Personal challenge

Talking in public is always a personal challenge, some of the tasks you must approach are:

• Study the subject-matter
• Update your knowledge
• Speaking in public
• …

Goals

Before beginning to prepare it you must know your goals in order to achieve that your efforts are productive. You must ask yourself these, and other, questions:

• Why do you do the presentation?
• What do you want to get?

Checklist

A checklist it is very helpful as a tasks guide. These are some of the points you must consider:

• Begin with enough time
• Take advantage of a brainstorming session
• Make a well ordered and structured index of chapters
• Search documentation of all the topics
• Prepare the slides
• Build a rich set of examples
• Try out the talk (Visualize your success)
• Think about the questions your public will ask
• Share the event through Social Networks
• Be thankful
• Ask somebody to take you a photo for a future post
• Write a thankful post in social networks, and do not forget the photo

Date

Take care of the date, if you can choose it, be sure it will not be neither on Monday nor Friday. It is not a good idea to choose the day before, or after, a holiday. My personal experience tells me that these days you will have less people hearing you.

Weather forecast

Checking the weather forecast is a good idea, raining or snowing days will neither be good ones.

Pre testing the talk

Even if you are an expert, is always convenient to simulate the talk previously in a loud voice alone, or in front or your family or friends if you want to collect feedback. This will also be helpful to adjust the time you are going to need. Make breaks, ask questions and do not forget some jokes.

Although you have already talked about the same subject, to do a new study will let you ask yourself new questions, discover new points you did not realize, etc. A presentation is never the same as before. Though you perfectly know the matter you will have to study it again.

Audience

Of course, your audience will conditionate your exposition. This is the reason why you must know beforehand your public’s knowledge, so you can get success. Also, you must take care of the cultural level to adapt as far as possible.

Experience

There are many techniques to follow you must know and apply. The more experience you have the more you will automate your behaviour and you will be able to pay attention in other details. Your exposure will be calmer, master the times and you will notice  if your public is understanding.

Gratefulness

Some days after the talk it is convenient to write a letter thanking the organization for the opportunity you have had as a ponent.

Thank you very much for reading my thoughts. Of course, I will like to hear your opinions in the comments.