Marinading the big lump of clay – getting presentation material together

photo via Eqqman

Someone on our Sunday class asked about how I decide to include things in presentations, where to put stories, and so on. Getting ready to speak at a conference this week, I was watching my process.

Here’s what I noticed.

I start days or weeks before with a quick go around the planning questions, thinking a little about the people I’m talking to, the outcome, the questions in their head and what they need and value. Only in quite general terms, I was surprised to note.

Then I do a lot of:

talking
thinking
sloppy mind-mapping
googling
walking
muttering
squinting
finger-tapping

until I have way too much content in front of me.

It’s what Bruce Joel Rubin calls the lump of clay. You can’t sculpt without it.

Let me admit that at this point I am way to attached to most of the material – I am guiltily ignoring how I’m going to fit 3 hours of material into 20 minutes and still speak slowly enough to be understood.

I then let it brew and marinade for a while.

On my return, I go back to the questions and do the proper thinking about who I’m talking to.

I become very very specific about what I want my listeners to be able and motivated to do when I’m done, and start listing the questions/objections that are going through their minds, plus remembering what’s important to them in their role and as human beings.

Stephen King says:

Second draft= first draft – 10%

I say:

Plan of presentation = lump of clay – 90%

Tough, I know, but that’s how you arrive with a concise, relevant session that hits the spot. This way, it’s rich.

I also find that I have options – often I share an experience or use a metaphor that I hadn’t overtly planned.

It seems that this process primes the pump.

How do you go about planning a presentation? Not the slides, but the preparation? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

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~ Speaking slower: controlling your pace in presentations

~ Why you should taste your names and numbers in technical presentations

~ How to review your presentation: Two things people get wrong

~ Focusing on your outcome without manipulating people

4 Responses to “Marinading the big lump of clay – getting presentation material together”

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1 ed percival September 2, 2008 at 1:04 am

andrew, i love this blog!
my thinking about prep also includes “conversation pieces” . that is, you use conversation units to test responses with audiences of one or two.
that way, you practice in safety and you learn what gets the response you want
love your work
ed
x

2 Andrew Lightheart September 2, 2008 at 10:15 am

Thanks Ed.

You talked to me about this before – now you mention it I realise that I do it in a very informal way with a small group of people whose opinions I trust. I hadn’t realised that it was such an important part of my preparation. Like a sanity check.

Thanks for the reminder.

(Everyone: Ed is the man who mentored me with total generosity in my first few years in the presentation world. If you ever get a chance to see him/work with him – you gotta.)

3 laura spicer September 6, 2008 at 3:05 am

Great stuff Andrew
To me, the most important thing when preparing a presentation is to decide what state of mind I want my audience in when they leave. Once I know that, I get into that mind set before doing any planning at all. That way I will be in the right state of mind to think about what will help to get my audience into that same state of mind. It is amazing how often I have seen people change the entire content of the presentation they have already put together once they get into the appropriate state of mind.
with love
Laura

4 Andrew Lightheart September 8, 2008 at 5:54 pm

Hi Laura

Thanks for this.

Question Two in the planning questions is:

‘What do you want these people to be able and motivated to do when you’re done?’

I think a truly valid sub-question would be:

‘What state of mind would they need to be in to make that more likely?’

Getting yourself in that state of mind whilst you plan is an interesting concept.

I’m gonna give it a whirl and report back.

Thank you!

(By the way – Laura is the best voice coach in the Western World – shhh… don’t tell anyone.)

Real. Smart. Now.