You have a great presentation, you’ve given it before and you are raring to go. Before hurrying to the next engagement, consider how to set up in advance for the best outcome.
2 to 6 weeks before engagement:
You want to lay the groundwork for your talk with the host or contact person at the agency or company where you’ll be speaking.
If they will introduce you, have you provided clear information for them, framing you in your best light? Avoid giving a long list of places you have spoken, or credentials. Instead, focus on what you’ve done for your clients or customers, how they’ve received value for their money.
Have you established rapport with the contact person, planted seeds for return engagements and referrals to sister agencies also needing speakers?
Have you inquired about the type of audience you’ll be speaking to? Speaking to a group of mid level managers requires an entirely different tone than speaking to sales people, or software engineers. If possible, meet and chat with some attendees while at their site. Observe their style, what is on their bulletin boards, how people are dressed. Consider these observations as you select examples, stories and level of complexity of your information.
If possible, ask your contact what information their people want and need. Check for what is unspoken. The host may know of a needed training area but hesitate to state it for fear of denigrating their group. Leave it unspoken, but plan to address it delicately in your program—this allows the host to save face.
If they leave it to you to select the theme, ask how they think the audience will respond to it. Consider their comments as you make changes and fine tune your material.
Do they understand the nature and tone of your material and speaking style? If not, enlighten them, so that they can accurately tell people what to expect. If you include humor and encourage audience participation, let them know. The audience will arrive in a light hearted mood. If your style is more lecture oriented, state that.
Have you conveyed that your material is important and well prepared so that they will hold you in high esteem—preempting such problems as letting announcements cut into your time, giving you a weak introduction, or failing to get the groups’ attention before you go on?
Day of engagement:
Get in the zone; Be completely prepared 12 hours before you speak, and engage in something you find relaxing, unrelated to your presentation. About 2 hours before you start, take a final look at your notes—and put them away. Avoid looking at them again before your presentation.  From here on think generally about the importance of your message and how valuable it will be to the audience. Listen to a favorite piece of music, or carry inspiring mottos with you, for a pick-me-up just before you begin.
Truly believe that what you have to say is worth listening to and your audience is worthy of hearing it; this will put you in a position to spin off multiple repeat performances and to garner many new clients or customers.
