| Good presentation skills are within everyone's | | | | think necessary to avoid gabbling. Your audience |
| reach. For many people, if not most, presenting | | | | need the time to assimilate and interpret what |
| can be a daunting and unpleasant experience. It | | | | you are saying. It's a fact that when adrenaline is |
| needn't be so, and here we'll give you some | | | | flowing your sense of time is distorted and what |
| simple tips to help you hone more effective | | | | seems OK to you may look like fast forward to |
| presentation skills development. | | | | your audience. |
| Presentations are an effective way to | | | | Working your audience |
| communicate to large numbers of people at the | | | | Converse |
| same time. However, it is not just about | | | | Have a conversation with your audience. They |
| communicating information, but more importantly, | | | | may not actually say anything, but make them |
| to have advanced presentation skills you should | | | | feel consulted, questioned, challenged, argued with; |
| be able to create interest and excitement in your | | | | then they will stay awake and attentive. Your job |
| subject and trust and enthusiasm in you. | | | | as a presenter is to stimulate and communicate |
| Let's have a look at some of the essentials | | | | with your audience into wanting to get the |
| Preparation | | | | information you have, not just to present that |
| Practise | | | | information at them. |
| Practise on a colleague or friend. Think about who | | | | Interact |
| your audience is and what you want them to get | | | | Engage with your present audience, not the one |
| out of an effective presentation. Think about | | | | you have prepared for. Look for reactions to |
| content and style. If you video yourself get | | | | your ideas and respond to their signals. If the light |
| someone else to evaluate your performance; you | | | | bulbs are not going on find another way to say it. |
| will find it very difficult to be objective about | | | | Monitor their reactions; it's the only way you'll |
| yourself. Prepare, prepare, prepare. | | | | know how you're doing and what you should do |
| Reconnoitre | | | | next. If you don't interact you might as well send |
| Go into the presentation room before the event; | | | | a video recording of your presentation. It's why |
| practise any moves you may have to make, e.g. | | | | you came. |
| getting up from your chair to the podium. Errors | | | | Show conviction |
| in the first 20 seconds can be very disorientating. | | | | Give an expressive presentation and an |
| Avoid 'Blue peter syndrome' | | | | enthusiastic presentation and your audience will |
| Try not to over prepare. Don't rehearse the | | | | respond, which is what you want. At the very |
| whole thing right through too often. Your time is | | | | bottom line disagreement is preferable to being |
| better spent going over your opening beginning | | | | ignored. Use your excitement, pace yourself to |
| and your finish. Pick a few choice bits to learn by | | | | give an exciting presentation, use something you |
| heart. | | | | know you feel strongly about to build up to an |
| Technical support | | | | important point or as a springboard to another |
| Test the equipment before the presentation; get | | | | idea. |
| familiar with it before you start. PowerPoint and | | | | Get some perspective |
| OHPs often seem as though they're out to get | | | | The odds are that someone in the audience will |
| you, so make sure you're in charge not them. | | | | not like you or may disagree with you. There will |
| Visual aids | | | | probably be someone else out there for whom |
| Use visuals to give a big picture quickly, graphics, | | | | you can do no wrong. As a rule of thumb, the |
| pictures, cartoons bar charts etc; you can then | | | | majority of most audiences want to like you and |
| use words to elaborate. Slides with words on are | | | | what you have to say - they want you to be |
| of limited value. If you seem to have a lot you | | | | good. They didn't come hoping to be bored or |
| may find you are showing your audience your | | | | irritated by your presentation. |
| speaker notes! | | | | Structuring effective presentations |
| Presentation style | | | | Use metaphors |
| Be yourself | | | | Metaphors and analogies are vital to |
| Use any personal gestures or vocal inflections to | | | | communication. 'It's like climbing a greasy pole', for |
| your advantage. It's very hard to change the way | | | | example, conveys far more than just literal |
| you express yourself. More effective | | | | meaning. It conveys image and feeling and enables |
| presentations are ones where you actual put the | | | | others to empathise through similar experiences |
| energy into the presentation (this is a message | | | | of their own. And remember the light bulbs - if |
| you will hear again). Similarly, do not try to be | | | | they're not lighting up try a different metaphor. |
| anyone else or copy another presenter's style. | | | | Examples |
| Wave | | | | Giving an example always helps your listeners to |
| Be more expressive rather than less. These days | | | | see more clearly what you mean. It's quicker and |
| 'good communicators' are more and more | | | | more colourful. |
| frequently seen on TV and held up as models. | | | | The point |
| You giving a presentation is not TV. This is you | | | | Stick to the point using three or four basic ideas. |
| communicating live. Gestures help understanding | | | | For any detail that you cannot communicate in 20 |
| and convey your enthusiasm for the topic. | | | | minutes, try another medium such as handouts or |
| Dealing with presentation nervousness | | | | brochures. |
| Be nervous | | | | Finale |
| A certain amount of nervousness is vital for a | | | | End as if you have done well. Do this even if you |
| good presentation. You need the extra energy to | | | | feel like you've done badly. First, you're probably |
| communicate: What you feel when you stand up | | | | the worst judge of how you've done, and second, |
| in front of people is the urge to either run away | | | | if you finish well you'll certainly fool some of the |
| or fight. If you endeavour to stifle those feelings | | | | people into thinking it was all pretty good. And |
| you will be inhibited, restricted, artificial and | | | | anyway a good finish will get you some applause - |
| wooden. The added adrenaline will keep your | | | | and you deserve it! |
| faculties sharp and ready to engage with your | | | | Developing as a presenter |
| audience. | | | | Trust yourself |
| Breathe | | | | If you do not think you are up to a particular |
| Extra adrenaline, however, can result in shallow | | | | presentation either get help (do training courses |
| upper chest breathing and tension. Taking a slow, | | | | and rehearsals), or get someone else to do it |
| deep breath, breathing fully out and then in again, | | | | (there's no shame in recognising your limits). |
| will relax you. Strangely having something to pick | | | | However, most people have better presentation |
| up and put down tends to release your breathing. | | | | skills that they think they do. Recognise what you |
| Get something else to do | | | | have. If you doubt your ability to think on your |
| It may seem an odd idea, but our bodies seem | | | | feet, for example, then defer questions till after |
| to feel better when they have some sort of | | | | the presentation. Similarly, do not use a joke as |
| displacement activity to occupy them. It's the | | | | an ice breaker if you are not good at telling them. |
| reason people hold pens and fiddle with things. A | | | | Success is the best presentation training |
| limited amount of this sort of activity will not be | | | | Don't over reach yourself. Several short |
| too obtrusive and can make you feel a lot more | | | | presentations that you feel went well will do you |
| secure. | | | | far more good than one big one that makes you |
| Hold on to something | | | | sick with nerves and leaves you feeling |
| When you start you are at your most insecure. | | | | inadequate. |
| Avoid all the well-meant advice about what you | | | | Feedback |
| are and are not allowed to do. Until you feel | | | | Encourage those around you to tell you the things |
| settled do anything you can find to make yourself | | | | you did well. Very few of us make progress by |
| feel secure. This includes holding on to a lectern. | | | | being told what was wrong with our presentation. |
| Even just standing next to something solid will | | | | When we're up in front of an audience we all |
| make you feel less wobbly. | | | | have very fragile egos. |
| Go slow | | | | Follow these essential tips and your presentation |
| The breathing tip above will help you to slow | | | | skills development will blossom. |
| down your presentation. Go more slowly than you | | | | |