The Presentation is NOT The Meeting

How many meetings consist mostly of lengthy (or if you're really unlucky, multiple lengthy) presentations that end with mere summary points and the great relief of the audience, who then dashes for the door?

For gods' sakes, why? Your presentation is a LEAD-IN to an effective meeting. End by jump-starting one.

The more important the meeting, the shorter your presentation should probably be. Tell them what they want and need to know up front, and then stimulate the discussion (and steer its trajectory) that needs to follow it in order to accomplish your business objectives.

When the presenter asks "how much time do I have?" and proceeds to construct a PowerPoint to fill every last minute allotted, (and probably a few more) everyone's time is wasted. It is pretty thoroughly proven that people do not absorb new ideas just by listening or watching. To internalize ideas, they must get involved, ask questions, articulate them to others, debate them.

Remember:

• Define what you need the audience to DO, and then get them started doing it.
• Figure out what you need the audience to understand, retain and repeat from your presentation.