How do you manage your time when presenting to a senior audience?

1 Know your purpose

Before you start preparing your presentation, you need to know your purpose. Why are you presenting? What do you want to achieve? How do you want your audience to feel, think, or do after your presentation? Your purpose will guide your content, structure, and delivery of your presentation. It will also help you avoid unnecessary or irrelevant information that can waste your time and theirs.

2 Plan your structure

Once you know your purpose, you need to plan your structure. A clear and logical structure will help you organize your ideas, create a flow, and avoid confusion. A common structure for a presentation to a senior audience is the PIP approach: Problem, Implication, and Proposal. You start by stating the problem or issue that you want to address, then you explain the implication or impact of the problem on the audience or the organization, and finally you propose a solution or recommendation that can solve the problem or improve the situation.

3 Practice your delivery

After you plan your structure, you need to practice your delivery. Practicing your delivery will help you improve your confidence, clarity, and credibility. It will also help you estimate how long your presentation will take and adjust accordingly. You should practice your presentation several times, preferably in front of a mirror, a recorder, or a colleague who can give you feedback. You should also time yourself and aim to finish your presentation within the allotted time or slightly earlier.

4 Use visual aids

During your presentation, you can use visual aids to support your message, enhance your impact, and save your time. Visual aids can include slides, charts, graphs, images, videos, or props that can illustrate your points, show data, or provide examples. However, you should use visual aids sparingly and wisely. Do not overload your slides with text or clutter. Do not rely on your slides to speak for you. Do not distract your audience with flashy or irrelevant visuals. Use visual aids to complement your verbal communication, not to replace it.

5 Engage your audience

While you present, you should engage your audience to maintain their interest, involvement, and understanding. Engaging your audience can also help you manage your time by avoiding interruptions, questions, or objections that can derail your presentation. You can engage your audience by using eye contact, gestures, voice variation, stories, anecdotes, questions, or polls. You can also anticipate and address their potential questions or concerns in advance, or invite them to ask questions at the end of your presentation.

6 Follow up

After you finish your presentation, you should follow up with your audience to reinforce your message, clarify any doubts, and solicit feedback. Following up can also help you manage your time by ensuring that you have achieved your purpose and that your audience has taken the desired action. You can follow up by sending a summary, a thank you note, a survey, or a call to action to your audience. You can also ask for their opinions, suggestions, or testimonials to improve your future presentations.