Have you ever fallen into the trap of reworking a presentation at the last minute? The speech you gave last time was a great success, but this time you wish stubbornly to impress the peanut gallery and blow their minds. You were infatuated with the visual supports at first but now the honeymoon is over? Do you hear yourself saying the same words over and over and are now convinced that you can do so much better? Although I am a convert to the concept of continuous improvement, let me caution you against overdoing it. Careful! Sometimes Perfect is the enemy of good
When I was young, my father had roped me into numerous carpentry and home renovation projects. I was a front row witness to several examples of the extra hammer blow on a nail that split the board or the last turn of a wood screw before its head was severed when we were building furniture or renovating a room in the family home. Quoting Montesquieu (French philosopher of the eighteenth century), my father taught me that it is possible to spoil what was good by wanting to do too well to try to perfect it and one should not let the struggle for perfection stand in the way of appreciating or executing on something that is imperfect but still meritable.
Slides
Have you added content to your slides to the point where they are more difficult for you and your audience to read? If you are less familiar with the content of the slides, you might either (1) speak much faster to cover more material, or (2) glean the content very quickly and in either case, leave your audience puzzled and less engaged.
Opening Remarks
Are the opening remarks that you have delivered effectively in the past adapted to the new content or do you have a new introduction that has not been tested in front of a live audience? The first few moments of a presentation are like an advertisement. You only have a few seconds to attract attention and give your audience good reasons to listen to you. If you miss this take-off, you will feel like you are playing catch-up throughout your speech.
Closing Remarks
Is the alignment between the content and the end of your speech still right or has a fracture appeared in the logical sequence? New content means a new summary and perhaps new concluding remarks. Be careful not to leave your listeners unclear on the recommendations to be implemented, the next steps and the actions to be taken.
Examples and Anecdotes
Les exemples et anecdotes qui ajoutaient un peu de piquant à la présentation de l’ancienne mouture ne se marient plus à la nouvelle version? Il faut du temps de réflexion, de l’espace de macération des idées et des essais et erreurs pour que des anecdotes, des exemples et d’autres stratégies pour améliorer la compréhension et l’empathie de votre auditoire prennent vie et ajoutent une valeur de plus à votre allocution.
Stage Fright
Have you reworked the content of most or all the slides that you will be presenting tomorrow morning to an audience you don't know? Chances are, you have been working late at night and did not commit the time to make this new content your own. The risk of stumbling is great, and your nerves will be put to the test if you must improvise with content that you do not master.
Prenez exemple sur les artistes de la scène. La performance à laquelle vous avez assisté qui vous a semblé si naturelle a été rodée devant des auditoires pendant plusieurs mois avant la première du spectacle. Il n’y a pas autant d’improvisation qu’on ne le pense. Cette présentation été réglée au quart de tour et aucun nouveau contenu ne s’est immiscé sans une longue réflexion.