Lately, I've been hearing from a lot of people
who have been asked to present at a meeting for a different department or
group. Essentially, they're told (by
phone or email), "be there at 1 pm to talk for a few minutes about your
project." That's not enough
information.
If you're asked to present, here are the
questions that you should ask the organizer to ensure that you convey a message
that is useful and appropriate to that audience:
·
Who is in the audience? What is the
purpose of the meeting? How many people, what is their background and what is
their level of experience and knowledge about my topic? What have they been
told about me and my topic? Is someone introducing me? (If so, send them your
introduction)
·
How much time do I have to present? What
comes before and after my presentation?
·
Do I need slides, handouts or other
visuals? Who is responsible for creating them? (I've seen presenters try to
deliver slides created by someone else that they've been handed five minutes
before – trust me, that doesn't work).
·
Where am I presenting? What is the space
like? How big is it, am I standing, sitting or behind a podium? Am I expected
to use a microphone?
·
What is my goal? What do you want to
happen as a result of my presentation? Do you want me to
·
Inform the audience so they know
·
Educate so they can do
·
Convince so they believe
·
Entertain so they can enjoy
·
Inspire so they will act
·
Why did you ask me? Sometimes the truth
is that no one else would do it, but often, it's because you have a specific
background or particular knowledge. For
example, a program for a global company might start with a presentation by a
senior leader who had experience working in the U.S., Asia and Europe.
The purpose of asking these questions is not
for you to be a “control freak.” The
purpose is to gather information that will help you prepare your presentation so
you can convey a useful and effective message – which is a goal that you and
the meeting organizer share.