PRESENTATION SKILLS

Presentation

A visual and aural event intended to communicate, for the purposes of providing information, helping to understand, gaining agreement, and/or motivating to act.

3 essential ingredients

The audience You - the presenter The presentation itself

CDD in Presentation

Content Research and organization of materials

Design Slides and graphical enhancements

Delivery Voice the message

The situation

Four P’s Purpose People Point/objective Place

Before starting the research

What do I want my audience to gain? What might they already know about my

topic? What is the objective of the

presentation?

Starting the research

Information Source Time

Preparing your content

Managing your information (need-to-know vs nice-to-know)

Keep your audience in mind Researching a known topic Researching a unknown topic Going from learning to presenting Converting your research into an outline

3 steps in creating an outline

Determine the outline style Group your raw data Arrange into outline format

Sample outline

Converting the content into a slide presentation

From outline to bullets Use one concept per slide Use key words and phrases Stay within the 8 x 8 rule Make your bullet points consistent in

structure Capitalize properly.

Converting the content into a slide presentation

Enhancing the bullets Determine the number of slides Create proper titles Ensure transfer of knowledge Agenda and recap slides Transition using title slides Using graphics

Making data into charts and tables Adding graphs to emphasize bullets

3 keys to setting up a great presentation

Key 1: Layout Setting up your slide master Setting up your title master Setting up yours slide

Key 2: Consistency Consistent placement of texts and images Consistent fonts Consistent background Consistent design of charts, graphs

Key 3: Color

Delivering your presentation with energy and composer

Engaging your audience Putting energy to work

Movement Gestures and postures (posture- erected but relaxed) Eye contact

Question and answering techniques Encourage audience to ask questions Listening attentively to questions Answering questions

Prepare for questions – appreciate Clarify

Delivering your presentation with energy and composer

Answering Maintain your style Be honest Involve the whole audience in your answer Employ 25%-75% rule Keep answer to the point

Dealing with hostile questions Acknowledge feeling, fact or both Respond with information

Delivering your presentation with energy and composer

Pace - average conversational rate of speech 125 words per min.

Pausing

Self assessment

Structure of the presentation Organization Logic Interest to the audience Presentation of benefits Positive start Powerful ending Good, concrete examples Length Balance between theory and reality

Self assessment…

Stance and posture Confidence Gestures Eye contact with the audience Personal appearance Use of the presentation area

Self assessment…

Visual aids Clarity Interest Number of slides Added value Equipment handling

Finally…

Do not think one presentation is final in your life.

Unless you make a mistake, you do not have a chance to learn.

References

Bradbury, Andrew, 2006, Successful Presentation Skills, London: Kogan Page.

Mandel, Steve, 2000, Effective Presentation Skills: A Practical Guide to Better Speaking, Boston: Course Technology, Thomson Learning.

Rotondo, Jennifer and Mike Rotondo, Presentation Skills for Managers. New York: McGraw-Hill

Thody, Angela. (2006). Writing and Presenting Research. London: SAGE Publications.