Hello,

Sometimes customers come to me, complaining that they feel stuck in the planning stages of a presentation. In other words, they do not know where to begin.

A tip that I recommend is to try thinking backwards. Try asking yourself, “What would I want the participants of my presentation to take with them at the end of my presentation?” Write down all the things you wish to happen. For example, after my presentation:

I would like the participants to remember the price of my top three products
I would like the participants to enter my website during the week
I would like the participants to remember four advantages of my product
This list will assist you in creating the presentation in a more accurate way.

Recently, I conducted a workshop for sales representatives of a large and well-known retail chain that sells computers and computer accessories. When I sat down with the manager in order to plan the workshop, he wasn’t sure about the content he wanted to convey. The moment I presented the issue ‘backwards’, things became clearer:

“What would you want your sales reps to know how to do by the end of the workshop?” I asked him.

“Ah, that’s easy,” he answered, “I want them to be familiar with several selling techniques in order to sell more successfully.”

The moment he phrased it that way, things came into place: we knew that the workshop has to contain specific hands-on tools and techniques that will improve the effectiveness of the salespeople. Once we knew what the final target is, it became easier to build the workshop ‘backwards.’

One last comment:

People tend to see presentations as something that is related only to the business world. However, it’s important to remember that a presentation is a delivery of information in a way that conveys the message in the manner that will be best understood. What am I trying to say? I’m trying to say that trying to convince my wife to join me for a Hamlet performance next Friday is also a type of presentation. And, if I want to convince her to come with me, especially if she’s not a big fan of Shakespeare, then I need to spend a few minutes thinking about how to present it properly and convincingly. We present all the time, and to everyone. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players,” said Shakespeare (As You Like It, Act II), and if the famous Bard said so, then perhaps we should listen.

I would love to hear about interesting or weird presentations you’ve had.

Good luck.

Mr. Miron Abramson

Add-Vantage

Miron Abramson is the founder and senior consultant of Add-Vantage, a company that supports people and organizations with their business interactions with international partners overseas. You can visit them on the web at http://addvantage.co.il, or contact Mr. Abramson at miron@addvantage.co.il.