PRESENTATION SKILLS

PRESENTATION SKILLS

Presentation skills are absolutely essential in almost all work areas. In order to
be effective and impressive in your presentations you need to prepare the
presentation before you actually deliver it. Even experts in communication
need to plan and prepare their presentations in advance.

i If you are not enthusiastic about what you say you cannot expect to
generate interest among the audience; Adapt to response – don’t stick
to your plan unnecessarily. If you find that it is not working, alter it to
adapt to the audience.

ii Check room, seating, acoustics, OHT or Computer (depending on what
you decide to use).
iii Vary your tone and pitch. Ensure proper modulation. Everything should
not be said with equal amount of stress. Certain things need to be
emphasized more than others.

iv Memorize your introduction. This will help you to sound confident and
in control.

v Try to involve the audience and respond to their reactions.

vi Keep your sentences short and simple. Use deliberate pauses to
punctuate your speech.

vii Never talk down or up to your audience. Treat them as equals, no matter
who they are.

viii Whenever you make a really important point, pause and let the full
significance of what you have said sink in……before you move on.

ix Don’t put boring tables of figures and long lines of text on the overhead
projector and read them out.

x When showing a visual, keep quiet and give people time to take it in.

xi Welcome questions from your audience. When members of your
audience ask you a question, it is usually because they have a genuine
interest in what you are saying and want to know more. Treat questions
as an opportunity to get your message across better.

xii Know the size and the knowledge level of your audience. You must not
tell them what they already know.

xiii Be clear about the purpose of your presentation – is it to inform or to
persuade.

xiv Key ideas should be emphasized – you must ensure that the importance
of your key points is not lost because of over-emphasis on sub points.

xv Don’t cram – if you have a lot of information to give you could consider
giving some of it through handouts rather than cram all of it into your
presentation.

xvi You must present an outline in the beginning of your presentation so that
your audience knows how your presentation is structured. This should be
well prepared in advance.

xvii Rehearse your presentation in order to time it, and to become familiar
with names and figures as well as any complex information you need to
give to the audience.

xviii Pay attention to your body language: eye contact; gestures; posture;
movement.