“Presentation Skills”

Presentations and reports are ways of communicating ideas and information to a group. But unlike a report, a presentation carries the speaker's personality better and allows immediate interaction between all the participants

A good presentation has:

Content - It contains information that people need. But unlike reports, which are read at the reader's own pace, presentations must account for how much information the audience can absorb in one sitting.

Structure - has a logical beginning, middle, and end. It must be sequenced and paced so that the audience can understand it.

Packaging - It must be well prepared. With a presentation, the audience is at the mercy of a presenter.



4 Phases of a Presentation


1. Prior : Plan, Prepare & Practice

2. Opening :

At the start of the Presentation, you must follow:

• Pleasant Greeting
• Strong Introduction
• Set Expectations
• Positive Tone / Positive Start
• To be well prepared is a pre-requisite


3. Real Time

Voice: The voice is probably the most valuable tool of the presenter. It carries most of the content that the audience takes away. One of the oddities of speech is that we can easily tell others what is wrong with their voice, e.g. too fast, too high, too soft, etc., but we have trouble listening to and changing our own voices

Body Language: Your body communicates different impressions to the audience. People not only listen to you, they also watch you. Slouching tells them you are indifferent or you do not care...even though you might care a great deal! On the other hand, displaying good posture tells your audience that you know what you are doing and you care deeply about it. Also, a good posture helps you to speak more clearly and effective.

Throughout your presentation, display:

• Eye contact
• Facial Expressions
• Gestures
• Posture and body orientation
• Proximity
• Voice

Active Listening: Good speakers not only inform their audience, they also listen to them. By listening, you know if they understand the information and if the information is important to them. Active listening is NOT the same as hearing! Hearing is the first part and consists of the perception of sound.

Questions Always allow time at the end of the presentation for questions. After inviting questions, do not rush ahead if no one asks a question. Pause for about 6 seconds to allow the audience to gather their thoughts

4. Closing:

At the end of the Presentation...
Clarify doubts – check for understanding
Feedback – give as well as receive feedback
Further reference points – give websites, books etc. as references
End on a positive note – leave the audience with a thought, a quote