How to prepare for presentations at conferences and

working group meetings

BrusselsManagement Communication Training

Andrew Manasseh

• Trained at drama school in Oxford• 25 years training, business

development, staff management and training

• British Council 15 years in Thailand, Czech Republic, Italy and Brussels

• 9 years EU communications, PR and media training

• Extensive work with the European Commission, European Parliament, EU agencies

How to prepare for a presentation

This training will help you to prepare for and practise a presentation

• You need to prepare your strategy• You need to practise using your voice• You should rehearse and get filmed feedback from a

trainer• You need to try again and again until you have it right

This training covers

1. Communication objectives – the influencing game2. Messages – what makes an effective positioning message3. Voice - breathing, volume, tone4. Body language – hand gestures, eye contact5. Visuals – how to design and use PowerPoint6. Nerves - how to manage nerves and stress

Part 1

Objectives

What is the aim of your presentation?

Link you presentation to your wider business objectives

Business objectivesPresentations,

questions, follow up information

Results

Communication objectives

Raise awareness

Develop opinion

Change behaviour

Part 2

Audiences

Who are you talking to and what do they care about?

Personality traits drive us

• Steady• Compliant

• Influential• Dominant

I want results I want recognition

I want relationships

I want reason

Are they with you?

Positive but unfamiliar

Familiar & positive

Unfamiliar & negative

Familiar but negative

You have to move your audience to a new place

Content

What do they think now?

What do they care about?

What do you want them to

think?

Part 3

Messages

What are you trying to say?

The message house

Messages need proof

Hard proof• Statistics• Trends• Graphs• Charts• Percentages• Voter turnout

Soft proof

Messages – the message house

Four questions

1. What’s the big picture?2. What two or three supporting statements do

you have?3. What is your proof?4. What do you want them to do?

Part 4

Presentation techniques

How are you going to say it?

What makes an effective presenter?

Verbal skills• Breathing• Speed• Intonation• Hesitation• Volume• Use of pauses• Timing

Non verbal skills• Posture• Hand gestures• Eye contact• Audience interaction• Confidence• Smiling

Part 5

Presentation at working group meetings

How to manage the room

Meetings - set up

1. Welcome members – you are a community2. Set the scene – paint the bigger picture3. Make the subject important – because it is4. Don’t amplify any distractions5. Start with energy6. Don’t worry about mobiles and tablets – you can’t

turn the tide

During the meeting

1. Manage the agenda timing – stick to the programme2. Recognise the mood – and gain support for a change of

discussion (hot potatoes)3. Steer the speakers’ interventions – lead the discussion4. Process the interventions by rephrasing5. Concept check – ask ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions (either or)6. Thank people for their contributions

Closing the meeting

1. Summarise the conclusions – what has been achieved?

2. Thank the speakers, thank the audience3. Relate to the big picture and future events and

meetings4. Promote the added value of the organisation5. Finish on a high note

Part 6

Visual aids

How to design them and how to use them?

Use concise bullet points

• Use a conversational tone• Use consistent grammatical structures• Keep them short and simple• Use a maximum of 5 per page• Avoid special effects

How to present using PowerPoint

• Do not read exactly what is on each slide• Use your slides only to support• Introduce your slides before showing them on

the screen• Don’t use as an aide memoire

For more materials please contact us

For more support

Andrew Manasseh

• www.linkedin.com/A Manasseh

• twitter.com/andimanas

• communicatingeu.com/