1. The document discusses the 7 vital steps to take to prepare for a successful presentation: 1) clarify your aims, 2) collect your material, 3) write the first draft, 4) produce cue cards, 5) prepare the room, 6) rehearse repeatedly, and 7) forget about it and relax before presenting. 2. It emphasizes the importance of thorough preparation, including brainstorming ideas, writing a draft, creating cue cards, and rehearsing. Proper preparation sets presenters up for success and helps them address questions about the presentation's purpose, audience, location, and evaluation. 3. Criteria for a successful presentation depends on the type of presentation, and may include things

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Preparing the Presentation
PREPARING THE
PRESENTATION
Get ready for success
MTL: The Professional Development Programme

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Preparing the Presentation
Attribution: All images are from sources where a Creative Commons license exists for commercial use. All icons are on subscription
from thenounproject. All clipart is from free sources. The MTL Professional Development Programme is copyright of Manage Train
Learn.
Preparing the
Presentation
Introduction: The dread of public speaking is the fear of standing in front of a critical
audience with nothing to say. Success in presentations comes from confronting this
nightmare in the only way possible: through thorough preparation. When you prepare
correctly, you set yourself up to succeed; when you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. In
this topic, we’ll show you the 7 vital steps you need to take to reach the top of the
Presentation Ladder.

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Preparing the Presentation
1. CLARIFY
YOUR AIMS
The initial steps in preparing for a presentation
can all be taken at the desktop. Desktop planning
aims to deal with 4 main questions:
1. What is the purpose of the presentation and
hence the subject, title and audience?
2. Who will be present?
3. Where and when will the presentation be
held?4. How is the best way to go about planning
the presentation, delivering it and evaluating
whether it has been worth while?
Get your presentation aims clear
Flickr attribution: /stendueland/17069298430/

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Preparing the Presentation
2. COLLECT
YOUR
MATERIAL
The information-gathering stage is the next stage
when you research, gather, organise and play
around with the material that you will use in
your talk. One of the best approaches is to first
collect your material; arrange it into relevant
headings and sub-headings; filter it down to
meet the purpose of your talk; add features that
will make the presentation interesting to your
audience; and then summarise it all on a one-
page review.
Gather information from all sources
Flickr information: /en321/7848762688/

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Preparing the Presentation
Brainstorming
It is very daunting to sit down and face a blank
piece of paper and start to write a speech. The
solution is "don't": use brainstorming instead.
Brainstorming is a way to see all the
information you have gathered at a glance. It
uses "nutshell ideas", or summaries of bigger
ideas, and simply puts them all down on a
blank page. The process of brainstorming is
random, free-flowing and disorderly and this
allows the brain to choose its own connections
from amongst the information you have
stored.
Once you have filled up a page with ideas for
your speech, you can start to see what comes
first, second and so on; what is most
important; what can be left out; what needs
elaborating. Gradually the presentation will
take shape in front of your eyes. The
brainstorming will then have whetted your
appetite to begin the first draft proper.

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Preparing the Presentation
3. WRITE THE
FIRST DRAFT
Although opinions are divided as to whether it is
a good idea to write out a speech in full during
the preparation stage, on balance you should.
This is because a written draft helps to clarify
your ideas. It can be learnt by heart if you feel
less than confident and, if you take it with you
into the presentation, it is a safety net in case
you lose your place. What you must not do, of
course, is read your draft or get distracted by it.
Write your talk but not so you can read it
Flickr attribution: /wiertz/6952472683/

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Preparing the Presentation
4. PRODUCE
YOUR CUE
CARDS
Cue cards are the reminder cards which prompt
you through your speech. They can either be
cues for a speech which you have learnt by heart
or cues for a speech which you know well
enough to deliver off-the-cuff. Cues should be
"fast food for the eyes"; in other words, easy to
digest. Make sure your cards are numbered in
the correct order. Write the main points clearly
and visibly so that they stand out. Dog-ear the
lower right corner so that you can turn them
over easily.
Cue cards are fast food for the eyes
Flickr attribution: /ufv/13702115884/

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Preparing the Presentation
5. PREPARE
THE ROOM
An important part of the preparation for a
presentation is to check the presentation room.
You should check it for size, seating, acoustics,
heating, lighting, ventilation, equipment, and
whether there is any outside distraction. If you
are a visiting speaker and can't get to the room
before the day of your talk, arrange to get there
early to prepare it the way you want it. Don't
settle for second-best; your credibility is at stake.
Make sure everyone can see you
Flickr attribution: /mealmakeovermoms/6213012796/

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Preparing the Presentation
6. REHEARSE,
REHEARSE,
REHEARSE
Rehearsing - or "re-hearing" - is an essential part
of preparing your speech. There are three ways
to rehearse and you should use all three. First,
rehearse to yourself in your head, visualising
yourself giving your speech, mouthing the words
and going through each move. Second, rehearse
to the mirror so you can see yourself as others
will see you. And third, rehearse "for real" either
alone in the room where you're going to speak or
with an audience of colleagues.
Run through everything several times
Flickr attribution: /erdogan/2399205847/

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Preparing the Presentation
7. NOW
FORGET IT
If you have followed all the earlier planning steps
leading up to your presentation, you should have
no problem with the last step of preparation:
"forget about it." Forgetting about your speech
works because last-minute cramming can only
induce panic, stress and nerves. When you know
you've done all you need to do, the last thing to
do is to truly let go and enjoy it.
You’re done. Go and get a coffee and relax
Flickr attribution: /pennuja/10440330523/

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Preparing the Presentation
Criteria for Successful Presentations
As actors and politicians know only too
well, it is notoriously difficult to
guarantee success when you speak.
One day, a talk goes down well; the
next it fails to raise any response.
In the planning stage, it is helpful to
think about how we might judge the
success of our presentation, even if we
have to acknowledge that hitting the
target every time may not be possible.
The success of a retirement speech
depends on an appropriate level of
humour, sincerity and tone.
The success criteria of an informative
talk depends on how much people
remembered.
The success criteria of a sales talk
depends on the level of new orders.
The success criteria of an after-dinner
speech depends on how much people
laughed.
Flickr attribution: /putu_adi/2407850452/

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Preparing the Presentation
This has been a Slide Topic from Manage Train Learn
AFinal
Word
Good planning and preparation is critical to a good presentation. It ensures you know your subject, makes
you look confident, and allows you to relax. When your audience see this, they will immediately warm to
you and become willing partners in what you have to say.