Preparing a Short Presentation

We would like to offer this conversation to use in preparing a brief presentation.

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The Situation:
You are preparing a short presentation. You have fifteen minutes to make the presentation. You are designing the presentation alone and you have this conversation with yourself.

Rational Objective
To convey information and passion about your topic.

Experiential Aim
To inform and illuminate the topic for the group; so they can make choices about it.

The Beginning Point

The concrete beginning point for this conversation is the topic you are focused on and the audience who will hear it. Name the focus of the presentation. Examples might be describing a product, reporting on an activity, describing the steps in a process, making a proposal or presenting an opportunity for involvement.

The Conversation

Opening

To prepare this presentation, I am going to ask myself a few questions. I will use the answers in a presentation that will motivate the audience.

Objective Questions

• What objective information – facts and details - do I need to share about the topic.

Reflective Questions

• Why do I find this topic exciting?
• How does it connect with the needs of the group?

Interpretive Questions

• What key points can I make that will convey the important aspects of this topic to the group?
• How can I express these ideas in a way that will help meet their needs?
• How would I like the group to respond to this presentation?

Decisional Questions

• What order should I put the key?
• What illustrations, examples or graphics are needed?
• How will I enable the group to respond?

Closing

I picture myself walking thorough the presentation, step by step, to a successful conclusion.

Hints

This format is only for the short presentations, when you don't have a lot of time to write it out and rehearse it.  The questions can be modified to fit the specifics of the topic and the situation

Other Applications

This type of conversation can also help you write a report, an editorial, or a quick proposal. It can be used, for example, to create a quick sales presentation. It can also be used with a small group, like a team preparing a brief report on a project.

This conversation is adapted from a conversation in "The Art of Focused Conversation" by Brian Stanfield. It has over 100 sample conversations and is available in the ICA Bookstore