1. Back To Basics

Any presentation starts with preparation and some basic information…

First things first

I promise I will keep this short, but I can not let you go on any stage without this one. The key to a successful presentation is having a goal, something to achieve… If you don’t have this, you are wasting everyone’s time.

Keep this in mind every time you go out there to present.

Prepare yourself

So you have been asked to present and experience tells me that you are most likely left in the dark on many questions. This is where you need to step it up and at the bare minimum retrieve the information as stated in the rest of this article.

The best place to gather this information is either at the person who requested you to present or the host of the event.

Theme, Topic, Timing

Chances are your presentation is at some sort of an event and if so, big chance that there is a theme attached to it as well. Figure this out and write it down somewhere.

Most likely you know what topic you will present on as well, but if not, this would be your first requirement. If you don’t know what you will present, than you can’t continue any further.

Another key piece of information is to find out how long your presentation is supposed to be. Would be awkward if you prepared for a 5 minute talk, while the host put you in the agenda for 25 minutes. Or worse, the other way around…

Who are they?

With the above information, you can pretty much do a lot already, but it would really help if you know who your audience is and what backgrounds they have. Are they from the same industry or not at all? Can you use jargon or is there a need to use simplified language and visuals?

Remember, you are presenting to the audience, not for yourself. Make sure they understand what you present.

Where to go now?

So, with the basic information and preparation out of the way, let's continue with "Storytelling..."