1

Plan

11

3/29/07

4/12/07

Created by Thomas Leech, presentations consultant, speaker and author of How To Prepare, Stage & Deliver Winning Presentations (AMACOM).
I hope you find this sample project useful. If you do, please let me know:
phone: 858 650-0810
fax:      858-650-0811
e-mail:  winpres@aol.com

2

Determine requirements, guidelines, dictates, standard procedures

1

3/29/07

3/29/07

Speaker(s), Presentations advisor or coordinator, Marketing or project leader

For many presentations, "audiences" often state explicit instructions.

3

Find out the 5 W's (who, what, when, where, why)

1

3/30/07

3/30/07

Speaker(s), Presentations advisor or coordinator

4

Check available expertise that can help you

1

4/2/07

4/2/07

Presentations advisor or coordinator, Presentations coach or consultant (external), Speaker(s)

Take advantage of in-house expertise, right from the start.

5

Write out your general objective

1

4/3/07

4/3/07

Sell, tell, entertain, stir?

6

Write out the specific objective - the end product

1

4/4/07

4/4/07

A common deficiency.

7

List factors associated with meeting conditions that might influence presentation

1

4/5/07

4/5/07

e.g., time of day, competing activities, etc.

8

Identify and assess audience

1

4/6/07

4/6/07

Particularly pay attention to key decision makers

9

Develop your presentation strategy

1

4/9/07

4/9/07

Reviewers/critiquers

For example, how will you address the audience's major concerns?

10

Identify resources needed for each task and determine  availability

1

4/10/07

4/10/07

11

Set a realistic schedule

1

4/11/07

4/11/07

Speaker(s), Presentations advisor or coordinator, Graphics/audio-visual specialist, Marketing or project leader

Make sure the resources are there, plus get commitment from all involved.

12

Get colleague or management review before proceeding

1

4/12/07

4/12/07

Management or other decision makers, Reviewers/critiquers, Graphics/audio-visual specialist, Speaker(s), Presentations coach or consultant (external), Marketing or project leader, Presentations advisor or coordinator

This important step can ensure you're heading down the right road now, before you start spending time and money.

13

Organize

9

4/13/07

4/25/07

14

Check how requirements affect organization

1

4/13/07

4/13/07

Speaker(s), Presentations advisor or coordinator, Marketing or project leader

15

Focus ideas and information

1

4/16/07

4/16/07

Brainstorm or mindmap here to produce a summary of your major points.
Try to capture the essence of your story. Then, go into the details.

16

Choose best topic order

1

4/17/07

4/17/07

Helpful are templates or "wizards" in graphics programs, e.g. Powerpoint.

17

Develop detailed outline

1

4/18/07

4/18/07

This is important! Don't get lazy about it!
You can use graphics software or manual methods, but do it. An outline is the best tool for clarifying your ideas.

18

Assign times per section and speaker(s)

1

4/19/07

4/19/07

Management or other decision makers, Speaker(s), Presentations advisor or coordinator, Presentations coach or consultant (external)

19

Develop introduction to get audience on board and focused

1

4/20/07

4/20/07

Find a snappy hook to get their attention.

20

Develop summary to reiterate main points and ask for the order

1

4/23/07

4/23/07

Here's where that earlier summary chart is used.

21

Create story board integrating outline with visual aid support concepts

1

4/24/07

4/24/07

A particularly valuable exercise for message clarity and visual creativity.

22

Get management review of your organization

1

4/25/07

4/25/07

Reviewers/critiquers, Management or other decision makers, Presentations coach or consultant (external), Marketing or project leader, Presentations advisor or coordinator

Another important check point.

23

Support

12

4/26/07

5/11/07

24

Again check how requirements dictate support

1

4/26/07

4/26/07

Presentations advisor or coordinator, Speaker(s)

25

Add to your outline the examples you will use to illustrate, substantiate or liven up.

1

4/27/07

4/27/07

Key words are "for example."

26

Develop details of examples, stories, statistical support, etc.

1

4/30/07

4/30/07

May need to gather more information to make sure it's legit.

27

Consider what other forms of support can add value

1

5/1/07

5/1/07

Props, displays, hardware, video, multi-media, demos...

28

Make sure you know what your graphics production capability is

1

5/2/07

5/2/07

Especially if you're using outside resources.

29

Make a test run to ensure graphics quality and capability

1

5/3/07

5/3/07

This can keep you from a lot of re-work later.

30

Transform the concepts from your story board to complete graphics

1

5/4/07

5/4/07

Graphics/audio-visual specialist, Presentations advisor or coordinator, Presentations coach or consultant (external)

Put your right brain in gear to come up with some punchy, clear, convincing graphics.

31

Review/test visual aids

1

5/7/07

5/7/07

32

Refine graphics to get best effectiveness

1

5/8/07

5/8/07

Graphics/audio-visual specialist, Speaker(s), Presentations advisor or coordinator

33

Now complete your delivery script

1

5/9/07

5/9/07

Match oral to visual.

34

Develop backup charts and plan

1

5/10/07

5/10/07

Just in case

35

Meet printing deadlines

1

5/11/07

5/11/07

Graphics/audio-visual specialist

36

Stage

11

5/14/07

5/28/07

Operations, Arrangements, Rehearsals.

37

Again determine what the requirements call for

1

5/14/07

5/14/07

Presentations advisor or coordinator, Speaker(s)

38

Track and control costs and schedule to ensure you're staying on course

1

5/15/07

5/15/07

Presentations advisor or coordinator

You should be checking this all along.

39

Check out the meeting facility

1

5/16/07

5/16/07

Graphics/audio-visual specialist

40

Identify and list in detail all staging requirements

1

5/17/07

5/17/07

Presentations advisor or coordinator, Graphics/audio-visual specialist

"The devil's in the details."

41

Verify all audio-visual equipment will be available and working

1

5/18/07

5/18/07

Graphics/audio-visual specialist

You've been warned.

42

Make sure all presenters know how to use a/v equipment correctly

1

5/21/07

5/21/07

Like how to turn on the projector.

43

Prepare for rehearsals

1

5/22/07

5/22/07

Presentations advisor or coordinator

Rehearsals can be big time-wasters.

44

Practice, practice, practice, each time getting helpful feedback and improving

1

5/23/07

5/23/07

Reviewers/critiquers, Presentations advisor or coordinator, Management or other decision makers, Marketing or project leader, Presentations coach or consultant (external), Graphics/audio-visual specialist

Yet how many people skip this step, to their regret, and the audience's.

45

Use video and speaker coaching to polish your performance

1

5/24/07

5/24/07

Presentations advisor or coordinator, Presentations coach or consultant (external)

Video doesn't lie.

46

Test all parts of the presentation

1

5/25/07

5/25/07

e.g., audience questions and answers.

47

Arrive at the meeting room enough in advance to check it out on-site

1

5/28/07

5/28/07

Isn't most of this common sense?

48

Deliver

5

5/29/07

6/4/07

49

Make sure your wardrobe and appearance are appropriate for the meeting

1

5/29/07

5/29/07

50

Get mentally prepared

1

5/30/07

5/30/07

Visualize a successful meeting in detail.

51

Deliver with energy, conviction, credibility, personality.

1

5/31/07

5/31/07

Do not read. And talk to audience, not screen.

52

Respond to your audience

1

6/1/07

6/1/07

This may be what decides success.

53

Track the time and meet your target

1

6/4/07

6/4/07

And it's o.k. to end early, if you've done the job.

54

Follow-up

4

6/5/07

6/8/07

55

Do a personal or team de-briefing about how the presentation went

1

6/5/07

6/5/07

Speaker(s), Presentations advisor or coordinator, Marketing or project leader, Presentations coach or consultant (external)

56

Assign action items and make sure they get completed

1

6/6/07

6/6/07

Speaker(s), Marketing or project leader

Critical - it ain't over til...

57

Apply lessons-learned to future presentations

1

6/7/07

6/7/07

Speaker(s), Presentations advisor or coordinator, Graphics/audio-visual specialist, Marketing or project leader

Learn from your hits and misses.

58

Make a commitment to sharpen your presentation skills to be better able to advance cause and career

1

6/8/07

6/8/07

Speaker(s)

Join Toastmasters, buy a good presentations book, speak more often.
Copyright 1997-2007 by Thomas Leech. Used by permission.  You may use this for planning your own presentations.  But, if used for training, you must retain the copyright notice and authorship attribution.