Presentation Basics: Step-by-Step Preparation for Beginners

BASIC CHECKLIST FOR PREPARING A PRESENTATION

Roughly note all your ideas on paper, mind-mapping is a useful technique to use.

Gain understanding of your audience, their needs and expectations.
Know your audience, their needs and expectations 

Establish your specific purpose, turn it into a statement, write it down: 'My purpose is to ...'  Ask yourself: “What do I want my audience to think and do as a result of listening to my speech?”

From your rough ideas, select the main ideas your audience will need to hear if you are to achieve your stated purpose.  It is usual for a successful presentation to have between three and five main points.

Plan your introduction:

• Clearly state your purpose
• Give background to your main topic
• Give an overview of your presentation

Plan your conclusion:

• Clearly connect your conclusion to your purpose
• Briefly reinforce your main points

Prepare the body:

• Use a set structure that gives logical flow and coherence
• Clearly state your main points, make sure they are connected to your purpose
• Support and explain main points with examples, statistics, research findings, charts, graphs, photos, references etc
• Clearly connect your main points as well as ideas within main points to ensure coherence
• Integrate relevant visual aids into the body

Practise and adjust your presentation until you are comfortable with it and timing is correct

Good luck with your presentation!