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Whilst much has been written on the subject of giving a professional presentation, there is one simple key to success – ensure that you leave a positive and long-lasting impression in the minds of those you are presenting to. You may be the world’s leading expert on your chosen subject, and feel confident in delivering a slick, engaging and entertaining presentation, but the overall impact will be lost (if not diminished) if you are let down by technical glitches with visual support equipment, or if your chosen location has the ambience of a dual carriageway underpass.

To be successful you have to be dynamic in the quality of the material you deliver as well being professional in the atmosphere you create. Get either wrong and the impact of your presentation may not reflect what you originally desired.

So here are some simple tips:

CONSIDER YOUR AUDIENCE

• You may be an expert, but that’s no excuse to use jargon.
• Senior managers and board directors will require clear and concise information, so don’t ramble.

STAY IN CONTROL

• Practice makes perfect and allows you to be perceived as confident and knowledgeable.
• Make eye contact with the audience – but don’t single out just one person.
• Don’t let interruptions stop your flow – decide from the outset whether you’ll take questions during the presentation or once it has finished.
• Prepare for tricky questions and how you’ll handle the answers.
• Ensure your presentation doesn’t run over time.

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION – AUDIO VISUAL SUPPORT

• Create a simple theme that communicates clearly with your audience.
• Use the best quality visual aids available, but don’t overload slides with too much information.
• If you must use charts and graphs make sure they are clear and easy to read.
• Remember, the audience isn’t there to read your slides – they are there to listen to you present.
• Don’t be afraid to inject some humour into the presentation – this will keep them on their toes and make sure they pay attention.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

• Chose your location with great care so that it supports rather than detracts from your presentation.

Whether you are giving a sales pitch, launching a new product or perhaps leading a training session, choosing the right location is key to a successful and persuasive presentation. In recent years many large institutions that conduct staff training sessions or hold regular product, brand or corporate meetings have found that it is beneficial and less distracting to conduct these meetings off site. Traditionally, businesses have outsourced their meeting requirements to hotels which have conferencing facilities; however, there is a growing trend toward purpose built meeting and business facilities.

Being asked to give a public presentation can be both gratifying and frightening. The gratification is natural since we can assume our innate talents have been noted, our expertise acknowledged and our humility respected! How rare is that? The feeling of fright is also entirely natural — caused mainly by the uncertainty and the unknown. But a fear of public speaking can be overcome. Indeed it is typically tackled by solid preparation and planning which are the essential attributes for effective presentations.

But putting aside these natural human emotions, gratification and fear, there is an immediate set of priorities that must be started. You should not accept the invitation to give a presentation immediately. Now this might seem an unrealistic expectation when faced with the fiery South West Regional VP for Distribution but if it’s the conference planner from the Distribution Association then you are undoubtedly on firmer ground. They will understand. And if it is the fiery VP it’s worthwhile to emphasise the professionalism with which you approach presentations at this stage.

Our move to not accept a presentation engagement immediately is not a result of coyness. No, we have to find out more. And finding out more at this stage is very important in the context of our later presentation planning and preparation. Before we accept an invitation to make a presentation we need answers to these questions:

1. Who wants you to speak and which organisation do they represent? There is every chance that the person asking you to present is known to you. But equally they might have contacted you through a third party or via a contact in your LinkedIn network for example. In that case it makes sense to put the contact into context and establish who they work for, whether they are independent or who they represent.
2. What are their contact details? Even if you know the person who invites you to make a presentation it’s a good idea to confirm the best contact details. Check whether their cell has changed or whether email is preferred. And if the presentation organiser is not known to you then it is absolutely essential that you establish contact arrangements — which are, of course, reciprocal.
3. What is the planned event? It’s vital to establish what event is being planned. Is it a sales conference or an annual Association meeting? Is it a meeting of technical partners or a product launch? Knowing some simple details of the event allows us to prepare our planning. For example, if we are asked to speak at an Association’s annual meeting we should establish the Association by name and its primary function. It could be a Trade Association or a charity. Knowing these details allows us to picture our potential audience and our likely participation.
4. When and where is the planned event? Distance is not dead. Knowing when and where the event is due to occur must be identified right away. If the event is local that might make it easier to participate. Alternatively if the event involves significant travel it might be possible to combine your participation with some other activity. Some knowledge of when the event is planned for will also provide some clues. If the event is next week then you can be assured that more than one speaker has dropped out and you are being asked out of necessity. It does happen, unfortunately. Typically presentation planners work to timescales of several months when planning key events.
5. How many speakers will be involved? It’s a rarity for any speaker to be the sole presenter on the podium. In most instances you will share the platform with several speakers with a budgeted time allowance of some 45 minutes. Perhaps longer. Knowing how many speakers are involved gives you an indication of the event’s importance, its profile within its industry and its potential attendance. And as a tip, once we have established how many speakers are involved we have the means to explore their details in more detail at a later time.
6. What is the theme of the event? It’s not unusual for event planners to use a theme with which to identify their event. Using a theme such as, Being Best, allows a range of speakers to explore all the essential attributes of customer care, quality management, production quality or people management. It provides a framework for each speaker and importantly, allows each speaker to interact sub-consciously with the rest of the platform. Knowing the theme at this stage is essential for your preparation. And if there is no clear theme you should aim to get this on the presentation planner’s agenda later.
7. What sort of presentation is expected from me? This might be a purely mechanical question, but it has to be asked. For instance there might be an expectation that you will make a presentation and then answer questions later. Or, you might be expected to sit on a speaker panel, make a presentation in turn and then have questions asked collectively of the panel later. Different formats require different preparation and you should understand the event requirements early on.
8. Why am I being asked to present? We should take care with this question. If the event is planned for next week you might already suspect the answer! But there is a serious point to be made. If you are being asked to present because you are a respected expert in your field then it’s very likely that your presentation subject is going to be crafted along the same lines. Alternatively, if you are asked to present because of your work in a particular organisation then it’s natural to consider citing relevant organisation case studies and references when you move on with presentation planning.
9. What visual elements can be supported and will the event be broadcast? We take it for granted that every event supports multimedia content. But if we are asked to speak before or after lunch then the visual dimension of our talk will be very different to a standard podium presentation. This point must be picked up later with the event planner. It’s not unusual for the media to be involved with larger scale events. Knowledge about media involvement at this stage is important since a late surprise might prove a problem. If the media is to be involved then you should ensure that your marketing or PR team is aware of their involvement which could be mutually productive.
10. Can I call you back to confirm? This is not as hard as it sounds. You will need to check your schedule. Or you might need to check with your partner. Alternatively you might want to see whether anything else in the schedule is moveable to accommodate this event. On the basis of the answers that you have already received this invitation might be a case of…”drop everything and attend,” or an instance of…”try to squeeze it in if possible.” Once you have agreed a timeline in which to call back the planner you must call them back. It’s both polite and politic. You will need their active support and involvement later.

So we have ten easy questions to ask before we agree to give that presentation. In essence they are the first steps needed for effective presentations. By asking them we acquire much of the useful information that will subsequently guide our presentation planning process. And by planning effectively we ensure that we present effectively without the collateral fear of public speaking. Now, should we accept that invitation or not?

Special birthday presents applies to all people of all ages and groups. However, there are some birthday presents that are considered to be special just because of certain ages and groups. There are birthday presents for kids, teenagers and adults.

Buying for special birthday presents for kids can be rather easy compared to teenagers and adults. Because it’s very easy to determine what the kids wants on their special day. If you are a parent, buying something special for your kids will never be a problem because you already know what your kids want and love. Of course, toys will always be the most special birthday presents for kids. It just varies what kind of toys would they want.

Special birthday presents for teenagers and adults may somehow be similar. These age groups would prefer gifts that they can use effectively. It can be a form of kind or cash. The most practical gifts for these age groups can be gift certificates since it will give them the chance and decision of buying what they want for their birthday. If you thoroughly know the person, you can easily figure out what he or she wants for his or her birthday. You can either bring him or her to a restaurant or department store for shopping. This idea can be very special for the birthday celebrant but very costly on your part. It can only be applicable if the celebrant is someone close to your heart or main member of your family.

Chocolates can also be special birthday presents for teenagers and adults. It may come in different types, designs and packaging. This gift idea is not only special for the recipient but can also be very sweet. It may come in bundle with other gift stuffs such as bouquet of flowers, gift certificates, jewelries, birthday cards and many more. For more personalized touch, you can look for made-to-order chocolates in your area where you can customize your message and designs on it that can be more appropriate for the recipient.

Online sites or store are also best sources for special birthday presents. From here, you can have a wide range of selections for your gift ideas. Knowing the astrological sign of the recipient will also help you in identifying what gift idea to give as birthday presents. It would be great if you can pattern the gift with the recipient’s astrological sign.

In any cases that you run out some idea for special birthday presents, you can always ask help from someone. You may ask assistance from those people who are inclined with activities or hobbies that they love doing. If the recipient is inclined with sports or any outdoor activities, it would special buy him or her jersey to wear. The jersey can reflect the name of the favorite team of the recipient.