IIMB Managerial Communication Handout: Preparing a Presentation

Preparing a Presentation

Typically, there are three stages involved in making a presentation:

1. Preparing the presentation,
2. Creating visual aids, and
3. Delivering the presentation.

This note looks in detail at the first stage, which is Preparation.

Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail!

Often the essential difference between an effective presentation and an ineffective

one depends on what takes place before a speaker gets up to speak. The better
prepared you are, the more likely it is that your presentation will achieve its
objective.

The process of preparing a presentation may be looked at as a series of steps. Over

time you may decide to skip one or more of these, or spend less time on some steps
than on others. However, at the start of your managerial career, it is useful to
consciously work through all the steps every time you are required to make a
presentation.

1. Ask Five Key Questions

Before you begin, make sure you have the answers to certain key questions. Asking
these questions will help you to comprehensively define all the aspects of your
presentation. If you don’t do this, you are unlikely to make a presentation that fully
satisfies either you or your audience.

Q 1. What is the purpose of the presentation?

The answer to this will help you determine your presentation strategy – what
you say, and how you say it.
IIMB Managerial Communication Handout: Preparing a Presentation

Examples of three purposes that are typical of managerial scenarios –

➢ To inform
‘We have completed the first phase of activity XYZ with the following
results’.
➢ To persuade
‘If you accept my suggestions, you will receive benefits R, S and T’.
➢ To problem-solve and recommend
‘These seem to be the probable causes of our lack of profitability, and
here are some possible solutions to improve the bottom line!’
‘I recommend course of action A, rather than B or C, for the following
reasons…’.

Q 2. Who is/are the audience?

If you don’t know your audience, you cannot effectively communicate with
them. How large is your audience likely to be? What is their profile? Find out
as much as you can about them:
- Age, gender, education, socio-economic background, etc…
- Knowledge of subject
- Prejudices, attitudes, pre-conceived notions
- Their self-interest in the context of your presentation
- Relationship with one another
- Relationship with you and your organisation
:
:
In addition to influencing the strategy and content of your presentation,
audience analysis is also important for getting the ‘tone’ right. A presentation
made to your superiors, asking for increased budgets, would normally be
made in a courteous and respectful tone. On the other hand, a presentation
made with the objective of exhorting your sales team to meet their targets,
might be made in a challenging tone.

Decide what kind of tone is appropriate for your presentation, and keep this in
mind as you develop and deliver it.
IIMB Managerial Communication Handout: Preparing a Presentation

Q 3. Where is the presentation?

Under what physical conditions do you need to present? Is it in an office or
conference room or large open hall? Will you be standing on the floor or a
raised platform? What infrastructure is available? Check for:
- Acoustics, microphone, speakers, controls
- Lighting, curtains, projection background
- Plug points, power cords and other electrical requirements
- Equipment for audio-visual aids
:
:
When making a presentation at a new and unknown venue, it is usually a
good idea to visit the location at least once. Checking things out beforehand
will ensure you don’t get any last-minute surprises.

Q 4. How long should the presentation be?

Sometimes the expected duration of the presentation is specified; often it is
left to you to decide. In either case, you need to have a time limit in mind and
work towards it.

A useful thumb rule to keep in mind is that the average rate of human speech
is 120 words per minute. Obviously, this is subject to individual variations.
After you have scripted your presentation, rehearse it to determine how long
it takes. Edit your script until you are able to finish within the desired
duration.

Often in managerial situations, you end up getting less time than you planned
for. Be prepared to pare down your presentation at the last minute, if
required. Mark out sections that are desirable but not essential - that can be
dropped in case of a time-crunch.

Q 5. When is the presentation?

You need this information to make sure you allocate adequate time for
preparation. If you underestimate the time required to prepare, you are likely
to pay the price when you finally deliver the presentation.
IIMB Managerial Communication Handout: Preparing a Presentation

A careful analysis of the answers to these key questions will influence many of the
choices and decisions you make in the next steps of the preparation process.

2. State your Message Precisely

Think about the topic of your presentation; about your audience and your purpose.
Then decide what the central message of your presentation is going to be.

It is a good idea to state your central message succinctly, in one sentence. This must
be the essence of what you’re going to say in your presentation. It is not the topic
itself, but a statement summarizing the central core idea that you wish to convey
about the topic. While you might not actually make this statement verbatim as part
of your presentation, going through this process results in clarity. If you can’t put
down your message in one sentence, your presentation will lack direction.

E.g.
Topic: Managerial Communication
Message: Communication is an essential skill for managerial success.

Topic: Stress-Release Facilities in the IT Industry

Message: Stress-release facilities cannot solve the economic problems of
the IT industry, but it can help with its human problems.

3. Jot Down Ideas and Facts

Next, write down your main points. Gather more data through analysis and/or
research, if required.

Ask yourself: ‘What should I say to achieve my objective?’ ‘What information would
make the audience respond in the desired manner?’. A common error that presenters
make is to select and present information from their own perspective rather than
from their audience’s. For example, a technical expert asking for increased budgets
is likely to get too technical and ignore the financial angles. But if (s)he is asking the
company to spend money, management will want to know: How much? Is it
worthwhile?
IIMB Managerial Communication Handout: Preparing a Presentation

Limit the number of points to 3-5 main ideas. Bringing in too many ideas will dilute
the impact of your presentation. Research has shown that an average adult audience
has a limited attention span of about 45 minutes. During that time they will absorb
only about a third of what is said, and can handle a maximum of seven concepts.

4. Decide Structure and Sequence

Organize the content points generated above into an appropriate structure. Again,
the structure will be determined by your purpose, and will be based on your
judgment of how best it might be achieved.

Given below are examples of some frequently used structures. These are neither
definitive nor exhaustive, and are intended to be illustrative.

• Cause –> Effect –> Solution

Cause: The organization’s high rate of employee turnover.
Effect: Production is down 15 percent.
Solution: Increase salaries and improve the working environment
to reduce turnover.

• Problem –> Cause[s] –> Possible Solutions –> Proposal

Problem: Production is down 15 percent.
Cause: The organization’s high rate of employee turnover.
Possible (a) Improve technology and reduce dependence on labour;
Solutions: (b) Ramp up hiring and training processes;
(c) Take measures to reduce attrition.
Proposal: Take measures to reduce attrition - Increase salaries,
improve the working environment, …

This structure may also be modified to include the rationale for choosing the
proposed solution.
IIMB Managerial Communication Handout: Preparing a Presentation

• Chronological Sequencing
Present ideas in a time-based sequence -
The Project is to be implemented in four phases. In this presentation, we
shall consider each phase in detail. The First Phase is…’

• Sequencing by Component or logical groupings

Present ideas by division, department, geographical location…
‘Before considering the overall impact on the Company, I shall share with
you the individual country advertising plans ...’

• In order of Importance
Present information and ideas in order of either increasing or decreasing
importance, as might be appropriate –
‘Let’s analyse the competition, starting with the key players first...’

• Based on Evaluatory Criteria

Present analysis sequenced according to the evaluatory criteria used -
‘I will now present a comparative evaluation of these software systems based
on the criteria selected, namely; cost, applicability, user friendliness, ease of
installation, and compatibility with current software…’

Now the content of the presentation is fully outlined. The rest of the preparatory
process focuses on fleshing out the outline and developing the complete
presentation.

5. Script the Opening

Research shows that the two most-remembered parts of a presentation are the
beginning and the end. A strong opening is also important from another perspective
– it ‘hooks’ your audience and motivates them to listen to your presentation.

It is usually a good idea to script your opening carefully and to rehearse it. If you are
a novice presenter given to some nervousness, memorize your opening. An attack of
‘nerves’ usually occurs at the beginning of a presentation; if you can tide over the
beginning with confidence, you are likely to have a smooth run through the rest.
IIMB Managerial Communication Handout: Preparing a Presentation

A good opening usually has four elements: opening courtesies, attention getter,
purpose and background, outline of presentation.

• Opening courtesies
This is where you address the members of the audience, either individually or
collectively – e.g. ‘Mr Chairman, and Members of the Board…’, ‘Good morning, Ladies
and Gentlemen…’. The opening courtesies should be brief, graceful and pleasant.
Avoid hackneyed phrases like ‘how glad I am to have this opportunity’ and ‘what a
privilege’...

• Attention getter
The attention getter is a way of ‘connecting’ with your audience and making them
take notice of your presentation. A good attention getter relates to your audience as
well as the subject matter and ties the two together. Here are a few examples of
possible attention getters.

➢ Ask a question
‘How many of you would like to double your sales revenue in the next 12
months?’

➢ Give an interesting statistic

‘Do you realize that 50 percent of the homeless population have children
under the age of five?’

➢ State a rhetorical question or series of questions

‘How many of you have never taken a pencil home from work? How many of
you have never used the office telephone for personal calls? How many of you
have not occasionally stretched a lunch hour?’

➢ State a brief narrative/anecdote

‘Three months ago, when I was assigned the daunting task of designing the
web strategy for our company…’
‘The situation we are in today reminds me of an interesting story…’
‘As I was driving to work this morning …’
IIMB Managerial Communication Handout: Preparing a Presentation

➢ State a familiar quotation

‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your
country’.

➢ Highlight an experience that’s common to yourself and the audience

‘I know how lost I felt when I first started working here because there was no
orientation program; how did you feel?’

• Purpose and background of presentation

This is where you state why you’re making the presentation, and why it is
important to the audience. You may also include some background about what
happened in the past, or what is happening now, which makes your presentation
relevant as well as important. The idea is to establish the context as well as the
relevance of your presentation. Keep it brief and avoid stating in detail what the
audience already knows.

‘We are here today to discuss the implementation of a company-wide orientation

program. Research shows that those companies with formal orientation programs
have lower employee turnover rates and higher morale. During the last three
years our turnover rate has exceeded 18 percent, and the average scores on the
employee attitude survey have declined.’

• Outline of presentation
There is a well known guideline for establishing and reinforcing the key points of
a presentation:
Tell them what you’re going to tell them.
Tell them.
Tell them what you’ve just told them.

The opening is where you ‘Tell them what you’re going to tell them’. Explain your
presentation agenda and tell the audience what to expect.

‘Today, we will discuss five ways to improve teamwork in our division'.

IIMB Managerial Communication Handout: Preparing a Presentation

‘This presentation will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of an employee

orientation program, profile two different formats for the program, and conclude
with our recommendations’.

This is also where you define the scope of your presentation, if you need to.

‘We are here to discuss gender discrimination. We are not going to address ethnic
or age discrimination at this time’.

6. Develop the Main Body: Tell Them!

Should the whole presentation be scripted? Or is it enough to outline the points? It’s
really up to you. Many beginners prefer to script their entire presentation. It is the
acid test of whether you really know what you are going to say. It also helps you
fine-tune the duration of the presentation.

Keep the following tips in mind as you develop your presentation:

• Be logical and coherent

Explain your ideas clearly. Elaborate on key points to reinforce them. Pay
attention to sequencing – develop a good ‘flow’. Spell out cause and effect
relationships.

• Interpret facts
Facts don’t always speak for themselves. After presenting a fact, interpret it for
your audience - point out its implications. E.g. – ‘XX million tonnes of steel are
produced by our factories every month. This means that, on an average, we
produce yy tonnes an hour – which is enough steel to make zz cars.’

• Add examples and anecdotes

Examples add clarity, colour and credibility to your content. Examples and
anecdotes help to hold audience interest. They help you transition from the
general to the specific, and from the impersonal to the personal.
• Use regular tie-ins with the audience
IIMB Managerial Communication Handout: Preparing a Presentation

Tie-ins create subtle emotional appeal, and are useful when used appropriately.
E.g. – ‘Our Company has been doing business with yours for the last fifteen
years…’

• KISS [Keep It Short and Simple]

Long and complex sentences are difficult to comprehend. Keep your sentences
simple and short.

• Use transitions
Transitions are ways of letting the audience know that they are moving from one
idea to the next.

Examples:

‘The company is not the only beneficiary of this program; employees will also
benefit from it. Let’s talk about how employees will benefit.’

‘Now that we understand what virtual reality is, let’s look at some examples of
how organizations are using virtual reality.’

‘Another aspect that we need to consider is...’

‘The next step in implementation is...’

• Use interim summaries when appropriate

Although a summary is usually seen as a concluding activity, it can also be useful
in the interim stages of a presentation. When you reach the end of a slightly
complex section (or a logical break-point), summarize the key facts before
moving on.

• Use humour [with caution]

When used effectively, humour helps sustain audience interest. But be careful
when you attempt to use humour - there is nothing worse than a joke that falls
flat.
IIMB Managerial Communication Handout: Preparing a Presentation

Humour, when used, should be relevant to your presentation. And it should be

limited - make sure it does not become the focal point of your presentation.
Avoid sensitive areas and ‘off colour’ jokes which might leave a bad taste in the
mouth of some sections of the audience.

The safest kind of humour is when it is directed at yourself. It is best, however,

to avoid making jokes directed at your professional competence.

7. End Effectively

As mentioned earlier, the most remembered parts of a presentation are the

beginning and the end. A good, strong conclusion will enhance the impact and
effectiveness of a presentation.

Typically, a good ending would include the following: a brief summary, a restatement
of the main recommendation, a touch of emotional/persuasive appeal where
appropriate, and a strong exit line.

• Summary
This where you ‘Tell them what you just told them’. Restate your main message
and run through the main points of your presentation.

• Make your recommendation

If your presentation has an appeal or a recommendation, restate it in your
conclusion. And if there is any action required from the audience, remind them in
your conclusion and motivate them to act.

E.g. – ‘I’m going to leave you a sample of our product, Mr Udyogi. Please use it.
I’ll be back in two weeks to take your order for more.’

• Use emotional/persuasive appeal where appropriate

This could be just a reinforcement of how the recommended course of action will
benefit the audience. E.g. – ‘Cooperation in cutting costs is the best way you can
safeguard your job and fringe benefits, and make pay raises possible’.
IIMB Managerial Communication Handout: Preparing a Presentation

• Exit line
This is your final statement. It should be direct and crisp, with a concluding tone.

e.g. – ‘Thank you for giving me this half hour to tell you how disabled workers
can help your company.’

‘I have enjoyed telling you about Management by Objectives. I’ll be interested in

hearing about your experiences when you implement it.’

‘We are keen to do business with you, and look forward to receiving our first
order soon.’

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