What do you want to achieve with the presentation? Audience need clear guidance about what is expected of your Presentation. A pre-set objective to your presentation helps you and your audience. When asked to make a Presentation, the first thing that often runs through the mind of a Presenter is, “What am I going to say?” A more purposeful response is: “Why have I been asked to give this presentation?” Therefore, the first step in the presentation process, before a word has been put to paper or power point, is to determine the objectives and goals of the Presentation.
Statement of your objectives is a good and safe way to start a Presentation. Here is a caution. Even where it is appropriate to include the objective of your Presentation in the introduction, don’t make this as your opening remark. The Presenter generally chooses one or any combination of the following three forms of Presentation:
(1) To inform or instruct, as one would as an instructional course leader, and is based on thought processes.
(2) To persuade or motivate to action, as would a politician or salesman, and is based on behavior modification.
(3) To inspire, entertain or otherwise elicit feelings and emotions, as would a motivational speaker or stand-up comic, and is based on changing attitudes.
Whatever be the purpose applicable to your presentation, develop clear objectives before you design your Presentation. An objective is the target you want to hit. Your Presentation is then designed to meet the objectives. Be specific. What do you want the participants to know or be able to do by the end of your Presentation? You don’t want them to just know about the topic or you want them to know specifics.
An objective includes an action that can be observed and measured. Be clear and specific about your objectives and what you want the participants of your Presentation to know or be able to do by the end of your Presentation. This approach certainly creates the best form of your Presentation much easier.
Find answers to these questions to determine Presentation Objectives
(1) Does my presentation has core & important objectives?
(2) Is my Presentation objective designed to gain agreement ?
(3) Am I offering new insight of the subject through the Presentation objective?
(4) Does my presentation stimulate involvement with a clear and understandable Presentation Objective?
(5) Am I able to reduce objectives to a single headline statement as YOUR ESSENTIAL MESSAGE ?
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