Gilly Meek, Accredited Think on Your Feet® Trainer
When taking on a new role, client or job, you will likely be asked to make “that big presentation!” You know the one… the career-defining introduction, the presentation that ties your stomach in knots – making you break out in a sweat, just thinking about it. It’s a simple fact that people dread “The big presentation!”
But, presentations don’t have to be like this. What if you had an award-winning system for controlling the nerves, a practical way of designing powerful content for getting your point across, and actually enjoying them!! Here are my top tips to ensure your preparation is spot on:
- Consider your audience – One of the biggest mistakes people make when they present, is to start writing their presentation by thinking “what do I want to say?”. Our Skilled Presenter™ workshop gets you to consider: “what might my audience want to hear?” So, consider who your audience is and then ask yourself what they will want to get from your presentation.
- Create your content first, visuals second – Don’t prepare your presentation by opening up PowerPoint and building slides. Instead, decide what you need to cover and then ask yourself what visuals will support this. Remember that PowerPoint is a visual aid for your audience, not a script for you.
- Have a structure – Instead of just having a long flow of information to share with your audience, have some sort of structure. In the Think on Your Feet® and Skilled Presenter™ workshops, we recommend using three key messages/sections to structure your presentation around.
- Practice – Practice your presentation several times to help you get the flow. If you can practice in the room that you will be delivering the real presentation, that will be even better!
- Prepare for questions – One of the most daunting parts of a presentation is dealing with questions. One of the best things you can do is consider all the questions that you might get asked and then plan how you would answer each question.
- Talk to yourself positively – Often people work themselves up into a frenzy before the big presentation. Be really careful of saying the wrong things to yourself e.g. “This is going to go really badly”. Instead feed yourself positive thoughts such as “I know my stuff” or “I am well prepared”. In The Skilled Presenter™ workshop we help you to find the right things to say to yourself to create a positive mindset.
- Get a good night’s sleep – The night before your presentation, try and relax and get some good sleep. The more rested you are, the easier it will be for you to manage the presentation well.
- Get to the room early – Do not wait until the time of your presentation to set up! If possible, get to the room you will be presenting in, at least 20 minutes early. Set up all the technology, the room layout and get comfortable with where you will be standing.
More about the workshops – deliver knockout presentations every time!
The Skilled Presenter™ – helps you find that magic, by giving you a bedrock of processes and skills that are easily mastered and will give you the basis for any presentation – both in its planning and its delivery.
- Public workshops (online and face-to-face in major UK cities).
- In-house (online and face-to-face for groups and teams, worldwide).
Think on Your Feet® – Be clear, confident and think before you speak, with Think on Your Feet® the verbal communication workshop that emphasises structure.
- Public workshops (online and face-to-face in major UK cities).
- In-house (online and face-to-face for groups and teams, worldwide).
- Training your trainers (face-to-face accreditation for corporate trainers with large groups to train).
More about Gilly Meek
Gilly is an accredited Think on Your Feet®, Lateral Thinking, Six Thinking Hats®, The Skilled Presenter™ and Stakeholder Engagement (including Simulation)™ trainer and has delivered these workshops to numerous clients. Gilly also trains in management skills, negotiation skills, facilitation skills, impact and influence, and time management.
Prior to joining Indigo, Gilly managed the learning and development function for Global Radio, the UK’s largest radio organisation; training and coaching employees across a number of brands including Heart, LBC and Galaxy Radio. She has also led global initiatives for numerous multi-national organisations – including the design and delivery of management, leadership and soft-skills programmes.
