Presentation
What is a Presentation?
A presentation is a means of communication which can be
adapted to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing
a meeting or briefing a team. To be effective, step-by-step preparation and the
method and means of presenting the information should be carefully considered.
Preparing Your Presentation
Preparation is the most important part of making a successful
presentation. This is the crucial foundation and there should be no
short-cuts.
Organising the Presentation Material
Irrespective of whether the occasion is formal or informal, always
aim to give a clear, well-structured delivery. You should know exactly
what you want to say and the order in which you want to say it. Clarity
of ideas and good organisation should result in a lively, logical and
compelling message.
Writing Your Presentation
This article offers advice on how to write an effective
presentation. Before you write your presentation, you should
already have started to prepare by developing your ideas and selecting the main
points to include.
Deciding the Presentation Method
Few people are able to give a presentation without notes. You will
need to know your own abilities and decide how best to make the
presentation. You might manage your talk by using full text, notes on cue
cards, keywords on cue cards, or mind maps.
Working with Visual Aids
Most visual aids will need advance preparation and should be
operated with efficiency. Only use visual aids if they are necessary to
maintain interest and assist comprehension: do not use them just to demonstrate
your technological prowess. If visual aids are used well they will enhance a
presentation by adding impact and strengthening audience involvement, yet if
they are managed badly they can ruin a presentation.
Managing the Presentation Event
The practicalities of how you manage your presentation even can
make a significant difference to its success, and to your nerves!
Coping with Presentation Nerves
It is entirely natural to feel nervous before making a
presentation. Fortunately, there are some tried and tested strategies and
techniques to manage your nerves so that you can concentrate on delivering an
effective and engaging presentation.
Dealing with Questions
At the start of your presentation, you should make it clear
whether and when you would prefer to deal with questions. Some speakers prefer
questions to be raised as they arise during the presentation whilst others
prefer to deal with questions at the end. Decide in advance how and when you
wish to handle questions.
Ten Quick Tips for Effective Presentations
1.
Talk naturally to your audience – although it may be
appropriate to read short passages avoid reading from a script for the majority
of your presentation.
2.
Stand,
rather than sit, and move around a little – but avoid pacing backwards and
forwards like a trapped animal.
3.
Vary the tone, pitch and volume of your voice to add emphasis and maintain
the audience’s interest. Aim to speak loudly and clearly while facing
your audience. Avoid talking in a monotone voice or turning your back to
the audience. See Effective
Speaking for more information.
4.
Make eye contact with your audience. Do not stare at your feet,
or the podium and avoid looking directly at any one person for more than a few
seconds, gain eye contact with the individual members of the audience.
5.
Use visual aids where appropriate, graphs and charts, diagrams,
pictures and video - but don’t overdo it. Visual aids should help to
illustrate and strengthen your points not be a distraction from what you are
saying.
6.
Rehearse your talk and check your timings. Always aim to finish you
talk in time remembering to allow time for questions if appropriate.
7.
Prepare and structure your presentation carefully. Introduce the subject – tell
the audience what your talk is about. Explain the points you wish to
convey. End with a summary of your points.
8.
Stay focused throughout your presentation – avoid irrelevance and
unnecessary detail.
9.
Learn to channel any nervous energy, relax but stay alert.
10. Answer any questions as honestly
and concisely as you can. If you don’t know the answer then say so and offer to
provide further information at a later date.
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