How to Tackle Last-Minute Presentation Prep
Photo by Marc Sendra Martorell on Unsplash
It’s a Friday and you’re feeling accomplished after finishing up your work for the week. You’re ready for a stress-free weekend but your boss pulls you aside and asks for a favor on your way out the door. A favor that involves giving a presentation next week. You nod your head and say, “Sure, no problem” but the internal panic makes your palms sweat.
Keeping a few key things in mind as you prepare for the presentation will help you effectively use your time (while also hopefully saving you some time to enjoy your weekend!) So what can you focus on quickly?
Who is your audience? What’s important for this specific audience to know? What do you want them to do as a result of your presentation? Don’t forget to think about how they might resist your message, and speak to those concerns.
Break your content into three main sections. Try past, present, future, or simply use three strong points that support your main idea. Once you have a basic three-part structure, you’ll see how easy it is to organize your thoughts into those buckets.
Speak through your ideas out loud. This is a great way to get clarity on what’s working and what you can leave out. Your content will also sound more like you and less like a writerly book report.
Preparing a presentation can be a lot of pressure, especially when you feel rushed. I’ve developed a proven process that can help the biggest procrastinators succeed. If you need help with last-minute planning, book an appointment with me here!