Developing Presentation Skills

A presentation is a means of communication that can be adapted to various speaking

situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting, or briefing a team.

A presentation can also be used as a broad term that encompasses other ‘speaking
engagements’ such as making a speech at a wedding or getting a point across in a video
conference.

To be effective, step-by-step preparation and the method and means of presenting the
information should be carefully considered.

A presentation requires you to get a message across to the listeners and will often contain a
'persuasive' element. It may, for example, be a talk about the positive work of your organization,
what you could offer an employer, or why you should receive additional funding for a project.

The role of the presenter is to communicate with the audience and control the presentation.

Remember, though, that this may also include handing over the control to your audience,
especially if you want some kind of interaction.

A good presentation requires:

 Speaking clearly and confidently

 Convincing the audience your subject is important
 Presenting your information in a logical and interesting way
 Answering questions from the audience
 Managing a discussion afterward.

Guidelines for creating and Preparing for Presentations

A. Develop your content.
1. Content
 Brainstorm ideas.
 See where you need to fill in the information and research your topic.
 Gather all your info and then organize it. Prepare an outline of how you want to present
the information.
 Transfer the information to cue cards or a single sheet of paper.  You can use these to
support you during your presentation.
Remember: You can’t read your presentation off of a script, so don’t write an essay.
Instead, use bullet points to remind you of the next key point.
 Be sure to know the expected length of time for the presentation and plan accordingly.
Make sure you have enough to say.

2. Create visual aids

 Visual aids can take many forms, which means you can be creative!  Other than
Powerpoint you can use: Prezi, posters, charts, hands-on samples, or
demonstrations. Keep in mind that you should be comfortable using whatever you
use to create your visual aid.  
 If you are using slides, make them simple and uncluttered. Too much text or pictures
per slide makes it hard for the audience to digest all the information. This means you
shouldn’t copy your entire speech onto your slides.
 Have 1-2 slides for every 1-2 minutes you are speaking.
 Slides should be large enough to be seen from the back of a room. Use a font size of
at least 32.
 Use color and contrast (but in moderation!). Avoid yellow and orange because they
are hard to see from a distance.

B. Structure of your presentation

Structure of Oral Presentations
A good oral presentation is well organized. As a presenter, it is your job to make your
presentation easy for your audience to follow. It can also help you stay on track.

 Use the acronym BABE to remember the parts of a good oral presentation:

Beginning
These first few moments are your opportunity to ‘grab’ your audience’s attention! Don’t rush too
quickly into your presentation. Be sure to greet your audience, introduce yourself and your topic
 Example: “Good Morning, my name is John Smith and I would like to talk to you today
about learning strategies.”
Announce
Announce your outline. Keep this outline simple (3-4 points). This helps keep your audience
focused and shows that you are well prepared.

 Example: “I have divided my talk into three sections. In the first part, I will give some
facts about how we learn. In the next section, I will explain different learning strategies.
In the last part, I will provide examples of learning strategies “

Body
This is the content of your presentation. This is where you will use your visuals and speak to
the audience about your topic. Be sure to follow the outline you just announced. The content of
your talk should be presented in a logical order. This order will vary depending on your topic,
however, make sure you are consistent. For example, sequence your ideas using one of the
following formats:
 Chronological order (the order in which events occurred).
 General to specific (starting with a wide topic and narrowing it down to smaller parts).
 Problem-solution (if presenting several problems, maintain the same format. For
example: problem 1, problem 2, problem 3, THEN solution 1, solution 2, solution 3 OR
problem 1, solution 1, THEN problem2, solution 2, etc.).
End or Conclusion
Once you have completed your presentation, be sure to not end too abruptly. In general, your
conclusion should contain these four things:
 Recap what you stated you would talk about
 A brief conclusion
 Thank you to your audience for listening
 Invitation to comments and/or questions
 Example: “As I have tried to explain this morning, learning strategies are an
important part of succeeding in college. I have provided you with several examples
that can make a difference and I would encourage you to apply some of these on
your own. They can make a big difference and improve your grades dramatically.
Thank you for listening. Does anyone have any questions or comments?”

C. Prepare for the presentation

 First, make sure that you know you know your topic well. It’s much easier to explain
something to other people if you have a good understanding of it yourself.
 Practice your presentation out loud! This will help you get a more accurate feel for
how much time your presentation will take.
 Review the assignment rubric to determine what is expected so that you know how
to budget your time.
 Try timing yourself. You will speak faster during the actual presentation, so expect
your presentation to be a bit shorter than your practice run.
 If you are using PowerPoint slides, use the “Rehearsal Timing” feature to know
exactly how long you have spent on each slide. If you are too long on one slide,
consider dividing the information between two cards. If you don’t spend any time on
another slide, consider removing it.
 Practice in front of a mirror. This makes you aware of how often you are looking
down at your notes or your visuals. It will help you practice looking up and making
eye contact.
 You can also practice in front of a friend or family member and ask for critiques.
 If you are using cue cards, make sure you have them numbered in case you drop
them. You can also attach them with a metal ring so that they stay together even if
they fall.
 Technology can play a big role in your presentation, so it’s important to prepare that
part of your presentation as well. Know your technology well before you use it. Make
sure that you are comfortable using whatever you have chosen to use for your visual
aids.
 Don’t use a network connection to access any part of your presentation. Have the
material downloaded ahead of time and use it offline.
 Have a backup disk or memory stick with you in case of a problem.
 If you have a total technology failure and can’t use your computer, make sure you
have a hard copy of your presentation to use. If you know it well enough (from all
your rehearsing) you should be able to present the information without the slides.
Additional guidelines for delivering effective presentations

 Be aware of your non-verbal communication. Use body language that shows

CONFIDENCE! Have good posture, smile, and act relaxed. It will make you look
more confident, and it will make you feel more confident.
 Make eye contact with your audience instead of reading off your notes the entire
time.
 Avoid distracting behaviors, like chewing gum. Watch for nervous gestures, such as
rocking, tapping, or fidgeting. You should also make sure to dress appropriately for
your profession.
 Take time to think during your presentation! People tend to speak more quickly under
pressure.
 Make an effort to slow your pace and include pauses.
 Speaking slower will also help you avoid excessive verbal fillers like “ummm” or
“ahhhh”.
 Volume. Pay attention to your volume. Think about projecting your voice to the back
of the classroom so that everyone can hear what you have to say.
 Try to speak clearly so that your audience can easily understand your words.
 Engage your audience. Avoid the ‘lecture’. By incorporating more than a speech into
your presentation, you’ll be better able to hold your audience’s attention. Try using
visuals, asking questions, or doing activities.
 Practice your presentation. You will be more comfortable delivering your presentation
if you know it well. Make sure you give yourself enough time to put your presentation
together and practice it several times.
 If you are using visuals, you should know them well enough that you are not
constantly looking at the screen and having your back or side to the audience.

Learning Activity 4 Presentation Skills THE NEWS TODAY

 Pretend to be a newscaster or a reporter. Record yourself delivering a piece
of news on TV for 1-2 minutes. Topics to be discussed may include current
events (international or local), lifestyle reports, sports, or feature stories.