Public Speaking Objectives:
What do you Want to Say, Anyway?

This really is the question, isn't it? Sometimes, people are assigned to create and produce a presentation when the goal of the presentation is elusive, at best. If this happens to you, I would encourage you to meet with your manager and ask what the goal of the presentation is. There are managers who will bristle at this questioning. But, fortunately, there are some well-informed managers who really do know why they are asking you to create a presentation.

Think about these issues:

• Are there more than two or three people who need to be informed about this information? If so, a presentation might well be the best way to get the information out consistently.
• Is the proposed presentation designed to showcase you and your knowledge? Is it primarily a developmental opportunity? And, if so, who will you present to?
  Is the proposed presentation to be designed to address concerns of a particular section of the population, and, if so, why is this the case?
• Have others presented on this topic? How can you access the information they have presented?
• What do your "hearers" need to hear?
• Is there an action you want your listeners to take as a result of listening to your presentation? If so, what is that action?
• Is there a question (or questions) your presentation should answer, and what is that question?

Let's think about this situation as an example. Your company is rolling out a new benefits program because the company has been acquired by a new parent company. Spend a couple of minutes writing down what you think the concerns of the employees may be. Here are some examples:

• Will I be able to go to the same doctors?
• How much will all this cost?
• How are "well" visits covered?
• What are the differences between what we have now and the new program?
• What about my medicines? Can I go to the same pharmacy? How much will my medications cost?
• What if I have to go to the hospital? What hospitals are in the plan?
• How about filling out the forms? Is there anyone who can explain them to me?

This list is easy to generate, isn't it? And that's because these are the same questions you would ask. So these questions, and others you generate or hear discussed, should form the content of your presentation. You also need to be sure there are avenues for your audience to ask questions privately in this case. This is a touchy subject! Someone may not want to ask if the drugs their invalid child needs are covered under the plan. But they need to know this information. Make sure they have a way to get this information, even it it's not during the presentation.

So the bottom line is to figure out what your audience needs to hear, and how you can meet those needs. Not so difficult is it?