Create a system for your message

A presentation doesn’t stand by itself.

Your presentation started out with a reason, a goal, need, or a situation that led to the presentation itself. Here are some examples:

• Employees in your company are not getting the desired results, so they need training
• You created a product and want to sell it
• You have a big message that you’re trying to get out to the world and are speaking publicly about it

So you create a presentation that meets the need.

But then what?

You need to follow up. All presentations should have a system that follows up, closes the loop, and furthers the progress made during the presentation. Let’s look at the 3 examples again:

• You work with the supervisors of the trainees to make sure they are implementing what you taught, you send the trainees a survey a few weeks later to ask them if they are getting results, and you may also measure parameters to prove progress — such as fewer customer complaints if you were training customer service representatives
• You set up a series of emails asking people who bought your product if they’re getting good value out of it and if they have any questions. If attendees didn’t buy the product, you follow up differently of course, perhaps asking what information would help them more.
• You ask people in the audience to take an action, such as to subscribe to your newsletter, donate to a cause, or sign a commitment letter. If possible, you use contact information that you gather to continue inspiring them and moving them to action.

Do you see how these examples turn a message in a presentation into a system? When you create a system for your message, you can reliably and effectively follow up and close the cycle. Your message is more likely to be implemented.

You can also follow up with another presentation. For example, you could offer a 1-hour follow-up with the trainees to answer their questions. When I do a proposal for on-site corporate training, I often offer a follow-up webinar 2-3 weeks later.

Do you  think of your presentations as a system, a cycle? Leave a comment!

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