Playbook: the art of presenting: giving a presentation doesn't have to be hard--follow these steps to success.

Whether in front of coworkers or city council members, for many, the thought of giving a presentation or facilitating a meeting ranks somewhere in the neighborhood of having a root canal. Fortunately, that doesn't have to be the case. There are techniques that anyone can leverage to make a great presentation.

Preparation

Investing in the necessary time and effort to prepare for the event is a must, as lack of preparation often leads to a disjointed, disoriented and ineffective presentation.

First, start by identifying the purpose of the meeting. Is it to exchange information? Create buy-in for a difficult initiative? Raise money? Also, identify the roles of the people who will be attending. Are they responsible for achieving or preventing the initiative from moving forward? Are they likely to be affected by the outcome? Answers to questions such as these ultimately reveal the answer to, "What is this meeting about and what is expected of me?" These answers will determine the content for building the presentation.

Next, create an agenda outlining the specifics of the meeting including start and end times. Always adhere to these times! Nothing destroys a good presentation more than a meeting that starts late and goes beyond the specified time.

Other considerations include identifying any materials needed such as nametags, pens, pencils, notepads and copies of handouts. A tip for saving valuable meeting time is to arrive before the meeting starts and placing a copy of the agenda, any handouts and other materials at each participant's seating location.

Also, will audio/visual aids such as monitors, flipcharts or PowerPoint projectors be needed? And who will provide them? Regarding PowerPoint presentations, don't just copy the presentation word-for-word onto the slides. Each slide should consist of two to four brief bullet points that support your verbal content. Include pictures, videoclips and soundbites whenever possible to help keep the presentation fresh and interesting.

Finally, practice, practice, practice! Rehearse the presentation out loud and in front of others if possible. Use notes to assist in the flow and to assure that no important information is omitted. Rehearsing out loud exposes "sticky" areas in presentations, builds confidence and assures proper timing.

The Presentation

Begin the presentation with brief introductions and then a review of the agenda. Seek agreement on objectives, intended outcomes and ground rules early on. In doing so, should the meeting go astray, participants can be reminded of the meeting goals agreed upon earlier.

Presenters should also be aware of body language. Strong eye contact, standing up, speaking and moving toward the group will accentuate the focus on the presenter. While avoiding eye contact, sitting down, listening and moving away from the group will diminish the focus on the presenter. Successful presenters use a variety of body language techniques to communicate effectively.

When meetings don't go as planned or conflict occurs, an unscheduled break can at times alleviate tensions. If not, intervention by the presenter may be required. Successful strategies include asking open-ended questions, paraphrasing responses and brainstorming with the group for solutions. If no conclusions can be agreed upon, direct the group back to the meeting agenda established at the beginning of the meeting.

Conclusion

In summary, giving a successful presentation includes identifying the objective of the meeting and the roles of those attending. Then, like an athlete training for an event, the bulk of time is spent preparing. Better preparation leads to a better presentation--the moment of truth. Follow these brief guidelines and who knows? You may just find yourself cancelling that dental appointment after all.

Ted Eleftheriou is a consultant and sough t-after speaker who created "Blueprint 4 Life;" a company dedicated to helping businesses and individuals discover how to be truly successful. For more information, e-mail him at ted@blue print4Life.com.