Go the extra mile to make sure your speech or presentation is a grand slam. I make checklists for every presentation, seminar, or workshop I give. Since any one of a host of problems can sabotage your presentation, it is important that you do not let the little things fall by the wayside. .

In my career as a public speaker, I have spoken at many conventions and conferences and witnessed presenters panic because they forgot their visual aids, can't find their handouts, or didn't get the name of the individual coordinating the meeting or the new ocation of the hotel or meeting center when it was changed at the last minute.

These are mistakes that can frazzle your nerves. To prevent this from happening to you, I will be providing some checklist examples you can use so this does not happen to you.

Pre Speech Checklist

Use this checklist when you are planning to give a speech to an association or organization.

Actual date and time of your speech Make sure the date and time of your speech is the same as when you sent the information to the meeting planner along with your precustom survey. Over the years I have experienced several occasions when the date and time have changed, especially when I wasn't the only speaker on the program. However, even if you are the only speaker on the program, contact your meeting planner to make sure the date and time are accurate.

Short Story (Real Story)

Let me share a story of when a presenter didn't confirm the date and time. My colleague was scheduled to speak to a large group at an association meeting in June. He did not call or contact the organizer after the date was scheduled. The day before the scheduled presentation, he flew to the city where he was speaking. When he arrived at the hotel he asked if anyone else from the association had registered yet. When the hotel checked the reservation list, they told him they had no record of that association being scheduled to be at that hotel.

Naturally he was confused, and after several phone calls to members of the association he quickly learned that he had made a huge mistake. Yes, he was at the correct hotel on the correct date, but he had arrived a year early! Keep in mind, many associations schedule their meetings two or three years in advance, and it is not unusual for them to book speakers for the events at the same time. When he was contracted in March, my colleague had written down the date of the speech for the upcoming June. Since he thought the presentation was only a few months away and he was never contacted again by the association, he assumed that everything was all set. Boy, did he get a very expensive surprise!

This story illustrates the necessity of confirming all dates, times, and locations. Once again, never assume anything when you are planning a speech or presentation.

Making a Packing List