A problem-solving approach to preparing professional presentations

This paper describes a systematic approach to preparing presentations that uses a four-step problem-solving method familiar to most professionals. Step 1, understanding the problem, involves analyzing the speaker´s purpose, the character of the audience, and the demands of the situation. Step 2, devising a plan, consists of selecting a strategy to integrate information from the first step with the speaker´s knowledge of the subject. Step 3, carrying out the plan, uses conventional techniques of organization, explanation, and visual representation to compose a draft of the presentation. Step 4, examining the solution, compares the draft with the plan and modifies the presentation in response to feedback.