Present – pre·sent [v. pri-zent; n. prez-uhnt] to show or exhibit; to bring forth or render for or before another or others; offer for consideration; to set forth in words; frame or articulate; stand in front of a bunch of people and show pretty pictures on projection screens utilizing either PowerPoint or Keynote.

Okay, all the previous definitions were directly lifted from the Dictionary.com website, with the exception of the last. That was my own doing. Pretty much sums it up, right? Wrong! The whole idea, concept, field, profession, etc., of presenting is both deep and complex. There is a psychology to proper professional presenting (lots of p’s there) and to ignore some time honored and carefully crafted techniques can land you in the middle of a snooze fest, or worse, out of a job.

How often do you think about who will be in attendance before you begin your presentation preparation? You do prepare in advance, right? How about the time of day? What about lunch? Microphones? PowerPoint slides? Lighting? These are just a few considerations to take into account while preparing for that time on stage.

There is so much information to consider, it’s often best to get some help while creating your presentation. For example, do you know what color works best for the background of a PowerPoint slide? What about the color of the font? How big should your letters be on the screen? Should I write out my script on the slides for the audience to see? Next, think about your audience and how you want to deliver information to them. Will you be having roundtable discussions? Who will keep the audience focused and moving forward in a positive direction? How do you keep them focused on you and not the sunshiny day right outside the window?

We spend time this week speaking with Aaron Wolowiec, founder and president of Event Garde LLC about presenting, how to present, and some tips and tricks to help make your presentation the best darn presentation it can be. Oh, and one more thing, we discuss one of the greatest presenters in the history of presenting, Steve Jobs, and why he was so successful. Hello, Apple Computer? Anyone? Pixar? Ringing a bell yet? You can listen to the interview with Aaron here-

http://www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/radio/2012/01/17/Event_Essentials_S2_Aaron_Wolowiec
http://www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/radio/2012/01/17/Event_Essentials_S3_Aaron_Wolowiec
http://www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/radio/2012/01/17/Event_Essentials_S4_Aaron_Wolowiec
http://www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/radio/2012/01/17/Event_Essentials_S5_Aaron_Wolowiec

Remember to listen to Event Essentials every Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. (repeats at 4:00 p,m., 9:00 p.m., and 2:00 a.m.) on www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com, where we discuss Events and how they relate to your business.