Being able to deliver successful presentations is a valuable management skill. Getting your message across effectively is crucial and can have an impact on both your credibility and your work.

You may have to make presentations to senior managers on behalf of your team, or to outside organizations on behalf of your company. In either case, you will be expected to perform well.

Strategies for preparing a presentation

As with any form of communication, careful preparation will make your presentations more effective. When preparing a presentation, you should

• Define the purpose – It is important that you are clear about what you want to say. Aim to keep it short and simple.
• Know and involve your audience – You need to understand your audience members, particularly their interests and knowledge levels.
• Structure the material – It is important to organize your content in a logical way.
• Use the venue and aids appropriately – The aids you use should enhance your presentation, not detract from it.

Suggestions for an effective presentation

Think about some of the recent presentations you have attended. How effective were they? What was it that contributed to the level of effectiveness?

Here are some suggestions for effective presentations:

• Purpose – Determine whether you want to motivate, inform, or persuade your audience.
• Audience – Determine how many people will attend your presentation. Will they have knowledge about the subject? Will they be interested? Will you be talking to a number of different groups? Will some people find the topic controversial?
• Structure – To gain audience members' interest and maintain their concentration, you will need to structure your content well. Stick to three or four main points so you do not overwhelm your audience with detail. Take questions from the audience so you can clarify any misunderstandings.
• Venue and aids – Make sure the room is big enough, the lighting is adequate, and the temperature is comfortable. Determine whether everyone will be able to see and hear you. A few effective graphics and handouts can enhance your presentation, but too many may only distract or confuse your audience.

Involve your audience

Presentations are more successful when the audience feels involved. As a presenter, you should be prepared to ask your audience questions and invite questions from audience members.

Presenters can tell by their listeners' body language whether they are engaged, bored, or confused. Taking their cues from the audience, presenters can identify when they should speed up, slow down, or summarize.

Making a presentation can be a daunting prospect, but careful preparation can help ensure that you get your message across.