Presentation Skills

Public Speaking & Presentation Skills

Public Speaking & Presentation Skills

Speaking to a group is a notoriously stressful activity ! Something strange seems to happen when people are called upon to talk to a group formally. Many irrational – and maybe not so irrational – fears raise their ugly heads.When the spotlight is on you, the audience will be judging not only your ideas and the evidence you present, but also you personally.

People may not remember reports & spreadsheets easily, but a presentation can make a powerful impression that lasts.. If the presenter appears nervous, incompetent or ill-prepared, that reputation will stick – at least until the next presentation !

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Presentation Transcript – Public Speaking, Presentation Skills & Techniques

What do you fear most ?

Speaking to Groups – 41% Heights – 32 % Insects & Bugs – 24% Financial Problems – 23% Deep Water – 22% Sickness – 20% Death – 19% Flying – 18% (Source: The Book of Lists – David Wallechinsky)

Speaking to a group is a notoriously stressful activity ! Something strange seems to happen when people are called upon to talk to a group formally. Many irrational – and maybe not so irrational – fears raise their ugly heads. When the spotlight is on you, the audience will be judging not only your ideas and the evidence you present, but also you personally. People may not remember reports & spreadsheets easily, but a presentation can make a powerful impression that lasts.. If the presenter appears nervous, incompetent or ill-prepared, that reputation will stick – at least until the next presentation !

An effective presenter puts himself centre-stage An ineffective presenter tries to hide behind notes, a lectern or podium, slides or computer generated graphics.

Putting yourself on the show: The anxiety you feel is more about your relationship with the audience than about what you have to say. Moments before you present, you may find yourself suffering from: Demophobia – Fear of people Laliophobia – Fear of speaking Katagelophobia – Fear of ridicule.

Checklist of symptoms: Rapid pulse; Shallow breathing; Muscle spasms in the throat, knees and hands; Dry mouth Cold extremities; Dilated pupils; Sweaty palms; Blurred vision; Nausea etc.

The worst part of it is… However much you suffer, your audience will forget virtually everything you say ! That’s the bad news… The GOOD news is… YOU are not alone ! Every presenter suffers from nerves, experience never seems to make them better.

The BEST news is…Nerves are there to help you ! They remind you that the presentation matters… that YOU matter YOU are the medium through which the audience will understand your ideas.. You SHOULD feel nervous ! If you don’t you aren’t taking it seriously.. You are in danger of letting your concentration slip.

The trick is not to try to dispel your nerves, but to use them. Once you understand that nervousness is natural, and indeed necessary, it becomes a little easier to handle. If you can support your nerves with SOLID preparation, you can channel your nervous energy into the performance itself .

Remember… ‘All great speakers were bad speakers once.’ – Emerson

Preparing for a presentation

A presentation is like any other communication.. Analyse the reasons for this communication Why? Who? What? When? Where? And How? Be sure that you have adequate preparation time – for both written material and visual aids.

How long?: Duration? Is the time adequate for your subject? Remember – the lesser the time you have to speak, the more carefully planned your talk must be !

As one speaker said… : If you want me to speak for five minutes, I need two weeks to prepare. If you want me to speak for an hour- I need a week to prepare. If you don’t mind how long I speak, I’ll get up now and do it now ! – Unknown

Venue – Where ? : Surroundings… Familiar to your audience? Familiar to you? If not, try to visit the venue before you speak. In any case check before-hand type & size of the room, tiered seating or flat floor, acoustics, lighting, equipment available, etc. Don’t hesitate to ask if a particular arrangement is possible.

Audience: Number, age group and type Gender mix ? Intellectual level – current knowledge of the subject, reasons for attending and their attitudes. These will, of course, influence the ideas and the language you use.

Why me?: What special knowledge or position do you have? What will the audience expect from you?

How?: Are you expected to… Give a formal speech or lecture, or an introductory talk to provoke discussion? Will there be a question session? If YES, then you might like to leave some things unsaid… … leave your audience with some questions to ask and yourself with something fresh to say in reply to the questions !

Adjusting to circumstances: Many times, there is likelihood of a conflict between the desired circumstances and the given circumstances. Some modifications or compromises may be necessary. It could be time, audience size, equipment… Be mentally prepared to adjust to these unforeseen issues !

Developing the material: Stage one –Think ! You have selected your subject, now give it some thought… give it time to grow Write down for yourself the objective ! Gather and arrange your thoughts. Put them on paper ! Discuss theme with friends and colleagues.. Get their inputs.

Think about the talk at any convenient moment.. When not preoccupied with something else Like when you are doing some other, usually manual job, like digging the garden, decorating your flat, or perhaps traveling to work or college. Carry a notebook on which to note ideas as they occur to you.

Stage Two – Read ! Read as much as time permits. Gather more material than you can possibly use, for example possible quotations. Collect anecdotes and stories from newspapers and magazines. Browse the internet for related material.

Stage Three – Construct your outline. As with any carefully presented message, it will require an introduction and a conclusion. However you do it, it should be logical and systematic.. Well structured ! Don’t allow yourself to be misled by the adage “Look after the beginning and the end…and the middle will take care itself.”

Of course the middle needs to be well structured if you are to achieve your goal. “Men perish because they cannot join the beginning with the end.”
Stage 4 – Practice & Rehearse Practice the whole talk – out loud, in a similar-sized room, if possible – using a tape recorder – checking the timing – do a dry run in front of friends / colleagues. This will help you find your own particular strengths and weaknesses Learn to exploit your strengths and avoid your weaknesses.

Getting ready for the presentation : Dress to Impress !

Remember, first impression is the last impression.. Golden Rule – You have only ONE chance to make a first impression ! Wear clothes appropriate to the occasion Dress to impress… Dress for impact Wear clothes that you are comfortable in – those clothes which you know you look good in !

The Actual Presentation – TELL THEM

  1. Tell them WHAT you’re GOING TO TELL them. Indicate key-points that will form the sections of your presentation. You may even use a slide to outline these.
  2. TELL them.
  3. Tell them what you’ve TOLD them ! Summarise ! Drive home your point ! Conclude !Creating a good opening impression: Arrange the ‘stage’ on which you are to perform. Take a little time before you start speaking to position your notes and visual aids so that you can use them comfortably. Make sure you have room to move around, and that your notes are handy. Avoid using a podium or lectern – it is equivalent to a barrier between you & your audience – Move around !Opening the talk: First few minutes are very crucial because: You may be slotted after another speaker who for whatever reasons has had a great acceptance; or You may be the first or only speaker and you have to cut the ice – make the audience feel immediately that their attendance is worthwhile; AND You may, like most people, feel far more nervous during the first few minutes.

    Don’t hesitate; start as soon as the audience is settled But take a few seconds to survey the audience and let them take stock of you. Avoid opening with clichés or hackneyed expressions, e.g. ‘it gives me great pleasure…’ ‘I would like to thank you…’ Do this towards the end of your talk.

The Opening: Introduce yourself – Who you are and why you are there. Clear statement of objective – Tell them what you’re going to tell them! A timetable – finish times, breaks if necessary. How will you take questions – during the presentation or at the end. Sometimes, it is a good idea to talk with your audience before launching into the proper presentation.

Using an Anecdote as a start is sometimes good. It must be well told, relevant to the subject, brief and, if possible, personal. Willingness to laugh at yourself will usually win an audience Joke, IF your experience tells you that you can do this well. Must be well told, relevant and brief Peoples’ sense of humor differs radically, and if the joke falls flat you are worse off than before !

The Main Presentation: TELL Them ! Put forward your ideas in a structured manner. Must be relevant to the subject, logical & must have a purpose. Must not be ambiguous. Avoid too many statistics. Use graphs instead Do not wander. Adopt a clear thought process.

Use Quotations – perhaps the easiest method to use and often most effective. Should be from a well known person or author known to the audience, and strictly relevant to your subject Use shock element, if appropriate – it leaves a lasting impression.

Delivery of the Talk: Be yourself ! Look at the audience – make Eye Contact – The Lighthouse principle ! Concentrate on the four qualities below – conviction / sincerity – enthusiasm – power of speech – simplicity. These are the basic ingredients of all effective communication.

Closing the Talk: Close of the presentation most memorable moment. Whatever happens, audience will most certainly remember this. Your last chance to “Tell them what you’ve told them !” – SUMMARISE WELL ! Summarise key-points & your message – Don’t go into details again !

If you have finished before your allotted time- sit down. Don’t try to drag it on ! Avoid having to rely on notes for your final remarks. Memorise well your closing words so that you can look at your audience as you reach your climax. Don’t give too many closing signals, e.g. ‘and finally’, ‘in conclusion’, ‘one other thing before I finish’, ‘then, before you fall asleep’,…

In fact, it is probably best to avoid a closing signal altogether. Your closing remarks should round off your talk, and therefore by implication your audience will know that your talk is complete. End your talk on a high or dramatic note that the audience will remember – but don’t overdo it !

As with every communication, final objective is to seek some action. You want action now, not later. So ask for it Be specific – What do you want your audience to do? Talk about the advantages or benefits to the audience of your ideas. Show them how they can put them into action.

Conclusion: Thank your audience for their attention. Invite questions You may also pre-arrange a planted question in the audience to set the ball rolling !

The MUST AVOID list of 20 common bloopers

The First Ten Bloopers: N I N C O M P O O P – Don’t be one !

Not being prepared. Inadequate content. Not delivering the goods. Constantly boring the audience. Overload of Information. Misreading the group. Poor pacing. Omission of practice. Odd or distracting visuals. Poor handling of questions.

The Next Ten Bloopers:  P O O R- R E S U L T – You don’t want this !

Poorly planned visuals. Offensive or inappropriate humour. Over or under-dressing. Running overtime. Running late for the start. Eye contact missing. Showing your back too often. Under-utilising the media available. Lack of enthusiasm. Total lack of conclusion.

Using PowerPoint Effectively

PowerPoint is a Digital Storytelling tool for conveying verbal & visual messages … is used to compliment verbal & visual messages. Presentations should not rely on it exclusively … is used to balance the verbal & visual.
Avoid… : Templates. They are not related to your subject matter … Bullets. Use visuals instead … Unnecessary Graphics & Animations … Overloading the slides … Too much text. It dilutes your message.

Do’s: One idea per slide. Use more slides if needed Emphasis – Use Font colours for emphasis or frame text for high emphasis. Background in High contrast with text. Use blank slides to start, avoid templates. Use high impact Visuals, pictures with Emotion. Black screen to get audience focus on you.

Use Graphics only to support ideas, if required. Humour where possible. Prepare outline first. Don’t directly start with PowerPoint. Make good use of notes section. Memories are faulty. Making notes helps ! Minimal use of animation. More effective if used sparingly

Avoid Clipart … Use proper images wherever possible. Visuals must compliment your messages – must be relevant to the topic. Turn off email alerts. Adjust power settings !

Remember – PowerPoint is not meant as a stand-alone tool. YOU are the most important ingredient in the presentation !

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