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Whether there are two or ten people involved in developing a presentation it is wise to start with the end in mind. Collaboration starts with a meeting of minds. Everyone should agree in principle about the purpose of the presentation and the expected outcome. At the first meeting assign a coördinator and have everyone ready to state why the chosen topic is relevant, and of current interest to the target audience. The organizer must stress that all discussions will be open and honest. The questions for each person to answer revolve around the problems they name and the solutions they will offer.

It is important to agree about who their message will target before crafting a marketing strategy. The methods of marketing used will depend on the type of event, whether educational or a sales presentation. An effective way to begin an advertising campaign is for each participant to contact their centers of influence. All of the presenters have responsibility for a successful event. One cost-effective way to market is via email invitations to existing contacts.

There are many ways to view a topic and so different presentation styles of multiple presenters provides variety and flavor. Avoid confusion among presenters by thorough planning at the onset. How will responsibilities be apportioned? Be specific as possible about required tasks, performed by whom and the timing. During the preliminary planning meetings make decisions about the content, order of presentation, length of time per segment, and which part each person will present based on their area of ability.

Decide what monetary contribution each participant will make to prepare for the presentation.. Will there be fliers, handouts, posters or tickets printed? Who will design the needed material and see that they are ready on time for distribution? Assign persons in charge of acquiring the site, setting up the room and equipment, and then cleaning up afterwards. Who will greet the attendees and seat them? All must agree how to reimburse for upfront expenditures.

Who will follow-up with attendees and by what means? Decide during the planning meetings how revenues generated as a result of the presentation will be split. When there are multiple presenters all may not benefit equally from taking part in the event. That’s when the good negotiators have the edge. The agenda once set should leave all presenters feeling respected and satisfied that they will have enough time to share their knowledge. The result will be a balanced, well executed event.

Most executives at some point in their careers will have to make a PowerPoint presentation. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I’ve had the opportunity to see numerous presentations both good and bad in addition to the many that I’ve done myself. Based on these experiences, I recommend the following for anyone interested in public speaking:

Know your audience prior to giving your talk. People coming to hear presentations want to know what value will this talk provide them. Understanding your group will help accomplish this task. Provide examples or cases relevant to your audience to make the topics easier for your listeners to grasp.

Visit the room before the event. Knowing the environment builds confidence. Visiting the room before the talk also helps prevent problems related to technology malfunctions, etc.

Smile during the talk. See a nice smile and you’ll see people become engaged. It’s inviting, yet many people seem to have trouble smiling when getting in front of groups.

Use eye contact and avoid reading off of your PowerPoint slides. Eye contact makes people feel like you’re speaking directly with them and engages the audience. Start with the left side of the room, make eye contact for a few seconds, then move your eyes to the middle of the room, repeat the process, and then work the right side of the room. Do this throughout the presentation.

Speak slowly and clearly. Prior to speaking, practice in front of a mirror and tape yourself to hear how you’re coming across. Have others critique you in a dress rehearsal presentation to make sure you’re coming across the way you want. Get a good grade in front of your peers and you’re on your way to a successful presentation when it’s time to go live.

Provide an agenda. People like getting an overview before getting into the details and providing an agenda accomplishes this. It is like serving an appetizer before the main course.

Keep to your allotted time. It is rude to go over or under your scheduled time. If you’re supposed to present for 90 minutes, keep it to 90 minutes.

Use graphics to enhance your slides. Pictures, slides, and charts can all be effective tools to get your points across. Make sure you cite your sources properly. Tools including Flickr and Slideshare can be helpful. Both sites allow free access to pictures and power point slides used by others provided you credit the source.

Another effective tool that can be used to enhance presentations is humor. Making people laugh eases anxiety for speakers and listeners. Video and music are also effective tools that can be used to engage your group as is asking questions to promote discussion and dialog among the attendees.