- Please make the structure of your presentation clear by using an agenda slide. Your audience may have problems understanding you due to varying accents/comfort levels with second languages. Please ensure that they have an agenda slide and make it clear as you progress through the presentation as to where you are on the agenda.
- Reference the work of TM Forum as appropriate. Part of the purpose of the conference is to show how the work of TM Forum is being used by service providers and suppliers alike to deliver real business value. Don’t assume that the audience automatically recognizes where TM Forum work has supported this.
- Do not over complicate your slides with complex graphics. They will be more difficult for the audience to follow as they will not easily know what part of the slide you are referring to. Use builds to make the story more progressive and easier to follow. Avoid slides that require you to be sitting in the front row to read – there will be no handouts.
- Limit the amount of text on each slide. What you say and what you have written on your slides can have different levels of detail. Remember: what you are saying may actually be translated, so the text on the slide has limited value word for word. Stress the key messages on slides instead.
- Do not make your presentation too long or too short. It may sound obvious, but a target of 15 slides for a 25 minute presentation plus questions is usually about right. Ultimately, the only way to tell is to practice the delivery.
- Do not make the presentation a sales pitch. It will not be well received by the audience and will reflect poorly on you and TM Forum. It will also minimize your chances of speaking at a future event. The best way to prove your company’s credentials is by reference to a customer site (and even better when the customer actually speaks positively about you).
- Be sure to manage your time wisely. Limit the time you spend introducing your company and personal role. Too many of the presentations we receive take too long to get going and then end up skipping over critical parts of the presentation to remain on schedule.
- What are the top 3 “take-aways”? As you develop your presentation, think of what three things you want attendees to take away from your presentation, and make sure that your presentation clearly delivers those points. Many presentations we see do not effectively deliver a message. The clearer you are as to what these three things are, the better chance your presentation will be well received.
- Case-study reference. If you are a vendor/supplier, include at least one customer reference as a proof point of what you are talking about.
- Try to differentiate yourself. What makes what you are saying any different from anyone else who is speaking on the same subject? What makes what you are saying different for this audience than any other audience? What makes what you are saying any different now to 6 months ago or in 6 months time?
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