The Secrets of Preparation and Practice

Whenever I am asked to give a presentation, the conversation goes like this, “We would like you to present to our group. Will you?” I ask, “Do you have a topic in mind?” To which they answer, “Not really. But here’s the theme of the meeting,” or “Here is the mission of our organization.”

Then I say, “I’ll get back to you with the topic.” Don’t forget the bio and a short teaser on the topic,” they respond. Then they give me the date all this is due. Later, with my laptop open, I think through the following points.

1. Understand the Audience

I must understand the audience. After all, they are the most important people in the room and the reason for the meeting and the speaker. The broader the audience, the more difficult it is to think about them. Thankfully, most audiences are homogeneous. This is helpful. As a speaker, I am looking for some common ground. The more they have in common, the easier it is to think about their struggles. While picturing this audience, I ask myself, “What is the question on their mind?”

2. Ask the Right Question

If I get this right, I have high confidence I will have a winning presentation. Get it wrong, and I have a stinker. Before I was to speak to a room full of angel investors, I started thinking about questions they may have. How do I get started in angel investing? How do I evaluate an entrepreneur’s startup pitch? How do I develop an angel investment thesis? What terms should I look for in a deal? What kinds of returns should I expect on my angel investment portfolio? How do I decide on follow-on investments? For this presentation, I settled on the question I would address: As an angel investor in our community for 24 years, how do I know a good potential investment when I see it?

3. Make the Answer Personal

Once I settled on the question, I needed the answer. I have learned through experience it is essential the answer be my own. If I start thinking about how others might answer the question, I am doomed and will have a presentation that isn’t mine. I may come to a good answer, but if it’s not mine, the audience won’t care. They don’t want to hear what I read about or hear from someone else. They want the answer, which comes from my experience.

4. Use Fewer Bullets for More Impact

I also have learned through observation and seminars people love lists. As soon as a speaker says, “There are ten reasons,” or “...three big ideas,” or “...five warning signs,” the audience takes out their phones or flips open their notebooks and gets ready to write. Given this experience, I make sure my answer always includes a list. And the list needs to be three, five, seven, ten, or twelve points. But I’ve also discovered this. More list items equal an easier, faster-moving presentation for the speaker. Fewer list items equal higher retention and greater impact on the audience. In my presentation to the angel investors, I settled on seven criteria for a potentially good investment. These criteria would be my answer to the question.

5. Give Your Stories Tension

We all like and remember a good story. As human beings, we connect to stories. Points...not so much. So each point needs to be explained in two ways. First, what do the criteria mean, and why it is important? Second, an example of how I applied this criterion in the past. The stories have to be crisp, fun, and informative. It always helps if they have tension and some vulnerability.

7. Decide on the Introduction

I need a story right up front which connects me to the audience. A story that establishes my credibility and leads right into the question I am about to answer.

8. Close Strong with an Impact Story

I generally like a closing story that demonstrates what happened after I did what I told them to do. It will reinforce the answer yet leave room for an even better answer that is out there for them.

9. Bring It All Together with Practice

I am here to serve this audience. They deserve my best, and I want to give them my best. The first time I present this talk should be alone in my office, not in front of a live audience.

Watch for the final part on Tuesday.