Preparing a Presentation using Mind Mapping
General Patton once said "A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow".
What he meant was that planning is important, but you need to balance it with actually getting this job done!
Using NovaMind means that while you are planning your presentation, you are creating it at the same time. Two jobs in one go!
Not only is NovaMind an excellent tool for outlining the topics and adding detail, you can also use it as the backdrop of your presentation. This allows you to reveal information as your presentation unfolds. Your presentation flows naturally and easily from your plan.
In the past, you may have been locked into a timeline-based presentation style. To prepare a presentation using slides, you would review your information, decide on a topical flow, and maybe practice presenting as you click each screen.
But with mind maps, you are not restricted to one slide at a time. In fact, depending on what you want to achieve and the degree that your audience wants to achieve it, you can draw your audience's attention to any branch at any time.
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Since there are so many more options available, let's have a closer look...
Provide a Focus for Your Audience |
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As you can see, a mind-mapped presentation can offer both an overview of your entire presentation or it can focus in on the details. Or it can do both, alternating between the two. You can adjust your style so it's an appropriate presentation flow for your audience. You can easily decide on how much to present and when. Starting a presentation is easy. Most people start with the idea in the centre, and work on the branches as an overview. It will generally excite the audience to see what's to come and be just as satisfying to see it again at a presentation's close, as a summary of all they've taken in. |
Figure Out Your Presentation Pathways |
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Next, you can decide what pathway through the material it is likely your audience will want to take. Plot out a pathway that you believe will cover your key points and go into detail as your time allows. This means seeing your mind overview map projected on your own screen, and then following each of the major branches in a sequence that makes sense to you. Number each of the branches to mark your presentation flow. Colorful priority markings will help you keep your place and make it more interesting for your audience. Now, this is where it gets interesting. Your audience will come to your presentation with varying levels of interest and know-how. In anticipation of those differences, you can decide whether to go into each sub-branch and how deeply. You can decide whether some branches are even worth showing at all. If they aren't, simply hide them before you even begin to present. |
Meet Your Audience Where They Are |
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There is even more audience-tailoring you can do. Suppose you have an audience with mixed levels. Some are beginners, others, intermediate, and finally, there are a handful of people very experienced. So as not to lose any one of them, you can color code the branches as a means of direction to match the experience level of the audience. That way you will be sure to provide an equal measure of material likely to be of interest to each of these groups. So, you'll have green as the color for the beginner branch, yellow for the intermediates and blue for advanced. Don't forget that when you actually do present, your audience may help you to refine this further. For example, your audience may be asking a ton of questions about a certain area of your presentation that will suggest precisely where they'd like to spend most of their time. Their interest will point out which branch of your presentation is really the smartest way to keep them engaged. So, that's what you do. You avoid that locked-in dread that overtakes many audiences and with the ease of mind mapping, simply tailor your talk to what they want the most. |
The Extra Flair of Presenter |
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If you have NovaMind Presenter, you might record a part of your presentation in advance too. With its zoom in and out feature, you'll be creating the presentation flow, and you can sit back and relax for that part of the presentation. Or even give your audiences a teaser online before they even come to the presentation. How's that for getting well-prepared? The ease of publishing your NovaMind mind map to the web means that the audience can revisit your presentation in their own time. Get them excited in person and then let them learn at their own pace and satisfy their curiosity. Now that's an effective educational experience! |
Presentation Preparation Wrap-Up
Delivering an absolutely smashing presentation always comes down to a good plan. You may not have realized how much mind maps help you think through your own presentations as well as how useful they are during a presentation itself.
Further, one of the most challenging things a presenter must learn to do is scope out the audience. A solid plan and audience interaction are the true heart of delivering a memorable presentation.
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