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11 Must Do’s to prepare for a killer speech or presentation (2018)

28/11/2018

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Corporate MC

By Luke Hannan



Today I’m going to show you how to prepare for your next speech or presentation

In Fact, these are the exact strategies I use when preparing myself for Professional MC gigs. 

Read on, take note and use these 11 essential tips to nail your next speech or presentation.
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1. Consider your audience
2. Understand the event 
3. Why is the audience there
4. Why are you there
​5. The key take away

6. Know the Format
7. How long do you have
8. Know when you're up
​9. What prop(s) will you have
​10. Plan to Practice
11. Will there be Q&A? 

 
Prepare Presentation
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1. Consider your primary audience


It goes without saying that the manner in which you’ll address a group of children would vary to how you’ll control a boardroom.
​

Look at the general audience examples below and consider how you might present an idea and importantly what elements of that idea will be most sought after by the target audience:
- Event Managers (focusing on the details / level of organisation?)
- Marketing            (focusing on look & feel / customer suitability?)
​- Finance                 (focusing on profitability / return on investment?)
- Legal                      (focusing on is it Legal / aligned to regulatory obligations?)
 

It is crucial to note that different people prefer to receive information in different ways and often seek varying angles of information about a similar concept.

​Key Takeaways
  • Take the time to learn about your audience
  • Why are they in attendance?
  • How do they like to receive information (visually / verbally)?
  • What information is important to them? 

 
Corporate MC

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​2. Understand the type of event 

The type of event will provide a guidance as to the tone that you should aim for within your presentation or speech.
​
Take a look at the below table & use it to challenge your thinking - What things would you consider entering in the cells below when presenting at the below types of events?  







Key Takeaways 
  • Always strive for congruence between the type of event and your presentation (there will always be exceptions) however if you’re not a comedian a presentation full of funnies in the boardroom or at a funeral may not fit the bill
  • As a Professional MC I’ve seen people presenting packs full of Meme’s to senior executives thinking humour was an appropriate play
  • When in doubt - seek the opinion of a trusted adviser

 


3. Learn why your audience is there?

Recently, I attended a conference that was marketed as future focused, thought provoking and inspirational yet roughly half of the speakers were really focused on selling/marketing their products.

Although most o
f the promoted products and services were innovative - the consensus among many audience members was an imbalance between too much Sales Pitch and not inspiring enough

Key Takeaways
  • Take the time to learn about your audience - why are they there?
  • What is the theme of the event?
  • What does the marketing collateral for the event say / suggest?
  • Network beforehand with your audience, you’ll learn so much by asking them a few simple questions - including why they’re present​​​
 
Sydney MC


​4. Know why you are there

Why were you chosen to deliver this presentation?
- Perhaps you’ll be adding a plethora of value as a Subject Matter Expert?
- Maybe you’re the Leader and need to step up & take control?


Whilst you may be wearing any number of hats - at the very core be sure to truly uncover your role:
  • Selling
  • Informing / Teaching
  • Inspiring
  • Transforming
  • Celebrating
  • Remembering / Reflecting


Key Takeaways
  • If you’re the subject matter expert this probably means your audience knows far less about the subject than you - keep this in mind and ensure you take them on a journey with you
  • Wherever possible stay away from acronyms that may cause confusion. After 20 years in finance I love a good acronym, but if your audience doesn’t know or misinterprets a given acronym they’ll get confused... If they get too confused, they may tune out & if they tune out it’s game over

 
Public Speaking Tips


​5. Define what you want the audience to take away

What are your most important messages - As a Professional Master of Ceremonies I love to ask my Keynote Speakers before the conference or event “If you’re audience is taking only 1 thing away from your speech or presentation - what would it be?" For example:
  • Choose this product / use my service
  • Try this out / sample our goods
  • Change how you do something
  • Think Differently
Whatever your key takeaway is it's vital that within the first 20-30 seconds of your presentation your audience knows exactly why you’re speaking to them. (See the below short video on Clarity)

If you’re speaking where there is a Professional MC they’ll have already clarified why you’re presenting or speaking in your introduction.
However often the 'MC' will simply read your Bio leaving an important element - your ‘Why’- out in the cold.
If this happens or if there's no MC (a work meeting for example) it’s up to you to clarify early on why you’re there and what you want the audience to takeaway.


Key Takeaways
  • Be clear very early on as to why you are speaking / presenting 
  • If there is an MC - ensure they integrate your ‘why’ into their introduction of you
  • Often events and conferences will have a theme - a ‘why’ that’s highly congruent to the theme of the event or conference has a high propensity to be aligned to audience expectation and therefore be more likely to be appealing, engaging and interesting​​.

 
Panel Moderator


​6. Understand the Format of your presentation

This is often clear but in terms of preparation you’ll need to cross check what the format is. (i.e. are you sharing the stage with numerous other presenters in a panel style discussion?)

A 40 minute Panel Discussion with 5 panellists, an MC plus Q&A means you’ll probably only get 5 minutes max of airtime and it won’t be 5 minutes straight. You’ll likely get 30-60 seconds up front and if there’s rebuttals or debate you’ll need to be on the ball to ensure you best convey your key points.

Alternatively it could be just you for 40 minutes with Q&A meaning you’ll have 30 minutes with little interruption to convey your key messages


Key Takeaways
  • Knowing The format of your presentation will drastically impact your ability to convey the key messages / information you have
  • Take a pro-active approach with the Master of Ceremonies, Event Organisers or Event Management Team to learn exactly what the planned approach is
  • Plan your chunks of information to integrate seamlessly within the given format because a 10 minute point within a 30 minute - 5 person panel won’t work; You'll get cut-off and your ability to convey your key messages will be reduced

PRO TIP: Where you sit may alter audience perception of you. Studies have shown that the person in the middle of a Panel is perceived to carry the most authority... Perception is reality so consider which seat you’ll occupy and why.​​​

 
Picture


7. Learn how much time you have

The format of your presentation (see point 6 above) will have a significant Impact on your actual allotted time.

Assuming you know what the format is and how this impacts you - It’s time to figure out how much time you’ll have;
  • Keep in mind also you may need to integrate Q&A
  • Talk with your Master of Ceremonies as to how long they'll require to introduce you and wrap up (should be roughly 1-2 minutes) - sounds like a lot and it may be in the Run sheet - but if it’s not the time needs to come from somewhere... A Professional MC will ensure:
    • Your ‘why’ is clear
    • The audience knows who you are (your Bio)
    • Rules around Q&A are established
    • Created / Adjusted / Fine Tuned the appropriate mood within the Audience
  • Do you have a hard stop? A ‘Hard Stop’ can be defined as a time you need to be out of there (perhaps the room needs to be flipped or lunch needs to served) whatever the reason it’s good to know if you’ve got flex on your finish (ideally this wouldn’t change your goal - but if things run long - it helps to know if the proverbial lights will get turned off mid-sentence)


Key Takeaways
  • Be Proactive and ask the tough questions of the MC, the Event Organisers and the Event Management Team - fact is better than fiction
  • Respect that Business Conferences and Events are quite liquid in nature and change rapidly
  • Be ready to adjust your presentation - ask yourself
    • Could I compress / expand by 5 or 10 minutes
    • Am I ready to be put under timing pressure
    • How will I keep track of time (a great Conference MC will keep you on track)

 
Sydney MC


8. Know when you are presenting

​It’s easy to overlook the ‘when’ of your presentation or speech - however as a Professional MC timing is one of the key things I discuss with my Event Management clients and their Keynote Speakers during pre-event consultations.

Here’s are few key things to look out for:
  • Presenting before a meal break - Not only will the audience probably be hungry - they’ve likely also sat through 60-90 minutes of other presentations / speakers before you’ll present.
  • Speaking straight after lunch - the audiences’ metabolisms will be working overtime to process food, hence their energy level may be low (this is especially true if the lunch was a big greasy one).
  • Presenting late in the schedule at a:
    • Conference / Business Function - This spot can be especially challenging yet at the same time very rewarding - the opportunity to be memorable and finish on high note is extraordinary - however the risk of dis-engagement is high. At a conference, a Professional Corporate MC will ensure the energy is maintained however if you’re called straight up (often happens) you’ll need to take the energy situation into your own hands.
    • Boardroom / Executive Team - If you’re presenting to a board or executive committee and your position within the agenda is anything but spot 1 - you must be prepared for proceedings to be behind schedule - in fact most times I’ve presented to an executive team during my 20 year career in finance the agenda was behind schedule. This is an opportunity however it can also be frustrating - be aware it’s out of your control - stay calm, hydrated and use the time to relax, reflect and recharge
    • Awards Night / Celebration Event - Even the most seasoned audience member is likely to have an extremely short attention span when they’ve had a few beverages… When you’re up late in an event with alcohol present know that succinct, short and sharp may be optimal.
    • Also of note here is NOT TO DRINK yourself - I advise all of my professional presentation & public speaking coaching clients to never drink prior to their presentations or speeches.

Key Takeaways
  • Be aware of when you are presenting
  • Pay attention to the food on offer before you’re on
    • High Sugar may have the audience restless (and crashing if you’re going long)
    • High Fat may have the audience tired and low on energy
  • Keep your eyes on the audience and pay attention to their energy levels
  • Never underestimate the power of food - in Daniel Kahneman’s ”Thinking Fast & Slow” there’s a great study around Parole Judges and their propensity to grant Parole just after meal breaks as opposed to just before - astonishing stuff  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/kahneman-excerpt-thinking-fast-and-slow/

PRO TIP: If you need to boost the energy - physiological intervention is a great option so be courageous and get the audience involved - even a quick stand up and meet the person next to them will get the blood flowing!!

 
Picture


​9. Ask what props will you have

Slides can be a great prop to aide you in conveying your key message - however the ability to inform, persuade, convince and confirm ultimately rests with you.

There’s no faster way to lose the engagement of an audience by reading detailed information, slide after slide for the duration of your presentation.

Always discuss the vision for your presentation with the MC, Event Managers and the AV team (or if you're flying solo be sure to ensure that any complex demonstrations can be seamlessly integrated into your pack). Also pays to have a backup in case things fail when you're halfway through.

Key Takeaways
  • Always remember you’re the centre of attention - not your slides
  • If you’re slides are detailed and they’re OK to share tell the audience!! As a Conference MC I regularly see audience members madly snapping photos or taking notes of detailed slides they were going to receive after the conference anyway
  • In terms of slides - there’s so very many great sources for presentations online!!! A really great place to start is  https://www.duarte.com/presentation-skills-resources/category/presentations/​

 


​10. Plan and Lock in your Practice time

If you’re going to present like a pro - don't prepare a speech at the last minute. You’ve got to put in the groundwork.

As a Conference MC roughly:
  • 80% of my time is preparing
  • 15% of my time presenting
  • 5% is post the event recapping / improving.

Plan to practice as much as possible including getting to the meeting room or stage where you’ll be delivering your presentation.

Key Takeaways
  • Be prepared to run your speech at least 10 times out loud before your actual delivery date
  • Get to the venue early and run through the presentation on stage
  • Remember that at the end of the day you can't really lose - only Win or Learn
 
Conference MC


​11. Understand if you’ll have Q&A? 
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Asking questions of your audience has so many benefits:

  • Boosting engagement levels within the audience
  • Learning your audiences’ concerns and providing information to put these concerns to rest
  • Understanding your audience’s needs
  • Gauging the audience's knowledge levels (both before, during & after your presentation)
​

Whilst a large proportion of presentations that feature Q&A do so toward the end, you might like to consider scheduling Q&A halfway through and again at the end. I fact some speakers will open with Q&A, using the audiences questions, queries and comments as the basis for their presentations.

I’ve had the pleasure of being a Conference MC on countless occasions and questions are becoming faster, easier & more anonymous - quite often the Event Organisers will use apps such as sli.do https://www.sli.do/ which allows quick, concise and timely questions to be asked at any stage with anonymity. Significantly boosting an audiences willingness to participate.

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Key Takeaways
  • Be courageous - get your audience involved
  • For questions being asked in person where you don’t know the audience (I.e. a Business Conference setting) consider seeking names / positions of the questioners - Builds rapport, respect plus provides solid networking opportunities following your presentation.
  • Be ready for the tough questions & prepare in advance for curveballs you know you may get (I.e. “how is your product better than the new (cheaper) competitors”)
  • Don’t shy away from difficult questions but also know what you’ve a right not to answer - a Professional Master of Ceremonies can help intervene - be sure to talk it over with them first.


And now I’d like to hear from you:

Which strategy from today’s post are you excited to try first?

Or maybe you have a question about something you read.

Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now

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