Introduction

You have probably attended a presentation at one time or another. If it was a good presentation, it was most likely led by a charismatic and enthusiastic presenter who leveraged effective facilitation techniques to draw audience participation. Whether the presentation’s goal was to provide information or to elicit a call to action, the presenter’s skills and structure of the content probably had a great deal of impact on what you remembered and acted on after it.

Presentations are an expected skill for nearly every professional today. You might have led a presentation yourself, either at school, for work, or in the community. They’re not just about delivering information, but effectively communicating a message that the audience will remember. Top-notch presentations reflect that a professional is knowledgeable in the subject and a skilled communicator. Poor presentations do the opposite. Successful presentations can influence your team, land you a big sale, or win over someone to your side of an argument. Bad presentations can leave their own lasting impressions, but the wrong kind.

The pressure is on. It’s no wonder the very idea of giving a presentation—no matter how big or small—can create anxiety and fear in almost anyone. The thought of giving a presentation often ranks at the top of the list of what people fear the most, sometimes above even death. (Its scientific term is glossophobia, the root of which means fear of tongue.)

So how do you go about developing and delivering an effective, memorable presentation? 10 Steps to Successful Presentations provides the key information you need to accomplish this goal.

What’s New

This second edition of 10 Steps to Successful Presentations provides an updated step-by-step guide to delivering first-rate presentations whether you have one day or several months to prepare. We’ve reorganized the material to better align with the steps you’ll face when approaching your presentation—start to finish. We’ve also included new material about understanding the expectations of your audience, avoiding common mistakes, and mastering the increasingly common virtual presentation. You’ll find new tips on telling stories, using mindfulness before or in the moment, and asking questions to engage your audience. And because presenting is a human-centered activity, even when done virtually, we’ve added more examples to help illustrate what makes a presentation successful.

Use the key steps in this book as needed. For example, if you have been asked to give an existing presentation, you can focus on steps 4 through 10. Or, if you’ve been asked to select and present on a topic in which you are starting with a completely blank slate—perhaps on how the marketing strategy is poised to support new product revenue goals—then it might be most appropriate to start with step 1 and work through each step systematically.

Most of what is presented in this book is based on real-world experience as well as observations of presentations that either wowed the audience or fell short, motivating participants to quickly head for the door.

How to Use This Book

10 Steps to Successful Presentations will help you to quickly plan, develop, and deliver a compelling presentation. Each section describes one of the 10 specific steps for accomplishing this goal. You can jump to any step in the 10-step process or start at the beginning. Here is an overview:

Step 1: Understand the Role of a Presenter. A presenter’s role is unique. A good place to begin your presentation is to understand what your audience will expect from you. These expectations will be at least partly defined by the type of presentation. This step will outline the roles and responsibilities of the presenter and define the most common types of presentations. This step also examines the benefits and challenges of co-presenting.

Step 2: Plan Your Presentation. Planning a successful presentation begins long before you start typing up your notes. Whether you’ve given this presentation 10 times or this is the first, every audience is unique and requires some thought. Venues, too, often require your attention to ensure the right lightning, seating, and technology will be available. This step includes tools for setting your goals and conducting a quick audience analysis, as well as a list of presentation room setup guidelines and tips.

Step 3: Develop and Structure Your Presentation. Whether you need to create a presentation from scratch or embellish an existing presentation, your message needs to be clear and memorable. This step outlines strategies for developing your opening, creating transitions to maintain the presentation flow, and building the body content. It also provides visual-aid guidelines to enhance your presentation rather than just decorate it.

Step 4: Make Your Presentation Engaging. With the key and supporting points of the presentation outlined, it’s time to take it to the next level by adding elements to excite and engage your audience. This step includes ideas for energizers and games; tips for brainstorming, storytelling, and demonstrations; and building the content with text, graphs, tables, statistics, and other good stuff.

Step 5: Avoid Common Presentation Pitfalls. Despite your best planning efforts, things can still go wrong. This step outlines ways to sidestep common mistakes like turning the audience off with bad body language or losing your audience to an overly distracting venue. This step also includes a contingency plan to remain calm if disaster does strike.

Step 6: Practice for a Perfect Presentation. A key rule for any presenter is to know the material. Period. Rehearsing the delivery helps to put the icing on the cake. This step focuses on tips and techniques for rehearsing the presentation, as well as a checklist for a perfect presentation.

Step 7: Deliver Your Presentation Flawlessly. Even the most seasoned presenters can be plagued by anxiety. So how do you harness that nervous energy into a spectacular presentation? This step provides techniques to steady nerves, open with a bang, and keep the audience engaged throughout.

Step 8: Excel at Virtual Presentations. More and more presentations are delivered in a virtual format, and the trend will only increase as remote or gig work becomes mainstream. Professionals are expected to be a subject authority, skilled communicator, and technical expert in the same moment. This step includes how to overcome the challenges of virtual presentations—including engaging an audience that can’t see you or each other—and prepare for technical obstacles, as well as how to leverage the best of virtual tools and create a memorable experience.

Step 9: Master the Q&A. Too often presenters don’t plan for the Q&A portion of the presentation. But winging this final interaction with your audience is a setup for disaster. This step provides tips and techniques to not only answer your audience’s questions but manage those difficult questions—and audience members—and end on a high note.

Step 10: Evaluate Your Presentation. You may breathe a sigh of relief once the presentation is over, but there’s one more critical action. Taking time to understand what went well and where there’s room for improvement will help you prepare for your next engagement and help build the presentation skills that are so necessary for today’s professional. This step includes the various methods for collecting feedback as well as a self-evaluation worksheet.

10 Steps to Successful Presentations is part of ATD’s 10 Step series and was written to provide you with a proven process, quick reference checklists, and tips to create and deliver an effective presentation. We hope that the tips and tools contained in this book will guide you each step of the way. Review these 10 steps as often as needed to perfect your ability to give successful presentations.