Preparing a Big Presentation
Today I had to give a big presentation in front of the general manager of my entire subunit. This was a huge deal, and I had to make sure I got it right. In the end, I think I did because I got only positive feedback about the work I did and the job I’d done. So, based on my experiences the last few days, here’s a few tips for when you have to give a big presentation.
- Know your stuff! - If there is one thing you don’t want to be, it’s lacking knowledge in what you’re talking about. Make sure you know everything that you possibly can about your project or assignment, and commit it to memory. This will do two things. First, your boss will be impressed that you know so much and can seem to pull it off the top of your head. Second, your project will receive a boost because you’ll have learned more about it than you already did and this may lead to some discoveries that could improve productivity, etc.
- Anticipate questions - You know questions are going to be asked, the hard part is figuring out what they’ll be. If you can anticipate the questions that will be asked of you, you can appear to be really, really quick on your feet and in control of things. You may even want to beg the question. Intentionally leave out a piece of information that you know is semi-essential. When your boss asks what the answer is, you’ll know right away and look great!
- Practice, practice, practice - I think I must have practice my presentation 5 or 6 times. I sat here at home with my Powerpoint slides up and went through them until I knew them all by heart. During my presentation, I didn’t even have to look at my slides and I could talk directly to my audience. That is a great thing to do, because it shows that you’re confident, you know what you’re talking about, and you’re not dependent on anything else. Practice may not make perfect, but it certainly makes better.
These are the three things that I keep in mind when preparing a big presentation. What do you do?