Presentation Skills

Preparing an OralPresentation

Identify your purpose.
• Decide what you want youraudience to believe, remember,or do when you finish.
• Aim all parts of your talk towardyour purpose.

Organize the introduction.
• Get the audience involved.
• Capture attention by openingwith a promise, story, startlingfact, question, quotation,relevant problem, or self-effacingstory.
• Establish your credibility byidentifying your position,expertise, knowledge, orqualifications.
• Introduce your topic.
• Preview the mainpoints.

Organize the body.
• Develop two to four main points.Streamline your topic andsummarize its principal parts.
• Arrange the points logically:chronologically, from mostimportant to least important, bycomparison and contrast, or bysome other strategy.
• Prepare transitions.
• Use “bridge” statements between majorparts (I’ve just discussed three reasonsfor X; now I want to move to Y).
• Use verbal signposts (however, forexample, etc.).
• Have extra material ready.
• Be prepared with more information andvisuals if needed.

Organize the conclusion.
• Review your main points.
• Provide a final focus. Tell yourlisteners how they can use thisinformation, why you havespoken, or what you want themto do.
• Plan a graceful exit.

A promiseBy the end of this presentation, you will be ableto . . . .
2. DramaTell a moving story; describe a serious problem.
3. Eye contactCommand attention at the beginning by makingeye contact with as many people as possible.

Nine Techniques for Gaining and KeepingAudience .
MovementLeave the lectern area.
Move toward theaudience.
5. QuestionsAsk for a show of hands. Use rhetoricalquestions.
6. DemonstrationsInclude a member of the audience.
Samples/gimmicksAward prizes to volunteer participants; pass outsamples.
8. VisualsUse a variety of visuals.
9. Self-interestAudience wants to know “What’s in it for me?”

UsingGraphics
• Select the medium.
• Consider the size of the audienceand the degree of formalitydesired.
• Consider cost, ease ofpreparation, and potentialeffectiveness.
• Highlight the main ideas.
• Focus on major concepts only.
• Avoid overkill. Showing too manygraphics reduces effectiveness.
• Keep all visuals simple.
• Ensure visibility.
• Use large type for transparenciesand slides.
• Position the screen high enoughto be seen.
• Be sure all audience memberscan see.
• Enhance comprehension.• Give the audience a moment tostudy a visual before discussingit.
• Paraphrase its verbal message;don’t read it.
• Practice using your visual aids.
• Rehearse your talk, perfectingthe handling of your visual aids.
• Practice talking to the audienceand not to the visual.

Stage Fright
• Stomachbutterflies
• Pounding heart
• Shortage ofbreath
• Sweaty palms
• Dry throat
• Unsteady voice
• Trembling hands
• Wobbly knees
• Tied tongue

ways to overcome
• Select a familiar, relevant topic.Prepare 150 percent.
• Use positive self-talk.
• Convert your fear intoanticipation and enthusiasm.
• Shift the focus from yourself toyour visuals.
• Give yourself permission to makean occasional mistake.
• Ignore stumbles; keep going.Don’t apologize.
•Make the listeners your partners.Get them involved.
• Just before you speak, practicedeep breathing.