MAKING A PRESENTATION
Автор: Марина ШИРИНЯН | Рубрика: ИНФОРМАЦИОННО-ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНАЯ СРЕДА Среда 11 октября 2017
Presentations describe, narrate, persuade or communicate ideas. Presentation skills are necessary for personal and professional development.
настроение: бодрое
ключевые слова: presentation skills
город: Москва
There are different types of presentations:
- Informative (e.g. school presentations, business seminars etc.)
- Persuasive (e.g. in sales, political speeches etc.)
- Ceremonial (graduation, wedding toast etc.)
Presentation skills are also needed in interviews, project reports at a meeting, social events, toasts at an event with family or friends, colleagues etc.
We give presentations to describe a product, an invention, a place; narrate an experience, a story, a fable; persuade by presenting arguments for and against an issue, expressing our opinion on an issue etc.;communicate in panels, debates etc.
A presentation consists of an introduction; main body; conclusion.
To start a presentation we can:
- address the audience by asking a question;
- use a quotation/saying;
- ask a rhetorical question;
- make a statement;
- narrate a personal or general story;
- set the scene and stimulate emotions;
- use visuals;
- use music;
- use humour;
- use rhyme or a short poem.
To start with, it might be a good idea to grab everybody’s minds and to stop them from wandering by telling an adecdote, i.e. a short story relevant to your topic. Before doing it you had better be mindful of your audience and their expectations. The Asians do not usually approve of fun during serious events, while Americans do. Do your best to make your presentation transparent and the ideas clear. Structured information is easier to comprehend. Also, remember to ask questions from time to time. Surprising though it is, you can ask the audience questions and receive the answers only if they are with you and understand what you are saying. Be logical and pass smoothly from one point to the other keeping a slow tempo of transition. Remember that people need time to reflect on what has got in their minds and while reflecting, they stop listening to what comes next. And when we miss the next point, we get even more confused and we stop listening altogether.
These days every speaker is using the slides. So make sure your slides are easy to understand and never overload your slides with text or graphics. In fact, the less you show the more will be seen and absorbed. Too much information on the slides makes them complex and difficult to follow. Observe the rule: show one slide – make one point. If a slide is too ‘busy’, the audience’s brains will get a sensory overload and can easily switch off, placing what is in front of them in the mental file with a file name ‘too difficult’. Always look people in the eyes because keeping an eye contact is a good signal that you are a company. Choose a good friend among the audience. If you look in the eyes of someone for more than a couple of seconds, they’ll almost feel obliged to nod, smile, frown or give some kind of non-verbal sign that they’re listening. A laughter or a chuckle from the audience is very welcome. Laughter is a good sign that people are participating in your show. So, make them laugh from time to time and if they have laughed once they will start listening in the hope of getting an opportunity to laugh again. So they pay attention. Do not overdo it though. Speak with intonation and enthusiasm. Infect the people with your passion for the subject. Do not drone on and on in a monotone. You are sharing the knowledge that matters much to you. So add intonation and make it expressive and perhaps even slightly exaggerated. Speaking in public requires artistic skills. So you need to exaggerate your normal intonation and enthusiasm. But don’t worry; what sounds exaggerated in your ears will flatten out over a distance and sound normal to the audience.
To end a presentation we can:
- address the audience by asking a question;
- use a quotation/saying;
- ask a rhetorical question;
- ask a rhetorical question;
- make a statement;
- narrate a personal or general story;
- stimulate emotions;
- use humour;
- ask a ‘what if’ question;
- use rhyme or a short poem.
Ways to get feedback from the audience
After you have presented your points you can check if your audience has understood your topic. There are different ways to get feedback and check understanding. There are: pop quiz style questions in teams; open discussion; polling questions; focus groups; game; make a list.
Dos while giving a presentation
- Be prepared and know your material.
- Make sure your equipment works.
- Look confident and professional.
- Have positive energy and smile.
- Keep an eye contact with your audience.
- Use positive body language.
- Keep your presentation clear and simple.
- Keep slides short and use clear text/diagrams.
- Attract the audience’s attention with an interesting beginning.
- End your audience by summarizing the topic or making a closing statement.
Don’ts while giving a presentation
- Don’t read directly from the screen or your notes.
- Don’t turn your back to the audience or fold your arms.
- Don’t speak in a monotonous voice or rush.
- Don’t break the flow of the presentation by using filers while speaking.
- Don’t use confusing graphics.
- Don’t wear casual clothes.
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