Tone sets the mood
March 3 2008, 1:21 AM
I have a pretty big presentation to make this week and I'm a little nervous. The charts are all done so now it's about the delivery. My message is one of opportunity so I need to establish that before getting past the title page. I want to immediatey set the right context with my audience.
My wife has given me great advise time and time again. And she shared some wisdom with me for this event as well. She told me to try to:
- Be enthusiastic - let the audience see the passion
- Be confident yet vulnerable - demonstrate your competence but be honest with where your weaknesses are
- Know what I want to achieve - focus on the 2-3 big takeaways you want your audience to get
I've been giving presentations for years but I know I can incorporate some of this into my preparation process. So much to do in 2 minutes before digging in but with some forethought it is completely achievable. Thanks for the reminder that memorable presentations require more than good slides.