobs, who was the best of the best, would practice weeks on a Keynote presentation.
Nancy Duarte, Slideology, delivered a fourteen minute TED presentation and practiced 14 hours.
Thanks for the Post!
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