Delivering Your Presentation: Don't 'wing it'

According to experts, failure to dedicate enough time and resources to the development and rehearsal of a team presentation is the most common cause of failure. "Winging it is a guaranteed disaster," says Impact Communications' Jon Rosen.

Although it may seem obvious that a presentation deserves a level of effort proportionate to its potential payoff, you'd be surprised how often presenters need to be reminded of this simple equation. "Even sophisticated speakers in sophisticated corporations tend to blow off team presentations too often," says professional speech coach Marion Woodall. "They don't spend enough time thinking about what's at stake. A $200,000 contract? A million-dollar account?"

Presenting as a team can remove some of the public-speaking anxiety we all feel, but don't forget that we depend on this anxiety to help us prepare, practice and perform at peak levels. When this internal stimulus is dulled, people often need an external prod -- for instance, a reminder of what could happen if the presentation fails.