Last week I did something I haven't done for a very long time...I went on holiday! My family and I spent a week adventuring in the Canadian Rockies - first time for all of us and it was incredible. Jaw dropping scenery, fresh mountain air and so much fun in the great outdoors. It was breathtaking...exhilarating...inspiring, to say the least.
Some places are so serene, so majestic, it's the kind of place where you could do a lot of deep soul searching. About the purpose of life...or...presentations.
Bear with me here, I'm trying to find a good segway (that pic was too good not to share)!
I need to talk to you about something really important - something you should always do as you begin working on a presentation. This is one of the first lessons I teach in my workshops and coaching:
Start with the end in mind.
Stephen Covey
In other words, think about your objective. Why are you doing this presentation? What's the end game? This is where every presentation should start, but most of us never bother with this bit. Or we don't give it enough thought.
So ask yourself: What do you aim to achieve? What do you want to get out of it?
Be specific: What EXACTLY are you trying to achieve?
Consider persuasion: What do you want your audience to do, think or feel by the end of your talk?
Once you've figured that out, you know exactly what you're working towards.
Your objective provides a guide - helping you to stay on track and focus on what's important. This is what you come back to as you prepare each point, each slide. As you trim and chop and change. Your words, your visuals, your story should ultimately help you achieve your end goal.
As I've always said, there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to presentations. But there are some things that everybody should be doing to communicate effectively. This is one of them.
If you've got questions about objective setting, the Rockies or anything else, send me an email and I'd be glad to help!
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