Page 2 - The Ideal Presentation (cont.)

Provide maximum relevant data

For the same reason that you wish to get to the point early, you must also avoid doing a "data dump" on your listeners. They only want information which will solve their problems. The more words and facts you present, the greater the likelihood that your essential message will be lost. Short-term memory is precisely that. As new information is presented, it tends to push the just heard information out, somewhat akin to the First In, First Out (FIFO) accounting method.

Present in minimum time

Time limits are generally set by the audience or client, and having a finite time to present is actually a benefit to the presenter. An expert on a given issue or subject, or an enthusiastic sales person, could speak for hours, a recipe for disaster. Having a time limit, however, forces the presenter to focus on providing that maximum relevant information keyed to solving the audience member's problems and needs. This requires a willingness to edit your own words without mercy. A rigorous practice session will give you an accurate idea of the length of your actual presentation, enabling you to pare off minutes. This editing, combined with accurate knowledge of the needs of the audiences, will make your presentation more crisp and to the point.

It's best to come in "under budget" on time. You will be considered efficient if you provide the relevant information in less than the time allocated. If, however, you go over the allotted time, you will be considered inefficient, and you will have stolen audience member's most valuable commodity - their time. Here's a tip. Have a colleague sit behind the audience, or in the rear of the room, and give you unobtrusive signals when you hit "three minutes left" and "one minute left." Avoid looking at your watch. Although glancing at your watch demonstrates you are sensitive to the time needs of the audience, it can also cause members of the audience to shift their attention from the substance of your presentation to the question: "How much longer will this go on?"

In certain scored situations, such as a proposal for venture capital, or an oral presentation for a government contract, presenters are penalized for going beyond the time limits and could easily lose the capital infusion or contract they are seeking, no matter how superior their product, service or innovative idea.

Present in clearest terms possible

When we wish to provide the maximum relevant data in minimum time, there is the temptation to speak rapidly, much like the Federal Express commercial of a few years ago. Nerves can also cause rapid speaking. This becomes especially critical when the information being presented is complex, and the audience needs time to absorb it. An intense practice session, in front of colleagues and, if possible, a video camera, will enable you to gauge the optimum delivery rate. Too fast can be confusing, too slow can be boring.

Follow this advice, and you'll soon be considered the "go to" person for "chips-on-the line" presentations.

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