Help for Speakers: Tip of the Week 2: The last thing you should do when preparing a speech.

Tip for Speakers Week 2: Never start preparing a speech by opening PowerPoint and typing bullet points

When I spoke at the recent Toastmasters National Convention I led the audience in the "Powerpoint Pledge"

"I solemnly swear,
that I shall never write a speech,
By opening Powerpoint
And typing in bullet points"

It was a joke, but one with a serious undertone. Powerpoints should come last - after you've taken time to work out why you care about your audience, and what you want to share with them.

A few years ago when I was working in Southwark, RADA in business did a training session for senior staff at the council. I missed the session as I was called away to court, but everyone was buzzing about it afterwards. The point that was shared with me (and repeated at other sessions on that day was this : you are your presentation (not the PowerPoint)

I'd take that further - you are your presentation, but you are there to serve your audience.

Here's a few questions that you can answer before you get to the powerpoint (if, indeed, you want to use one at all)

Start with your audience.

1. Who are they? What do they care about?
   
2. Why do you care about your audience?*
   
3. Why do you respect them?
   
4. Why do you like them?
   
5. Why do you find them interesting?
   
6. What do you want to share with your audience? What would you enjoy having a conversation about with them?

Armed with the answers to these questions, work out what you want to say. Outline your speech. Once it is finished, ask yourself the question: how can an audio or visual link enhance what I want to say?

Then, only then, start thinking about how an AV presentation ( be it with Microsoft's PowerPoint or Apple's Keynote) can add to (rather than take over) your presentation.

Powerpoint can be beneficial if you use it like this:

• To provide visual cues or anchors.
• To reinforce a key phrase or message
• To show the picture which tells a thousand words (but you still need to link the picture back to your main point)
  
• If your audience is likely to be unfamiliar with your accent, then it can be helpful to put a few words on the screen as you start speaking so your audience can tune in to your accent.
  
• If you are using words that your audience will be unfamiliar with, especially if there is a risk the audience will mis-hear them. This goes for jargon, and also for words from other languages (e.g. if you are in the US and explaining the concept of Whakapapa, I would always put the word on the screen to provide a point of focus for your audience, as it could easily be mis-heard).
  

Using PowerPoint can be disastrous if:

• You spend more time preparing out how to make whizz-bang transitions than about who your audience is and what they need.
• You write your speech on it
  
• You read from the screen
• It doesn't work on the day.
  

Remember: You are your presentation. Your audience's needs are your focus - not whizz bang technology.