PRESENTATION SKILLS & PUBLIC SPEAKING 1.1

PRESENTATION SKILLS & 

PUBLIC SPEAKING 1.1

“A presentation is a live mode of sharing information for a selected audience. It’s a form of oral communication in which a person shares factual information with a particular audience in an impressive and convincing manner.”

Definition of Presentation

I. “A structured, prepared and speech-based means of communicating information, ideas, or arguments to a group of interested people in order to inform or persuade them”

II. “To inform, inspire, entertain, demonstrate, prove and to persuade, that is an objective of a good presentation.”

 

 COMMON PURPOSE OF BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS

Oral presentations can be categorized according to their purpose. The four basic reasons for giving a presentation are to inform, to persuade, to motivate, and to entertain. Most of our presentations or speeches will be informative, requiring a straightforward statement of the facts. If you’re involved in a marketing or sales position, however, we’ll probably be writing and delivering quite a few persuasive presentations and speeches.  Motivational speeches tend to be more specialized, so many companies bring in outside professional speakers to handle this type of presentation. Entertainment speeches are perhaps the rarest in the business world; they are usually limited to after-dinner speeches and to speeches at conventions or retreats. Whatever your purpose, your speech will be more effective if you keep your audience interested in your message. To do so, you must understand who your audience members are and what they need.

PRESENTATION SKILLS: A Must !!!

• Necessary as a Student, Researcher, Manager or a Job Seeking Person.
• For Communicating Your Information Clearly.
• For Creating a Very Good Impression about You as a Speaker.
• For Building Confidence and Removing Stage Phobia/ Fear Factor/ Public Hesitation.
• Personality Development.

 FUNDAMENTALS OF 

PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATION

I. Purpose:

• To Decide the Content & Style
• “Why Am I Giving This Presentation…?!!”
• You May be Giving the Presentation to, a. Inform People about an Idea, b. Describe a Business Opportunity, c. Gain Support for Some Cause of Action, d. Gather People’s View on New Plans or Products, e.Create Awareness

II. Audience:

• Before Making a Presentation, Know the Audience You are Going to Address.
• Number, Nature, Needs, Level of Knowledge & Attitude.
• Focus Your Presentation on Those Issues that would be of Their Interest.
• Look for Some Smiling Faces :-) SMILE YOURSELF (whenever necessary)!!!
• And Adjust Your Style Accordingly.

note: YOU MUST KNOW: Who is Your Audience? Why Are They Attending Your Presentation? What is Their Background and Level of Knowledge? How Many Persons will There be? What Are Their Interests, Likes and Dislikes? Are They Familiar with the Topic? How is Their Attitude? Age Range? Gender Distribution? What is the Outcome of Your Presentation?

III. Content:

• Collect Material for Your Presentation.
• INTRODUCTION ~ MAIN BODY ~ CONCLUSION.
• Say What You Want to Say --> Say It --> Say What You've Already Said.

note: A. INTRODUCTION: Get the Attention of the Audience, State the Purpose, Preview the Main Points. B. MAIN BODY: Main Points backed by Supporting Material, Advantage/Benefit/Gain/Profit, Convince Your Audience!, Expand-Explain-Elaborate, C. CONCLUSION: Review the Main Points, ‘FINISHING TOUCH’. 
      

IV. Audio Visual Aids:

• Black Board/ White Board/ Overhead Projectors/ LCD Projectors/ Power Point Software.
• Charts/ Figures/ Images/ Pictures/ Tables/ Graphs.
• For Making the Audience See What They Hear. 
• Keeping the Audience Attentive and Absorbed. 
• Using Different Colors To Highlight Different Points.
• Safer to carry Printouts or Written Notes. 

note: Take Care: a. Do Not Use Too Many Visual Aids As They Will Lessen Their Impact. b. Plan To Use Your Visuals By Determining Your Main Points. c. Don’t Fill A Slide With Too Many Words. d. Write Points in place of long sentences. e. Your Speaking and Slide Projection Must be in accordance. f. Explain, Don’t Just Read to Enhance the Value of Our Presentation & Effective Delivery.

IV. Delivery:

• Whatever you say and whatever you show; it is you, yourself which will remain the focus of the audience's attention. 
• There are five key facets of the human body which deserve attention in presentation skills: 1. Eye Contact, 2. Voice Modulation, 3. Expressions, 4. The Body Movement, 5. Gestures & postures.

note: Mind Your Body Language: a. Do not stand in front of the screen when the projector is on, b. Smile!, c. Dress for Success, d. Knees unlocked, head up and shoulders released down, e. Make proper eye contact, f. Breathe & Relax, g. Do not lock arms, h. Connect with the audience, i. Finish positively. 
 

 [to be continued...]