PRESENTATION SKILLS

Introduction Presentations are important at all levels of education as well as professional life. Presentation encompasses reading, writing, listening, speaking and research skills, and signify the importance of verbal and visual communication for a specific purpose. Its purpose in education may be the delivery of new or reviewed, compiled information, while in business it is used to promote new products and services or facilitate sales. Active presentation skills, careful verbal/visual expression, meaningful body language and effective use of audio-visual tools are important to inform, direct or influence an audience in a self-confident, respectable and persuasive fashion.

Planning Planning your presentations well will help you share information meaningfully and effectively, and ensure that your message is received accurately. Good planning will also boost your self-confidence during presentation.

Focusing on Content Purpose and Organization Content After brainstorming on your given or chosen presentation topic, create your argument. Research and gather information for the best possible delivery of your argument. Be selective: it is very important that information in presentations is clear, concise, to the point and followed easily.

Purpose Define whether your goal is persuasion or information.

Organization

Supporting The Subject with Audio Visual Skills What sets apart a presentation from a speech/conference is the support given by audiovisual tools and equipment and the explanations that these tools bring. Breaking down information into tables, charts and headings and displaying them on screen in a concise fashion

ensure an effective presentation. PowerPoint brings together color, movement and sound to make for a good presentation, the flow of slides must be parallel to your words, and slides must not contain too much text. Sounds and music should be carefully chosen and used only when closely related to the subject in order to avoid clutter. The following visual tools may be used to support the narrative: Diagrams Tables/Maps Statistics/Measurements Pictures Posters/Photographs Film Clips/Music Props

Physical Equipment Physical equipment plays a large part in making presentations effective. The physical setting must be determined three days in advance to prepare accordingly. Presentation room Lighting Movement space Seating layout Equipment and tools Technology Acoustics / audio arrangements

Defining the Audience Answer the questions below before preparing a draft:

What is the profile of the audience? (Age, gender, size, number of participants) What do participants already know? What do they need to learn? What are their expectations of content and method? How well do they know the subject? How prepared are they to grasp the idea? What are their interests/fields of expertise/preferences?

Interactive Movement Plan

Controlling verbal and bodily communication Controlling emotions and appearance/behavior Keeping the attention of the audience alive Delivering the message in a clear, concise, consistent and enjoyable fashion Determining the timing for all events in the movement plan Engaging the audience as active participants

Examples of interactive events:

Questions/surveys Problem analysis and resolution Brainstorming/listing/grouping Pair work/group work

Preparing Power Point Slides

Select the font. Most appropriate: Arial/ Times New Roman Determine the font style. Most appropriate: Regular/ Bold Avoid using italics unless necessary. Determine font size. Most appropriate: Headings: 36 - 44 Text: 20 -32 Determine uppercase or lowercase. Most appropriate: Lowercase - Title Case Avoid using UPPER CASE unless necessary. If choosing lighter colors, you may use shadow for the text to be legible. Use keywords. Avoid long sentences; use descriptors and bullet points. Use signs and symbols to organize the layout for functionality. Group words or points carefully; pay attention to group spacing. Keep a meaningful margin. Most appropriate: 1 cm on each side. Do not fill slides with text. Most appropriate: 6-10 lines per slide. Do not exceed 14 lines.

Use colors for coding and avoid using more than 4 colors.

Choosing Audio Visual Materials

Choose images that are appropriate to the purpose and content. Do not fill slides with figures.

Avoid using data-intensive spreadsheets on slides; give them as handouts. Do not display information on the slide that you will not repeat verbally. Use motion and colors in slides to facilitate the exchange of knowledge. Use sounds or music towards the right purpose.

Interaction During The Presentation The presenter is now the center of attention on stage. Here are some important considerations: 1. State of Mind: You may be nervous at first. Everyone usually is. Pay attention that you do not talk too fast in the first few minutes. Use a soft yet firm tone of voice, and open the presentation knowing that the first impression is very important. 2. Eye Contact: What is more important than looking at the ceiling, floor or your reading cards is looking at your audience with sincerity to understand whether they are impressed by and interested in your material. Eye contact will help you communicate better, and understand if your audience is familiar with the topic so that you can take shortcuts. 3. Voice - Pauses and Repeats: Your audience must be able to hear you clearly. Your voice should not go down at the end of sentences. If you can adjust and alter the tone of your voice well, intone correctly and speak with a good pace, you will deliver the content more effectively. 4. Plain Language: Use a clear, appropriate, plain yet academic language in your presentations. Using excessively elaborate or artificial wording will not be effective. Use the active voice instead of the passive. Use jargon only when you are sure your audience is familiar with it. 5. Soft Transitions / Emphasis: Use the appropriate cues to signal when you are about to transition from one topic to another to facilitate your audiences understanding. (Attend workshops on Cue Words and Attention Probing Words.) 6. Body Language: Remain standing and self-confident throughout your presentation and try to keep distracting or inappropriate gestures under control. Be aware of your mimics and behavior when receiving questions or comments. Avoid turning your back on the audience for using a board.

7. Presenter Location/Movement/Proximity to Audience: Stand an equal distance from all participants and in a location where you can move with ease. You may walk towards the sides, the screen, or towards the audience, keeping a minimum distance of one meter. 8. Use of Audio-Visual Devices: Confidently use your visual materials and allow your audience time to grasp the information presented in tables or slides. When using audio-visual materials to make your presentation more effective, avoid losing time with these. 9.Audience Interaction: Your enthusiasm and motivation will carry on to your audience. Make them feel that the presentation is an act of sharing, and use upbeat, summarizing questions and make your audience work in pairs or groups to keep attention alive. Dos .

Arrange your speech in an organized and consistent fashion. Rehearse your speech at least three times. Introduce yourself by giving your name and position. Submit your outline to the professor/specialist before the presentation. Maintain eye contact with the audience and pay attention to your body language. Make sure that the headings are clear enough. Maintain balance between visual materials and delivered speech. Point out your visual materials throughout your speech. Make content-appropriate alterations in your tone and intonation for emphasis and paraphrasing.

Use your time well.

Donts Use visual materials that are not legible. Fill visuals with too much text, images or colors. Speak about a topic that is not relevant to the visuals. Turn your back to the audience. Speak too fast or too slow, or read from the paper. Read the presentation from the cards in your hand. Repeat the same sentences appearing on the PowerPoint slide.