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Financial Seminar Preparation Techniques That Will Maximize Your Success

by Mr. Paul Karasik    

Conducting seminars if fraught with countless pesky details that can practically destroy your presentation. Elephants never bite. It’s the little mosquitoes that will get you every time. Let’s look at the various ways you can prepare for the inevitable "bugs" that will threaten your success on seminar day.

Prepare Your Team. Every seminar is a team effort. Like it or not your administrative assistant(s), the facility staff, co-presenters, audio-visual support, etc.

Before anyone is admitted to the seminar room, call a meeting with the members of your organization. Discuss your goals, roles and duties. Review the agenda and flow of the event, and the specific responsibilities of each member of your organization.

Reinforce the importance of relationship building. Review your registration list and discuss any background information you have collected on specific individuals. Address any specific needs these individuals may have.

Regardless of the familiarity of your program, your staff should refrain from cross talk or distracting activities during your presentation. While you are speaking they should be listening attentively or, at the very least, appear to be.

When you arrive at the seminar site introduce yourself to the staff at the facility. Find out who is in charge of the heat and air conditioning, lights, food service and audio visual equipment. Review your agenda and your specific needs. Keep a list of their extension numbers.

Imagine yourself to be a participant arriving at the seminar site. Is there a listing of your event on the daily calendar of events? Is it easy to find your way to the seminar room? Is there a place to hang up your coat? Were you greeted properly?

Prepare Your Room. Your seminar room is your stage and should be prepared with the same preciseness.

The best way to guarantee your room will be set up correctly is to provide written specifications of your exact room set up. Provide the facility with a simple diagram of your room that illustrates the location of the chairs, tables, audio-visual equipment, good service, etc.

Provide each person on the facility staff with the diagram and a written list of everything that will be required for your event.

Check all of your audio visual equipment. Familiarize yourself with the equipment. Test your microphone, turn on your overhead or slide projector, and make sure you have enough flip chart paper and fresh markers.

Prepare Your Seminar Materials. Check your seminar materials the night before the event. More than one seminar leader has arrived at the seminar site without handouts or equally important materials.

Prepare Your Administrative Materials. You’ll need a box filled with all of the materials you need to conduct your program. Put this box together well in advance and make sure you have enough supplies of each item.

Prepare Yourself. As the star of the show you will want to develop a few important preparation habits that will contribute to the success of your seminar.

Always arrive at the seminar site early. If you are presenting your seminar for the first time or at an unfamiliar location, it’s best to arrive at least two hours before the seminar is scheduled to begin. After you have presented your material a number of times, you can reduce this time accordingly. In any case, allow yourself a minimum of one hour just to prepare personally for your presentation.

Spend some time in the front of the room getting comfortable with your work area. Besides testing your equipment "feel out" the space by actually walking around and inspect it. Make minor adjustments to help make you feel more at home.

Apply your personal "code" for preparing mentally for your presentation. Activities such as stretching, vocal exercises or breathing exercises can help to prepare you for an optimal performance. Become conscious of what works for you and utilize these techniques on seminar day.

Like a good scout, be prepared. Effective preparation will result in effective presentations. Create and update your checklists to prevent important details from falling through the cracks. Remember elephants don’t bite, pay attention to the little critters, they can get you every time.


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Paul Karasik, President, The Business Institute, a sales and management training and consulting company.