PRESENTATION SKILLS
During formal communication, sometimes one has to present
his or her point of view. That is when there is a need for a presentation.
The presentation can be done during a consultation,
training, meeting, negotiation, discussion, lecture, public speaking, reporting,
workshop, seminar, symposium, or conference. It has become a necessity in the
modern world to equip oneself with the skills of presentation so that your
communication becomes effective.
Four Pillars of Presentation
Preparation, Structure, Delivery, and Closing
Preparation
Know thoroughly about your audience
You must have a clear idea about who you are addressing? Try
to gather as much information about your audience as possible. You need to
tweak your presentation depending upon the information you obtain.
Decide on what they want to know
Rather than giving importance to what you want to talk
about, your focus should be more on what your audience is willing to spend
their valuable time on. If your presentation is not interesting to them, they
will switch off during your presentation and you may not be able to achieve
your objectives.
Predict their objections
Do not wait for the presentation to begin and then answer
the questions after the presentation. Anticipate what kind of doubts,
questions, objections, criticisms, reservations, and elaborations does the
audience needs? Make preparations accordingly.
Help them to help you
Your preparation for the presentation should contain
specific information so that your audience finds it fruitful. When they are
given valuable information, they will help you in making your presentation
successful.
Structure
Make it focused and concise
Make sure that the content of your presentation does not
stray away from the topic you have chosen to present. Try to identify important
keywords and focus on them. Be precise in your structure. Keep it simple.
Talk about the problem
Identify the kind of problems that are being addressed in
the presentation. This itself should elicit curiosity and interest in the
audience.
Talk about the solutions
Specially address each problem and provide specific and
workable solutions to it. If you can’t provide solutions, make it clear to the
audience that the objective of the presentation is to find a collective
solution to the problems addressed.
Talk about the objections
Once you have prepared the list of objections that were
predicted by you earlier, make sure you let the audience know that you are
aware of these objections. Provide answers to the anticipated questions. It
does not matter if all solutions are known to you. The idea of the presentation
is to discover collective solutions.
Delivery
Design your presentation
If you are preparing slides, design each slide giving
importance to the keywords. Use bullets to make your point and use animation
when necessary. Do not put too much information in one slide. Your audience is
not there to read information but to listen to you.
Speech should be clear, audible, and concise
Some people tend to mumble words, and use unnecessary
abbreviations. Keep in mind that there may be a novice in your audience whom
you may lose by making your speech cryptic. Try to address the last row in the
audience so that your speech is audible.
Body Language should support your speech
Make appropriate body language. If you are relaxed during
your presentation, your body language will automatically be relevant. Do not
use unnecessary gestures and try to cut down on inappropriate mannerisms. Use
signs and symbols when necessary.
Your presentation should reflect your Confidence
The audience will lose interest in what you have to say when
they find out that you are not sure of the information you are putting forth.
Let them get a message that you are sure of your information.
Closing
Initiate curiosity
Your presentation should elicit a few questions from your
audience. If all questions get answered in your presentation, they may not
remember what you intended to say. Raise a few doubts yourself and provide
clues about what more can be done to use the information more effectively.
Clarify confusions
It does not matter if you say “I don’t know”, rather than
giving confusing information. The audience may not object during your
presentation, but you must make sure that the audience does not go empty-handed.
Do not get into arguments and justifications during your presentation.
Personal experiences
Narrate personal experiences wherever relevant. The narrative
should throw light on the points you are trying to make. Just stick to the
highlights rather than giving detailed information.
Where to find more answers
It is not only your job to elicit curiosity but also to
provide a guide for further readings and references. When someone is interested
in greater detail, it is better to direct them to the available information,
rather than answering them. This way you
will save time for everyone.
Factors Affecting Presentation
- Visual Factors
- Involvement
- Time Management
- Humor
- Accuracy of information
- Confidence
In short, whatever is your goal in informing your audience, make sure that your presentation follows the Four Pillars of Presentation – Preparation, Structure, Delivery, and Closing. Keep in mind the factors affecting the presentation and ensure that these factors are taken care of.
Seminar Presentation - How to prepare for it and present it?
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