The Joy in Business

21Presentation Is EVERYTHING!

• Q. What’s the definition of a good presentation?

  A. A good beginning, a good ending, preferably close together.

Presentation is everything. So how are you presenting yourself? What is the first impression that you make, and what is the last impression? How do you start a meeting, transition from point to point, and end a meeting? Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said when speaking about meeting success: “Be brief, be genuine, and be gone!” Rarely do people complain about a meeting running too short. It’s when they go on and on that they become problematic. That’s why you should bring your P.A.L. to every meeting, every meeting you run, and every presentation you give.

P.A.L. stands for Purpose, Agenda, and Limit! Your purpose is why you are speaking, the agenda is what you will be covering, and the limit is the time limit, how long you plan on speaking. Once you have your P.A.L. determined, you can focus on the content, organization, and style of your presentation.

• Content: What you want to say, facts, data, research, human interest stories, information, etc.
• Organization: What is the best order to have the greatest meaning and impact? Three is a magic number.
• Style: Word choice, voice tone, mood, manner, gestures, etc.

The 30-Second Rule

The best presentations begin and end by applying the 30-Second Rule. This rule involves writing out the first 30 seconds and the last 30 seconds of your presentation. Take time to perfect them. Focus on word ...