A good presentation is a very powerful way to persuade, inform and entertain in a way that no other medium matches, writes Gerry McMahon

A RECENT survey of British bosses revealed that they find public speaking to be the most terrifying aspect of all their business activities. In fact, more than one in three confessed to having had a bad experience with presentations.

The real problem here is that, as Henry Ford put it: "The greatest secret of business success is how results gravitate toward the person who can communicate ideas persuasively."

It is vitally important therefore that we know how to present ourselves and our material. Presentations are an integral part of every entrepreneur and manager's job. The essence of a good presenter is that they hold our attention, get the point across - and win the business.

It's true that even the best presenters have to contend with nerves, sweaty palms, dead laptops, faulty projectors, trailing wires and occasionally, the unreceptive audience. So why do it? The answer is simple: the gain is worth the pain. A good presentation is a very powerful way to persuade, inform and entertain in a way that no other medium matches.

Perfect presentations are based upon three key ingredients: preparing your material, preparing yourself and preparing for your audience.

Preparation is the key. Mark Twain put it best: "It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good spontaneous speech." So you need plenty of time to prepare properly.

Firstly, decide on your objective: What do you want to achieve? Do you want the audience to buy your product, to vote for you, to support your new venture? What should your audience know or think at the end of your presentation? This end point is your crucial starting point.

Now you have to "brainstorm" - that is, consider all the points to include in your talk. This is made so much easier nowadays via internet search facilities. The online library service at most educational and professional institutes makes extensive data banks immediately accessible.

Don't worry if you have too much material. What you exclude now may save your bacon at question time. Having amassed the material, it is time to structure it. List all the main blocks of information on a single sheet, reflect on them and you will find that a logical structure starts to emerge.

For example, if you're trying to persuade your audience to agree to do something, then it might be appropriate to define the problem you face, evaluate the various solutions, propose your solution, anticipate likely objections, present a plan of implementation, take questions and then wait for their decision.

By having a structure, your presentation is now like a story with a definite beginning, middle and end.

If you don't have a structure, your audience may agree that "a presenter who is going nowhere normally gets there". So put them in the picture at the very outset. As the saying goes: "Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em;tell 'em, then tell 'em what you've told 'em."

Audio-visual aids can also boost your presentation's impact. Remember, though, that they are a just a means to an end. Unless your presentation meets its objective, has good strong content and is structured appropriately, no audio-visual aid in the world will help you.

In fact, if you're not completely on top of these aids, they will get on top of you. They will completely destroy your presentation when the loose wire that you trip over disconnects the power supply to the projector.

How will the presentation start? The shuffle of papers, the dried-up marker, the frantic search for the power switch and the nervous giggle as your notes fall to the floor will all be part of the show if you are not careful.

Greet your audience at the very start. The opening words are the most important, so your first task is to get their attention with a good catchy opening - hook them in with a bait. Imagine they're all holding television remote controls. If you don't tickle their fancy from the very beginning, you have lost them to another channel.

People buy people first. That first impression as you stand up and walk out in front of the audience will be created by your visual appearance, including what you wear. Smart speakers pause, breathe and cast an eye over the audience with a gentle smile, and then swing into it.

If you're not careful, though, your presentation may well end in disaster. Like the opening, it has to be effective. It's as important as the close of a sale - don't leave without the order, the promise of an order or the prospect of further contact or action.

Confidence is built by good research and preparation, practice, arriving on time and sorting out the venue. If you feel that you look good, confidence in the delivery will be enhanced. Don't worry about feeling nervous, but - paradoxically - quite the opposite. You should be worried if you don't feel nervous.

As Nelson Mandela put it: "The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."

Presenters are judged by the response of their audience, yet many presenters fail to connect with them. If you do the job well, the applause and the follow-on business will be generous. So do your homework.

Who are your audience? What positions do they hold? What influence do they have? What will influence them? What do they know about you and your subject - what do they need to know? What do they expect to get from your presentation? What threats and opportunities do they face? What is their normal everyday language? How can you help them?

Furthermore, peppering your presentation with true stories, anecdotes and analogies will bring it to life . . . and help keep your audience awake. Good speakers are genuinely excited and put their message across so well they really seem to believe in what they are saying.

If you're not all that enthusiastic about what you have to say, why should your audience be? Fake it 'til you make it.

Watch your body language. For example, speakers who synchronise their hand movements with their words communicate more effectively. Try varying your voice impact via pace, pitch, emphasis and even the use of silence.

Surprisingly, silence can have a great effect when used properly, so be prepared to pause until it hurts.

When it precedes or succeeds a key point, or a question put to your audience, it will have maximum effect. Experienced presenters often prefer to take questions during their talk. This maximises audience participation. But if it's early days for you, leave them until the end - but let your audience know when they can ask them.

Of course, being a powerful presenter is about being yourself and developing your own personal style. However, these guidelines should serve to embellish that style, helping you make your point and win the business.

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Dr Gerard McMahon is a lecturer in human resource management at the faculty of business at the Dublin Institute of Technology.