If you've ever questioned the value of doing a presentation, this article will highlight exactly what you can gain! This week I gave a presentation to a group of business owners to share some of my story and detail my insights around writing a book. It was a pretty straight forward presentation to do and I used about 12 slides to illustrate my story. When I prepare for a presentation, I try and add as much value to the audience as possible and think of things that might help them. In this case, I spoke about the process I used to decide what to write a book about and the steps I used to survey and understand my target audience. I detailed some benefits I have received since publishing my book and was honest about what more I can still do. Most of the time when I agree to do a presentation, I don’t expect much back. Specifically I expect that I might meet some interesting people and that I’ll be able to share some of my thinking. I also expect to have to spend some time preparing and that I’ll be nervous on the day! What I often forget is the value I will get from doing the presentation! And yet every time I do present, I feel that I have gained more than I have given. This time, here is what I have already gained from being involved:
  1. In preparing the presentation, I had the opportunity to review what I have done in the past, look at some of my process and achievements and realise how far I have come.
  2. I looked at some old notes and was inspired to action some things I can still do to leverage my book and this project further.
  3. I was able to use the event to connect with some contacts that I haven’t seen in a while and build those relationships.
  4. During the conversations after the event, someone mentioned a concept I have had in the back of my mind and I’ve been inspired to explore it further.
  5. I unexpectedly met some people in my industry that will result in meetings and exploring new opportunities.
  6. I enjoyed the other speakers and event content, took notes and am looking forward to implementing some ideas.
None of these things would have happened if I hadn’t agreed to speak at this event. What’s more, I feel that I have already gained value back for the time I invested in preparing for and attending the event. For those of you who are more inclined to say “no” than “yes” to an invitation to present, please don’t! Being asked to present is a rare opportunity to reflect, focus and plan and who knows what might come out of it! If you want to talk to me about this topic further, I’d love to help, please get in touch.