Presentation Skills

Who is afraid of giving presentations?

 Planning Your Presentation
1. Determine Purpose
2. Assess Your Audience
 “Success depends on your ability to reach your audience.”
 Knowledge Level
 Motivation
3. Plan Space
 Seating Arrangement
 Audio/Visual Equipment
 Distracters
 Planning Your Presentation

4. Organization
 Determine Main Points (2-5)
 Evidence
 Transitions
 Prepare Outline
Opening Your Presentation

 Introduce Yourself – Why Should They Listen

 Get Attention, Build More Rapport, Introduce Topic
 Humor
 Short Story
 Make Audience Think
 Invite Participation
 Get Audience Response
 Presenting Main Points

 Main Point –Transition - Main Point – Transition – Main Point

 Supporting Evidence
 Examples
 Feedback & Questions From Audience
 Attention to, and Focus on, Audience (Listening)
Concluding Your Presentation

 Inform audience that you’re about to close

 Summarize main points
 Something to remember or call-to-action
 Answer questions

“Tell ’em What You Told ‘em.”

Presenting Your Topic

 While presenting, keep in mind the following things:

o Interest of audience
o Body language and Dressing
o Voice
o Audio/Visual Aids
o Language
Audience

 Build rapport with the audience

 Involve the audience, if time

 Repeat what they say

 Write responses on white board or flip chart

 Ask questions; call on individuals; small group activities

Body Language

 Dress professionally

 Face your audience

 Audience focus: maintain eye contact with audience

 Be enthusiastic (proper use of hands)

 Have a formal posture (Swaying, rocking, and pacing, hands in
pockets, lip smacking, fidgeting)
Voice

 Speak at reasonable pace

 Use inflection (variation)

 Project your voice. Do not mumble.

 Talk to the audience: Not screen, camera, notes, or self

 Have appropriate pauses

Audio/Visual Aids
The purpose of A/V aids is to;
 Enhance Understanding
 Add Variety
 Support Claims
 Have lasting Impact
It should;
 Supplement presentation
 Outline of main points
 Serve audience’s needs, not speaker’s
 Simple and clear
Language
 Verbal fillers
 “Um”, “uh”, “like”
 Any unrelated word or phrase
Use professional language
Avoid slang
What makes a talk poor?
 Little/no eye contact
o No engagement with the audience
 Mumbling
o Often because not engaging with audience
 Reading from a paper
o Too fast, monotone
 Little/no structure
o Lack of clarity
 Too much information
 Bad visual aids
Presentation Tips

 Smile

 Breathe

 Don’t be nervous

 Practice

 Notes

 Finish On Or Under Time