First Things First

e9781422163788_i0003.jpg

LIKE MOST ENDEAVORS, an effective presentation begins with focused thinking. This doesn’t mean preparation, which comes next. Instead, you should think about the objective of your presentation, the audience, and the context for what you’ll eventually present.

Define your objective

The objective of your presentation is the outcome you want—persuasion, discussion, buy in, feedback, or a sale. Your objective should drive the development of your presentation. Begin by asking yourself these questions: “What is the purpose of this presentation?” “What do I want my audience to do as a result?” More specifically, ask these questions: ...

Get Giving Presentations now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.