If you have been asked to make a group presentation and you don't know how to begin, this is for you! This is also for you if you are experienced and looking for ideas to spice-up your work. The following ideas can be applied to a half-hour talk or expanded to a three day seminar. Yes, you can build and conduct a fabulous presentation!

Step 1. Define the purpose of the activity.
For goodness sakes, have a definite and defined purpose! For example: "Learn how the Framastat works." is a lousy purpose. "How to make a million customers happy with the new Framastat Technology" is a great purpose! Get the difference? Answer questions like: "Should attitudes change? Should the results cause an action? What kind of action? When? Why? How? To Whom? Where? Should someone buy something? Make a decision?" Spend most of your time on this part of your presentation. A great purpose statement is at least 50% of the battle. When done, post your purpose statement on the wall where you can refer to it as you develop the rest of your presentation. This is your reason for presenting the activity, and absolutely everything you do should be directed at having that result occur!

Step 2. Scope-out the facilities.
Can you obtain water/coffee/caffeine-based drinks (to keep people awake)? Can you obtain fruit for your breaks? Is lunch or dinner handy? Do you have enough room? Can the room be darkened for computer or slide projections? Can you have a backside projector? Internet connection? Sound system? Note: no matter what or how you are presenting, use round tables with 6-8 people at each table rather than standard 2' X 8' slab tables; or put slabs together to make squares. Don't worry about where you stand ... in fact, roaming fits nicely with tables.

Define your audience. Who is attending? What age range? Experience? Knowledge? Skills? You cannot talk computer programming to accountants unless you start with what accountants know. After you define the attendees, develop a definition statement: "Designed for the salesperson who wants to dramatically increase income." Get the idea? Target your intended audience.

Step 3. Select presentation tools based on the purpose of your activity.
Begin with a preprinted and comb-bound 'Workbook' with the title and main points of each topic listed with room to write notes for each. NO DETAILS ...that's the purpose of your talk! Use discussion groups for workshop topics. (Provide handout guides for these.) Scatter group activities throughout your talk, and schedule these activities such that when participants finish their discussion they take a break. Have people move to a different table after each break. Announce a specific re-start time (i.e 3:16), then do it! If you have over 20 people, have a wireless mike that can be delivered to the person asking a question or commenting. You also need a wireless lapel mike. Tape everything &then sell the tape to people who couldn't attend the presentation

Other presentation tools can include videos, slides, power-points, or demonstrations; but don't load them with details or you will put your audience to sleep. Structure your presentations around the groups and have marker boards or flip charts for their use. Post results on the walls. Encourage discussion, but maintain control of time.

Use outside experts whenever possible. Allow them from 10 minutes to 1 hours to get their point across. Nothing emphasizes a point better than an expert on a specific subject!

Step 4. List every single activity you will use to achieve your goal.
Refer to your purpose (Step 1) and make sure each activity contributes towards making that goal happen. Reorder, rethink, and redo until you are satisfied everything you have planned will fit the timeframe and will take you to your goal.

Step 5. Be prepared for disaster.
No matter how in-depth you plan, if something can go wrong, it will. Plan! For example, prepare a test you could add for each of your subject areas for group discussion should a power-point fail. Each alternate must fit the overall purpose of your program. Step 6. You're done.
The results of this exercise will guarantee you the best meeting your audience has ever seen!

(NOTE TO EDITORS: PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING.)
Paul Tulenko is an International Small Business Success Consultant based in New Mexico, USA. Additional tips and suggestions are available at www.tulenko.com or call (toll-free) 1-866-TULENKO.