WRITING A PRESENTATION :
WRITING A PRESENTATION Presentations should be very terse and have a:
- Beginning which introduces the topic
- Middle which contains the bulk of the talk
- Summary or conclusion
Identify and list the key points in a logical order and ensure that each has supporting facts and references
Make sure the audience will be able to read and comprehend the projected information quickly. Keep to:
- one or two fonts
- one or two colours
- a single, simple image per slide.
PREPARING THE PRESENTATION :
PREPARING THE PRESENTATION Integrate your slides with the message. Use them with a clear purpose, not to “dress up” the presentation.
Don´t include too much information or details that can distract your audience from what you´re saying.
Persuade the audience by supporting each statement with quotes, comparisons and examples. With visual aids, less is more.
- Use them to help the presentation and to get the message across, not to dominate it.
- They should emphasise your most important ideas and examples, not simply list every point.
- Keep them simple. Try to avoid using only text, variety is important: images, charts, graphs, photos, videos, etc.
BODY LANGUAGE AND MOVEMENT :
BODY LANGUAGE AND MOVEMENT A relaxed but animated and authoritative body language shows your familiarity and confidence.
- Use your hands to emphasise and reinforce your points.
- Vary your gestures and positioning rather than remaining stationery.
- Make eye contact with the audience - don´t look at the floor or at only one person.
- Don´t read the information off the screen. Refer to particular details with a pointer, but don´t speak with your back to the audience.
- You can catch the audience´s attention with a quote/anecdote to make the situation human and real for them.
USING YOUR VOICE :
USING YOUR VOICE Speak loudly, clearly and slowly.
- Everyone has to hear what you are saying. Project your voice, but don’t always need to be loud.
- Vary your pitch and volume to emphasise key points and keep audiences engaged.
- Use pauses to your advantage, cueing the listener that something new or important is coming up.
- Be conscious of verbal tics and do your best to eliminate them.
- Rehearse your talk multiple times to familiarise yourself with what you want to say and when you want.
- Know your material. If you´re not familiar with it, your nervousness will increase.
DEALING WITH QUESTIONS :
DEALING WITH QUESTIONS Time yourself and plan to finish your talk so that there will be 3 or 5 minutes for questions.
It will encourage the audience to engage with your topic rather than remaining passive, showing that you´re interested in their opinion.
- Be patient while listening and courteous when answering. Take a light-hearted approach to sarcastic questions - don´t get flustered by them.
- Keep your answers relatively brief.
- If you don´t know the answer, throw it back to the audience or say you will find out the answer.
- You can prepare yourself refreshing your memory and making sure the details are clear in your mind.