Sales Growth

Strategies
By Brian Tracy

How to Prepare a Powerful Presentation

Introduction

Y our ability to think and speak on your feet can do more to help you career and your
personal life than almost any other skill.

Your ability to communicate in written form, in meetings and presentations, will account
for 85% of your success in your career. The good news is that you can learn to become
a far better communicator in all three areas by learning how to prepare a
winning presentation.

Learning how to prepare and deliver a winning presentation is a skill that you can learn,
like riding a bicycle. It is based on simple, proven, practical formulas that have been
developed by millions of people over hundreds of years. When you learn and practice
what the very best communicators do, you will soon get the same results that they do.

In this lesson, you will learn the most important methods and techniques ever developed to
help you plan and prepare a more powerful and persuasive communication for any area of
your business or personal life.

In this lesson you will learn:

■ The three communication tools for success

■ The AIDA Model for preparing a presentation

■ How to plan your opening – seven different ways

■ The five basic reasons for giving a talk or presentation

■ Four ways to close the talk effectively

© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

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What Do You Already Know?

Test your knowledge by attempting to answer the questions below.

1. What is the key to an effective presentation?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. What are the three parts of any presentation?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

3. At what point do you start the preparation of a talk or presentation?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

4. What is the best way to open your presentation?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

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5. What are the five basic reasons for giving a talk in the first place?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

6. Why are stories and antidotes important in any presentation?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

7. How can you close your talk with a punch?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

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How to Prepare a Powerful Presentation

1. There are three key communication tools for success in business today:

a) The meeting – an opportunity for you to “perform” in front of others;

b) The written letter or proposal – which reveals your clarity of

thought and vocabulary;

c) The presentation – to a small or large group.

21 Most of the best business speakers today were once terrified of speaking
on their feet.

a) You can learn to be an excellent speaker, earn the respect and esteem of
others, accelerate your career and improve your life in many ways with
what you will learn in this lesson;

b) Making a speech or giving a talk is a logical process, like dialing a

phone number.

3. The basic structure of a talk is built around three parts –

the opening, the body, and the close.

a) A talk is like a sales presentation, based on the AIDA Model:

Get attention, arouse interest, create desire and ask for action;

b) The key to successful speaking is preparation;

c) Preparation is fully 90% of a successful talk.

© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

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4. There is a logical seven-step process for preparing your talk:

a) Begin with your audience – who are they?

1. Analyze them carefully: Ages, income, education, occupations,

needs, concerns, familiarity with your subject?

2. Why are you talking to this group?

3. Why are they listening?

b) Start with the end in mind – what result do you desire from this talk?

1. The ultimate aim of all speaking is action!

2. What one major point do you want to make?

3. What one specific action do you want them to take?

4. What do you want them to think, or feel afterwards?

c) Plan your opening – to introduce the subject, to connect to your closing.

d) There are seven ways to open a talk:

1. Present a problem that needs a solution;

2. Present a common goal – promise to show the audience how to

achieve it;

3. Ask a rhetorical question – to grab attention and get them to

listen to you;

4. Make a startling statement;

5. Tell your own story – why you’re here;

© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

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 6. Compare or contrast two factors, things or conditions;

7. Promise advantages or benefits from listening.

5. There are five basic reasons for giving a talk:

a) Persuade – to get people to do something;

b) Inform – present new information;

c) Entertain – humor, stories, poetry;

d) Inspire – bring hope, motivation and confidence to the audience;

e) Praise – individuals and the group.

6. The body of the talk is where you present your evidence, make your case,
and win your argument.

a) Build your talk around three main points;

b) Use the PREP Formula:

1. Point of view;

2. Reasons for your point of view;

3. Examples to validate your point of view;

4. Point of view restated.

c) Transition from one point to another – signal when you are doing this;

d) Use stories, examples, antidotes and humor to illustrate each key point.

© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

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7. Close strongly, with a punch – practical, prepared.

a) Close with a challenge to action;

b) Make an inspiring statement or reaffirmation of a common truth;

c) Close with a summary and a final conclusion;

d) Close with a relevant story, quote or poem that makes you key point.

8. Preparation is the key to effective speaking.

a) Write a complete outline of your talk;

b) Dictate your talk onto an audio recorder;

c) Videotape your talk before a friendly audience;

d) Tell your spouse and friends parts of your talk in conversation;

e) Review, rehearse the talk in your mind.

.

9. There are three final rules for an effective presentation:

a) Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them what you promised,
and then tell them what you just told them;

b) Have a good opening and a good closing – and put them as close together
as possible;

c) Be prepared, be brief, and be seated!

The key to excellent presentations? Practice, Practice, Practice!

© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

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Action Exercises

1. What are the three key communication tools for success in business today?

1. _________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________

2.

What are three advantages to you of learning how to prepare a
winning presentation?

1._ ________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

3._ ________________________________________________________________

3. What are the three most important audiences that you speak to on a regular basis?

1. _________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________

© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

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4. List three good ways to open the talk and to grab attention:

1. _________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________

5. List three ways to build a logical argument for your point of view:

1. _________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________

6. List three ways that you could conclude a presentation with punch
and effectiveness:

1. _________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________

7. List three steps that you could take to prepare to give an effective presentation:

1. _________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________

© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

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What one action are you going to take as a result of what you learned in this lesson?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

© Brian Tracy. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Brian Tracy.

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