What do you need to pay attention to when preparing a presentation? Before the first slide can be designed, you should carefully consider how you want to create your presentation. However, the right preparation can only succeed if you can answer the key questions. In the second part, we will introduce you to other important questions that you should consider when preparing your presentation.
Before you start a presentation, you will almost automatically ask yourself a series of questions. For example: What exactly is my presentation topic? How do I start the presentation? Which font should I use in my presentation? What should the structure of the presentation look like? How long must the presentation be? It is easy to lose the overview and overlook important questions. For this reason we have compiled the most important guiding questions for your preparation.
Here are the next ones:
3. From who? (Target audience)
As a presenter, you must understand exactly how your audience thinks and feels. A clear goal is important and good, but without taking the target group into account, your presentation success is in question. The word presenter means of course that you have an audience. And you should know about this audience as well as possible.
Think about it:
- What characterizes your audience?
- What do you know about your target group?
Try to gather the following information in advance:
- Who will you present to?
- To which age group and gender do the audience predominantly belong?
- What professional group(s) do the audience belong to?
- What are the functions of those present or in which company divisions are they active?
- What level of knowledge, expertise and practical experience in the relevant field are the listeners likely to have?
- What interests, convictions and expectations do the listeners have?
- What drives the people in the audience? What moves them?
- Where are their priorities?
- What is used to create trust with you?
- What are they afraid of?
Try to include people in your preparations who know your audience better. For example, you could ask your own sales or service staff. If you have to give a presentation for an external organizer, try to get the necessary information through this channel.
The answers to all the questions listed provide you with the basis for your decisions regarding the content and structure of your presentation, the design of the media, the presentation framework and the presentation style.
4. What? (Contents)
Address your target group with your presentation content:
- What is your topic and what do you have to say about it?
- What is your core message?
- What are the main points of content?
- What could be a catchy, easy to remember title? What ideas do you have for subheadings?
- What are your arguments for or against something?
- What facts and evidence help support your message?
- What examples and stories can you cite?
- What aspect could be a good introduction to your topic?
- How can your content be summarized at the end?
- What could be effective closing words?
Think about it:
- What is your topic?
- What are the most important statements of your presentation?
5. With what? (Media)
Choose the media that are right for your target group:
- Which visual or multimedia aids, which technology, do you want to use in your presentation?
- With which medium(s) do you want to convey the content in addition to your speech text? Think also about the reusability of media.
First of all, it should be clear whether you are presenting digitally or in analogue form. Analogue media include, for example, flipchart, pin board, posters, banners, props and demonstration objects.
With digital media we differentiate between the presentation medium and the playback medium. Representation includes beamer projection on a screen, the use of an LED wall or a TFT flat screen. The playback medium in turn consists of hardware and software, i.e. the device and the presentation program. Devices can be: laptop, notebook, tablet (iPad, Android tablet, Windows tablet), smartphone, touch monitor (known from television for election coverage) or visualizer (a high-end overhead projector with built-in camera and many additional functions). PowerPoint, Keynote (MAC) and PDF reader can be used as presentation programs, for example.
The technical requirements at the presentation location are particularly important. Any technical limitations on site must be taken into account. Find out:
- What about the power connection (extension cable, multiple socket)?
- Are there loudspeakers in the room if you want to show a film?
- Are beamer and screen available?
- Can you connect a laptop?
- Is a presenter available?
- Does the room have darkening facilities (roller shutters)?
So think about it:
- Which media can be used?
- Which will you use?
In the third part, we will introduce you to further important questions for the preparation of your presentation.
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