What is your bottom line objective for this presentation? Can you communicate it in one or two sentences?

What are the key points you must make in this presentation? List three of these points.

How will you address the interests (WIIFM) of your audience (What's In It For Me?)? Can you address these interests in the first five minutes of your presentation?

Who will introduce you? Do you need to provide them with a written introduction?

Who are your major supporters in the meeting? Who do you share mutual objectives with? Will you be calling on any of these individuals during the presentation? Are there specific topics you may ask them to address? Will they know in advance that you will be calling on them?

Who in the audience has goals that are very different from and possibly oppositional to yours? What is your strategy for addressing these differences?

What are the most difficult questions audience members may ask you? How will you answer these questions? Prepare a list of these questions and your answers.

Do you have a strong opening statement? A strong closing statement? Is there a way to connect these two important parts of your presentation?

Do you need to run your presentation by key organization executives in advance of the big day? Make sure there is enough time for you to make changes if requested by these individuals.

Are there people attending the presentation that you do not know? Does it make sense to go over the list with someone who knows these individuals?

Will copies of your presentation be made available for the audience members? Who will take care of this? Will they be given out at the beginning or end of your presentation?

Are you using your own laptop and projector? If not, can you make arrangements to familiarize yourself with the equipment early in the day of the presentation? Don't let equipment problems detract from all your hard work.

Will you bring "back-up" transparencies in case the equipment fails? Is there an overhead for this purpose in the room?

Who is on before you? Who is on after you? Should you introduce the speaker who follows you? What will you say?

If there is a Q & A, arrange for one good piece on information to give the audience at the end. Even though you have delivered your conclusion, it is always effective to have an additional piece of valuable information to give the audience after the Q & A. This is a very polished way to close out your presentation.