Three Things You Must Know When Presenting

Editor's Note:  This is a guest post by Jon Thomas of Presentation Advisors.

Audiences expect a lot from presenters nowadays. Nobody can "wing it" anymore and hope to get away with it.  When you begin creating your presentation, you must set aside time to make sure you know these three important aspects, as noted in the book Khrushchev's Shoe by Roy Underhill :

1. Your Subject
2. Yourself
3. Your Audience

If you've left out just one of these parts, your expectations may not match the reality.

Know Your Subject
It truly surprises me the amount of presenters that I've seen who don't have an in-depth grasp of what they're presenting.  Remember, presentations aren't just in the conference room, or on a stage, or in front of a class.  We're always presenting.  A car salesman must know everything about the cars he is selling.  If you're an entrepreneur pitching to a VC, you better know the ins-and-outs of your product/service.  You must be totally prepared to handle the unexpected. 

Know Yourself
What kind of presenter are you?  What are your strengths?  What are your weaknesses?  How many times to you have to fully rehearse before you have it down pat?  What could the audience do that may upset you or throw you off?  These, among MANY others, are questions you must ask yourself to prepare for a presentation.  When you take an honest look at yourself and your strengths and weaknesses, then you can prepare a presentation that leverages those strengths and avoids the weaknesses.  Maybe opening up with some jokes helps you ease your nerves.  Maybe stopping every so often for questions helps you from getting ahead of yourself.  Try to get honest feedback from friends and colleagues and present in front of a mirror or camera to find out what suits you best.  Of course, there's no better way to figure out your strengths and weaknesses than going out there and presenting live. 

Know Your Audience
I realize this one is less in your control than the others.  You may have no idea who is going to show up.  But maybe you can learn some general facts about your audience.  Maybe they're college students.  Maybe they're a senior management team.  You may not know them personally, but you can make some inferences that will help you gear your presentation towards their wants and needs.  Forgetting to familiarize yourself with your audience can lead your right into a firestorm.  If you're presenting to an organization, inquire with the host as to who may be attending.  If you're making a sales call, learn about your prospect, what their pain points might be, and what they're looking for from you. 

Preparation is key to any effective presentation.  Knowing your subject, yourself, and your audience will help guide you to a successful presentation.

About the Author:
Jon Thomas is the founder of Presentation Advisors, a presentation consulting and design firm located in Connecticut. Jon has worked with corporations, individuals, and non-profits all over the U.S to design visually engaging and effective presentations.

photo credit: lachlan