When to Schedule Part II or the Sequel
Presentations aren’t always a “one and done†scenario. Oftentimes, a topic might be so broad or so complex that it takes more than one presentation to cover all of the material. This means presenters will need to figure out how to time it right so Part I and Part II aren’t too close together or too far apart. It can be a little tricky trying to decide when to schedule the sequel to your presentation, so here are few tips to help you properly manage and schedule your presentations.
Give it Time to Sink In
You have just completed your first presentation and you threw tons of information at your audience. You need to give them time to marinate on the information before scheduling Part II. Your audience might have further questions about the content or they might need a little time to do some further research. For example, if you gave a presentation on time management skills, you need to give your audience time to try out a few of your suggestions before adding new content.
You Want the Material to Be Fresh
As stated before, you want to give your audience a chance to let the information sink in before adding bombarding them with all new information. Having said that, you want to make sure the information is still fresh on their minds. It can be tough to balance these two ideas so a good rule of thumb is to present your sequel in about a month. That gives your audience time to ask questions, follow up with you, and even put some of that information to use but it is also soon enough that the information is still fresh. If you wait too long, you will find that your audience has forgotten much of what you taught them in the first presentation and you will have to backtrack and start over.
Are People Asking About It?
Perhaps you presented on a topic that people need to know more about. If you find that your audience is asking when they can expect Part II, that’s a pretty good indication that they are ready to hear more.
Give Yourself Time to Follow Up
The follow up to your presentation is just as important as the presentation itself. This is your chance to connect with your audience, share conversation with them, answer questions, and clarify information. You want to give yourself ample time to complete a thorough follow up before scheduling your next presentation.
