How to structure your presentation

by Graham Jones

During the coaching sessions run by The Presentation Business people discover how they can significantly improve their presentations and reduce the amount of time they spend putting them together. This free gift is a real bonus as it helps focus on what is important - getting your message across. Here, though is the essence of what you need to know in order to structure a presentation.

Start with your key message. This must be an action oriented requirement for your audience. Hence, your key message should not be, for instance, 'web site design is complex', but 'you are going to rush out and buy our new web design software straight after this meeting, I'm sure'.

Now ask yourself the same question that your audience is bound to be asking. Why?

Your next stage of your presentation is to give reasons as to why your key message is true.

Having discussed your reasons that lay behind the key message, your audience is almost certain to be asking 'how'? Just how are they going to do what you are suggesting?

So, the next stage of your presentation is to provide an explanation and demonstrate just how your audience will do what you say they will be doing.

OK, but prove it! Sure, your audience will now see your logic but they need convincing, so this is where you prove your case. Give them an example. Case histories and examples are powerful evidence. Don't leave them out.

And when you've given your example that proves your point just revisit your key message and sit down. They'll be stomping in the aisles!

To recap:

Key message

Why?

How?

Prove it!

Key message