Even if you’ve developed a great presentation, landmines can explode immediately before or while you’re delivering it. Avoiding these issues begins in the preparation.

After you’ve actually created your presentation, here are five key elements in preparing for it.

5 Ways to Prepare for a Presentation

1. Update your presentation on a regular basis.

If you use outdated information, the audience will question your authority. Be sure that your trends, statistics and ideas are all up-to-date.

2. Prepare to deliver 10 minutes less and 10 minutes more content than you’ve been asked to provide.

You never know what’s going to happen in the overall program and your flexibility can make you a hero with the meeting planner.

3. Prepare to deliver your presentation without slides.

Technology glitches happen, so be prepared to present if the projector doesn’t work; and keep going if it goes down in the middle of your presentation.

4. Bring backups of everything.

If you bring it, you likely won’t need it, but you know what will happen if you don’t bring it!

5. Don’t speak more than five minutes without interjecting a story, example, question or exercise.

Content interspersed with interactivity and action keeps the audience awake and involved!