Have you ever had a prospect call and ask you to give a training seminar on a topic that you have not taught before? We all have our own ways of preparing for an important presentation. Some make detailed outlines, some use slides and build their presentations around that, and some just wing it. As someone who has given countless presentations in business settings, I personally find that mind maps are an effective preparation tool-whether you’re planning a presentation, a project, or the next five years of your career.
Mind maps are visual diagrams that feature words or ideas linked to a central theme. For instance, say you’re planning a presentation on networking skills. Networking skills would be the central idea on your mind map.
To create a mind map, draw a circle in the middle of a blank piece of paper and write your topic in the circle. Now brainstorm all the topics that fall under that category. Let this be a free-flowing exercise. You won’t necessarily use everything you put down.
For example, here are four topics that you might cover in a networking session: conversation starters, small talk, open-ended questions, and listening skills. For each major category you come up with, draw a line from the circle. If you imagine your circle as a clock, you would draw a line at 12, at 3, at 6, and at 9 o’clock for these four topics. If you have more categories, draw more lines. Once you have all your categories listed, branch out into more specific aspects for each individual topic.
Intrigued? Here are some tips to follow when using a mind map.
Use mind maps to help you stay organized. Because mind maps are more visual and intuitive than linear outlines, they help you see the flow of your presentation. This way you can avoid unnecessary tangents and stay on topic.
Don’t try to cover too much material. You want to keep your audience engaged and give them their “money’s worth,” but there is such a thing as overdoing it. Don’t bite off more than you can chew by barraging your audience with tons of information or trying to cram in so much that you rush through the important points. It’s better to cover a few things thoroughly than to cover several things in a rush. Your mind map will help you determine how much content you’re dealing with and keep your presentation tight and focused. When you see too many offshoots springing from your central topic, it’s time to home in on the most relevant points.
Distinguish between “need to know” and “nice to know.” When you’ve realized that your presentation is running long, it can be a headache trying to figure out where to cut the fat. When I face that issue, I take a close look at my mind map and categorize topics according to their importance. “Need to know” information is anything completely relevant to the topic at hand-concrete points that I should share with my audience. “Nice to know” information, meanwhile, includes things that are interesting and may be relevant but aren’t crucial. By marking your mind map accordingly, it becomes clearer which details can be weeded out. You can even begin a new mind map based on what’s left so you can sharpen your “need to know” presentation.
Next time you have a presentation to prepare for, consider creating a mind map. It really can make a huge difference in keeping you organized and on topic.
©2010 Professional Image Management
By Juanita Ecker