How to Give a Briefing

Present to a group effectively

One of the most anxiety-ridden events people encounter is public speaking. Following a standardized format to conduct a briefing goes a long way in reducing the anxiety that surrounds giving a briefing. Read on to learn some simple steps so you can be on the path to another successful meeting

Instructions

1. Identify whether the briefing is formal or informal. Find out how long the briefing is scheduled to last.

2. Know your audience. Tailor your briefing to the appropriate age, education or experience level of the participants.

3. Develop a way to get the audience's attention. Often a rhetorical question, a quote, or a brief story peak the interest of the participants. Another option is to tell a joke or a funny story. Be careful that you pick an appropriate joke and try your funny story out with other people to check that it makes others laugh.

4. Motivate the audience. The last thing you want is for the audience to ask themselves why they are sitting there. They need to know why they are learning from you and why is it important to them. Tell the audience why your briefing is important.

5. Present the introduction by sharing with the audience the overall purpose or topic of the briefing. Keep this relatively short. You want to keep them interested.

6. Define your main points. Try and keep your briefing to three main points. Any more and the audience's minds might start to wander.

7. Expand on the main points throughout the body of the briefing. Provide insight into the topic and teach the audience something they never knew before.

8. Review what you covered during the briefing. This should only take a couple of minutes at the most. Remind the audience of your key points.

9. Conclude the briefing by packaging everything you've discussed into an understandable format. An abrupt conclusion leaves the audience feeling like they've missed something. Refer back to your introduction and tie everything together.

Tips & Warnings

• Write your briefing out and practice reading it aloud. This familiarizes you with the material and gives you an idea of how long the briefing will last. Use natural body language, natural gestures and a lot of eye contact with the audience.

• Use statistics sparingly and always note the source of the material.

• Know your material. Try not to read directly from your notes or from an overhead projection. Make it more personal and interactive.

• Avoid using acronyms, slang or verbal jargon.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish