How to prepare for a stress-free presentation with a checklist
Just before I went interstate some time ago, I decided to change over my usual handbag for a roomier, more practical hand-bag. I was quite certain that I’d moved everything from my main handbag to the travel handbag. It was only when I arrived at the airport that I realised that I had forgotten my wallet. At that moment, I truly understood how awful overseas-bound passengers must feel when they realise ½ way into their drive to the airport, that they’ve left their passport at home.
On the bright side, I was extremely lucky that I was travelling with my husband and did not have to return home in heavy traffic to retrieve my wallet. In which case, I would have missed the original flight, had to organise and pay for a second flight, and to top it off, lose a day of holiday time.
When I deliver an in-person presentation (remember those, in our pre-COVID world??!!), I generally lug a big suitcase full of all the various items I will need on the day. E.g. my laptop loaded with the presentation, various chargers, extension cord, pens, notebook, business cards, remote controls, handouts, USB sticks, snacks etc.
Let’s face it - it can be nerve-wracking giving a speech or presentation. And who amongst us hasn’t suffered from some nerves before public speaking or presenting? The key is to reduce our anxiety by having a trusty checklist ready-to-go. Just forgetting one essential item could make the difference between a cool and calm start to the presentation and a chaotic, stressed, panicky start. In a worst-case scenario, it can even result in the whole presentation failing miserably.
And that’s where a presentation checklist comes in. When you think about it, a presentation checklist is very similar to a travel packing list, with the same end-result - You take a big bag or suitcase loaded with items and nearly get a hernia in the process!
It’s definitely worth the time preparing a presentation checklist, because you will need it again and again.
Lately I’ve been running presentations on Zoom and I still find a presentation checklist invaluable. Have I poured myself a glass of water? Do I have a snack standing by if my blood sugar plummets? Have I sent a reminder email to the participants an hour before the presentation? Do I have a notepad and pen? Have I printed out all relevant documents? The list goes on and on.
Presentation checklists take only minutes to create. But failure to create and use them can waste your valuable time, money and energy, and send your blood pressure sky-rocketing.
Checklist items are not solely things to pack with you/have handy on the day. They are also things you should do in the days, weeks, hours and minutes leading up to your presentation.
Just knowing that I have a presentation checklist ready to go instantly calms me down. And we all know that calmness and confidence are essential to delivering a successful presentation!
© 2020 Susan Weser. All rights reserved.
Susan Weser is the Founder of Speaking2Win, a boutique public speaking and presentation skills consultancy, based in Melbourne, Australia. Susan’s mission is to demystify public speaking and presenting. She loves to fast-track her clients’ public speaking success, empowering them with the skills and confidence to excel in all their public speaking endeavours.