On occasional Wednesdays, I offer tips for adulthood.
We’ve all been there. You’re in a meeting, minding your own business, when your boss suddenly turns to you and says: “I’d like you say something about XXX in 5 mins.” You smile politely and nod. “Sure,” you respond. “No problem.”
Inside, however you’re panicking. You’re always super prepared when you give a talk. You like to have all your ducks in a row. But 5 minutes? What if you say the wrong thing? Or forget to make your key point? Or – worst of all – ramble incoherently?
Worry not. Even with only five minutes to prepare, here are five steps you can take to nail your presentation:
a. Have a plan. Even a skeleton plan is better than none at all. So if someone asks you to speak off the cuff, grab a napkin or a piece of paper and scribble some ideas down. Remember the Boy Scout motto: be prepared.
b. Keep your plan simple. The key is to have a structure. Chronology can work well – i.e., past, present future. Or you can use a mnemonic like TAP, which stands for Thank you (for being here), Appreciate (what you did on project X; fundraiser Y) and Please (stay in touch). You can also tell a story, so long as there is a clear narrative arc with a beginning, middle and end. Whatever you do, observe the Rule of Three. Remember, you won’t remember more than three points and nor will they!
c. Be brief. If I asked you to stand up and give a talk on brain surgery, you’d probably say: 1. It’s difficult. 2. It’s dangerous and 3. I hope I never have to do it. But when you know a subject inside out, you’ll be tempted to tell the audience everything you know. Don’t. Remember: less is more.
d. Practice. Yes, I know. You only have five minutes. So once you’ve sketched out a plan, try to leave yourself at least one minute to run through it. If you’re in a face-to-face meeting, excuse yourself and go into the hallway. If you’re in a conference call, put yourself on mute and shut off your video. If all else fails, run through your structure silently in your head.
e. Have fun. Try to enjoy the talk, even if you’re nervous. Right before you begin, tell yourself a joke or remember a vignette that always makes you laugh. There are lots of reasons to smile when delivering a presentation. Above all, it you will put you – and your audience – at ease.
Note: A shorter version of this post originally appeared on the Clearwater Advisers website.
Photo by Kane Reinholdtsen on Unsplash
