PRESENT TO SUCCEED LESSONS LEARNED
How to Prepare for a Presentation in 4 Steps with John Zimmer
PRESENT TO SUCCEED LESSONS LEARNED
How to Prepare for a Presentation in 4 Steps with John Zimmer
John Zimmer is the founder of the Manner of Speaking website and a full-time speaker, helping individuals and organisations like the World Health Organisation and the United Nations communicate more effectively. And of course, we asked him to share some insights on how to create better impact when presenting.
For his session at the 2022 Present to Succeed conference John Zimmer did an inspiring workshop on storytelling. He offered a simple, concrete and powerful exercise on how to prepare for a presentation in 4 steps.
Before you jump into the 4-step process, John encourages you to switch off any presentation software that you’re using and turn to the good old pen and paper for the exercise. The whole exercise is ideational, and you only need to have a certain presentation or speech in mind which you can apply the steps to.
Define the what, the who, the where
John compares this first step to the eagle-eye vision: you’re viewing things from afar but at the same time can focus on concrete elements. Preparing for a presentation is similar – a constant back and forth between big picture and laser focus. To have a clear foundation you need to have these three things in mind – the subject, the speaker and the audience.
Once you have them, you can now add the fourth and final one – the situation or what is the context you’ll be presenting in. Spending the time to understand all of these will surely improve your overall presentation in the end.
Watch the full session recording to hear what questions John asks himself when he’s at this first stage of presentation prepping.
Be clear about your objective
At this point you should be able to finish the following sentence:
When I’m finished speaking, the audience will…
The most powerful presentations get their audience to do something, but don’t go too big on that. Think of a simple first step, says John, an easy action that your audience can take immediately. It’s done because if you hook people with a smaller actionable step, they’ll be psychologically more inclined to take further action later. This Present to Succeed speaker gives a brilliant example how small steps deliver better results in the long run, so grab the track recordings to hear the rest of his story.
Be concise
John says that a good presentation is often a process of removal. You don’t pack it with everything you know, but rather simplify it and reduce it to the essentials. You should be able to sum up your whole presentation or speech in one sentence. Simple as that.
Why should the audience care
The final step of the process is tackling the question of relevance. What’s in there for your audience? Why would they give their time to listen to your presentation and how can they benefit from it? John Zimmer stresses that presenters need at least one reason why the audience should care. You want to respect everyone’s time, right? Then make sure their listening to you pays off.
To sum up, according to John Zimmer, the preparation process for each presentation or speech should involve 4 steps – defining the context, clarifying the objectives, being to the point and making the message relatable. Of course, this is not all, but take care of that and there’s a big chance your audience will remember you.
Wanna up your game in the storytelling field? Leave it to us. We’re bringing together some of the most prominent professional speakers out there for the next Present to Succeed conference, on 28 April 2023. Get your ticket here.
Join Present to Succeed - the biggest presentation skills conference in the world
Whether you are part of an organization or running a business, how your slides look will always factor in your success. Learn how to become an influential speaker by joining our 20+ industry-leading speakers’ sessions.
Start engaging your audience better and influencing them to embrace your concepts, hire you, or buy your products. Now is the best moment to get your ticket!
Join Present to Succeed - the biggest presentation skills conference in the world
Whether you are part of an organisation or running a business, how your slides look will always factor in your success. Learn how to become an influential speaker by joining our 20+ industry-leading speakers’ sessions.
Start engaging your audience better and learn how to influence them to embrace your concepts, hire you, or buy your products. Get your ticket now!
