Idea 85: Profiling the occasion – the first element of a good presentation

When planning a presentation, there is one thing you should do before anything else: profile the occasion, the audience and the location.

You should ask yourself the following questions.

The occasion

• What kind is it?
• What are its aims?
• What time is allotted?
• What else is happening?

The audience

• Do they know anything about you?
• Do you know its size?
• What do they expect?
• Why are they there?
• What is their knowledge level?
• Do you know any of them personally/professionally?
• Do you expect friendliness, indifference or hostility?
• Will they be able to use what they hear?

The location

• Do you know the room size, seating arrangements, lay-out/set-up and acoustics?
• Do you know the technical arrangements for the use of microphones, audio-visuals, lighting, and whether assistance is available (and have you notified in advance your requirements)?
• Do you know who will control room temperature, lighting and moving people in and out?
• Have you seen it/should you see it?