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You need to know what your audience already knows and what they need to know to effectively present.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful to think of your presentation as having three key parts or interlocking gears: purpose, audience, and message. Let\u2019s walk through the presentation development process at this planning level.<\/p>\r\n
Generally, the first step in developing a presentation is identifying your purpose. Purpose identifies an objective or an intended outcome. You don\u2019t want to waste your audience\u2019s time.<\/p>\r\n
Your purpose will determine both your content and approach. You might also want to consider supplemental tools, audience materials, and the room layout of where your presentation will take place. Perhaps your purpose is already defined for you: your manager has asked you to research three possible sites for a new store. In this case, it\u2019s likely there is an established evaluation criteria and format for presenting that information. Your content and approach are therefore defined.<\/p>\r\n
If you don't have a defined purpose, consider whether your objective is to inform, educate, or inspire a course of action. State that objective in a general sense, including which action you want your audience to take based on your presentation. Once you have your purpose solidified, it is time to consider your audience.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n
You need to know what your audience already knows and what they need to know to effectively present.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe second step in the presentation development process is audience research. Who are the members of your audience? Why are they attending this conference, meeting, or presentation? This step is similar to the demographic and psychographic research marketers conduct before crafting a product or service pitch\u2014and just as critical. Key factors to consider include your audience\u2019s age range, educational level, industry\/role, subject matter knowledge, etc.<\/p>\r\n
Understanding your audience will allow you to articulate why they should be interested. Profiling your audience also allows you to adapt your message so it\u2019s effective for this particular audience. That is, to present your idea (proposal, subject matter, recommendations) in depth and in a manner using language, terminology, and tools that are appropriate. Don\u2019t expect your audience to meet you where you are. Your job is to need to meet them where they are.<\/p>\r\n
Knowing your audience also means understanding what management expects from you. Are you serving in an analyst role, conducting research, and presenting facts to support a management decision? Or are you expected to make a specific recommendation? Be careful of power dynamics and don\u2019t overstep your role. Either way, be prepared to take a stand and defend your position. You never know when a routine stand-and-deliver presentation could become a career-defining opportunity.<\/p>\r\n
The third step is honing your message. In \u201cTED\u2019s Secret to Great Public Speaking,\u201d TED Conference curator Chris Anderson notes that there\u2019s \u201cno single formula\u201d for a compelling talk, but there is one common denominator: great speakers build an idea inside the minds of their audience. Take, for instance, Chimamanda Adichie\u2019s idea, which Anderson summarizes as \u201cpeople are more than a single identity.\u201d[footnote]Anderson, Chris. \u201cTED\u2019s Secret to Great Public Speaking.\u201d TED<\/em>, March 2016. https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/chris_anderson_teds_secret_to_great_public_speaking[\/footnote] As Adichie expresses it: \u201cThe problem with stereotypes [of a single story or identity] is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.\u201d[footnote]Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. \u201cThe danger of a single story.\u201d TED<\/em>, July 2009. https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story[\/footnote] Or Sir Ken Robinson\u2019s idea that creativity is an essential building block for learning. He expresses the idea: \u201cMy contention is that creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.\u201d[footnote]Robinson, Ken. \u201cDo schools kill creativity?\u201d TED<\/em>, Feb 2006. https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity[\/footnote] Ideas matter because they\u2019re capable of changing our perceptions, our actions, and our world. As Anderson puts it: \u201cIdeas are the most powerful force shaping human culture.\u201d[footnote]Anderson, TED<\/em>.[\/footnote]<\/p>\r\n If ideas are that powerful, more must be better. It depends on your purpose. As any seasoned salesperson knows, you don\u2019t walk into a meeting with a prospective client and launch into an overview of every item in your company\u2019s product or service line. That\u2019s what\u2019s known as \u201cthrowing spaghetti on the wall to see what sticks\" and it's not very effective. What audience members expect is that you\u2019ve done your homework, that you know them and their pain, and that you have something to offer. Your goal is to offer a fresh perspective, an innovative approach, or a key insight that will change things for the better.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Now that you have an overview of the presentation development process, let\u2019s review what can\u2014and often does\u2014go wrong. By considering audience, purpose, and message you can avoid common presentation mistakes.<\/p>\r\n It may be helpful to think of your presentation as having three key parts or interlocking gears: purpose, audience, and message. Let\u2019s walk through the presentation development process at this planning level.<\/p>\n Generally, the first step in developing a presentation is identifying your purpose. Purpose identifies an objective or an intended outcome. You don\u2019t want to waste your audience\u2019s time.<\/p>\n Your purpose will determine both your content and approach. You might also want to consider supplemental tools, audience materials, and the room layout of where your presentation will take place. Perhaps your purpose is already defined for you: your manager has asked you to research three possible sites for a new store. In this case, it\u2019s likely there is an established evaluation criteria and format for presenting that information. Your content and approach are therefore defined.<\/p>\n If you don’t have a defined purpose, consider whether your objective is to inform, educate, or inspire a course of action. State that objective in a general sense, including which action you want your audience to take based on your presentation. Once you have your purpose solidified, it is time to consider your audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n The second step in the presentation development process is audience research. Who are the members of your audience? Why are they attending this conference, meeting, or presentation? This step is similar to the demographic and psychographic research marketers conduct before crafting a product or service pitch\u2014and just as critical. Key factors to consider include your audience\u2019s age range, educational level, industry\/role, subject matter knowledge, etc.<\/p>\n Understanding your audience will allow you to articulate why they should be interested. Profiling your audience also allows you to adapt your message so it\u2019s effective for this particular audience. That is, to present your idea (proposal, subject matter, recommendations) in depth and in a manner using language, terminology, and tools that are appropriate. Don\u2019t expect your audience to meet you where you are. Your job is to need to meet them where they are.<\/p>\n Knowing your audience also means understanding what management expects from you. Are you serving in an analyst role, conducting research, and presenting facts to support a management decision? Or are you expected to make a specific recommendation? Be careful of power dynamics and don\u2019t overstep your role. Either way, be prepared to take a stand and defend your position. You never know when a routine stand-and-deliver presentation could become a career-defining opportunity.<\/p>\n The third step is honing your message. In \u201cTED\u2019s Secret to Great Public Speaking,\u201d TED Conference curator Chris Anderson notes that there\u2019s \u201cno single formula\u201d for a compelling talk, but there is one common denominator: great speakers build an idea inside the minds of their audience. Take, for instance, Chimamanda Adichie\u2019s idea, which Anderson summarizes as \u201cpeople are more than a single identity.\u201d[1]<\/sup><\/a> As Adichie expresses it: \u201cThe problem with stereotypes [of a single story or identity] is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.\u201d[2]<\/sup><\/a> Or Sir Ken Robinson\u2019s idea that creativity is an essential building block for learning. He expresses the idea: \u201cMy contention is that creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.\u201d[3]<\/sup><\/a> Ideas matter because they\u2019re capable of changing our perceptions, our actions, and our world. As Anderson puts it: \u201cIdeas are the most powerful force shaping human culture.\u201d[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n If ideas are that powerful, more must be better. It depends on your purpose. As any seasoned salesperson knows, you don\u2019t walk into a meeting with a prospective client and launch into an overview of every item in your company\u2019s product or service line. That\u2019s what\u2019s known as \u201cthrowing spaghetti on the wall to see what sticks” and it’s not very effective. What audience members expect is that you\u2019ve done your homework, that you know them and their pain, and that you have something to offer. Your goal is to offer a fresh perspective, an innovative approach, or a key insight that will change things for the better.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now that you have an overview of the presentation development process, let\u2019s review what can\u2014and often does\u2014go wrong. By considering audience, purpose, and message you can avoid common presentation mistakes.<\/p>\nPresentation Content<\/h2>\n
Purpose<\/h3>\n
Audience<\/h3>\n
Message<\/h3>\n