0% found this document useful (0 votes)
118 views9 pages

Preparing An Effective Presentation

This document provides tips for preparing and delivering an effective presentation or speech. It emphasizes focusing on the main message, developing three supporting points, keeping the audience in mind, using brevity, practicing, getting feedback, maintaining eye contact, and using appropriate gestures. It also discusses conquering stage fright by shifting focus to the purpose and audience, stopping negative self-talk, practicing relaxation techniques, visualizing success, and connecting with the audience.

Uploaded by

Tuffer Khris
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
118 views9 pages

Preparing An Effective Presentation

This document provides tips for preparing and delivering an effective presentation or speech. It emphasizes focusing on the main message, developing three supporting points, keeping the audience in mind, using brevity, practicing, getting feedback, maintaining eye contact, and using appropriate gestures. It also discusses conquering stage fright by shifting focus to the purpose and audience, stopping negative self-talk, practicing relaxation techniques, visualizing success, and connecting with the audience.

Uploaded by

Tuffer Khris
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 9

Preparing an Effective Presentation

An effective presentation is more than just standing up and giving information. A presenter must
consider how best to communicate the information to the audience. Use these tips to create a
presentation that is both informative and interesting:
Organize your thoughts. Start with an outline and develop good transitions between sections.
Emphasize the real-world significance of your research.
Have a strong opening. Why should the audience listen to you? One good way to get their
attention is to start with a question, whether or not you expect an answer.
Define terms early. If you are using terms that may be new to the audience, introduce them early
in your presentation. Once an audience gets lost in unfamiliar terminology, it is extremely
difficult to get them back on track.
Finish with a bang. Find one or two sentences that sum up the importance of your research. How
is the world better off as a result of what you have done?
Design PowerPoint slides to introduce important information. Consider doing a presentation
without PowerPoint. Then consider which points you cannot make without slides. Create only
those slides that are necessary to improve your communication with the audience.
Time yourself. Do not wait until the last minute to time your presentation. You only have 15
minutes to speak, so you want to know, as soon as possible, if you are close to that limit.
Create effective notes for yourself. Have notes that you can read. Do not write out your entire
talk; use an outline or other brief reminders of what you want to say. Make sure the text is large
enough that you can read it from a distance.
Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice your presentation, the more comfortable you
will be in front of an audience. Practice in front of a friend or two and ask for their feedback.
Record yourself and listen to it critically. Make it better and do it again.

How to deliver a speech?


How to Prepare and Deliver a Speech Effectively
Focus on the Main Message. If you've been asked to give a speech, the first step is to choose a
focused message. ...
Build Three Supporting Points. ...
Keep your Audience in Mind. ...
Be a Tactful Speaker. ...
Brevity Is The Soul Of The Wit. ...
Feedback is Important. ...
Eye Contact is Important. ...
Use Appropriate Gestures.

“The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a
sieve”- Buddha
1. Focus on the Main Message
If you’ve been asked to give a speech, the first step is to choose a focused message. Even if
you’ve been given a theme for your speech such as “inspiration” or “strength,” this is more a
general umbrella under which your specific points (and point of view) will fall. Make a short list
of five ideas for your speech. It can be helpful to write them in command form. “Strength” a
brainstorm of five speech messages could include: “don’t ever give up, “overcome failure,”
“build physical strength” and “know your strengths.” If you feel stuck for ideas, a reference to
your current political or social context can bring new insight to your theme.
2. Build Three Supporting Points
By focusing on your central message with supporting evidence, you strengthen it. A stronger
message will resonate more with your listeners. To come up with supporting points, ask yourself
“why” about the speech message you’ve selected. For example, for “don’t ever give up,” you’d
ask, “Why should you never give up?” Make a list of several possible supporting ideas. Read
through your finished list, and at the end, cross off the weaker ones that don’t support your main
point.
3. Keep your Audience in Mind
After looking into the central message and supporting points for your speech, you can flesh out
the rest by considering your audience. Knowing who your audience are and what they are
expecting from this encounter can help you pick the right tone to optimal effect.
4. Be a Tactful Speaker
Some speakers choose to generalize complex topics in a speech because they think it’s easier for
the audience to understand. It’s actually better to do the opposite. Listeners tend to connect better
with concrete examples and personal stories, so embrace detail in your speech. A personal
anecdote about why one shouldn’t give up is more effective than just saying not to. Areas where
your passion and knowledge overlap are generally the richest. If appropriate to the context, don’t
be afraid to tell a joke about the topic. A little self-deprecating humor goes down well with the
crowd, one can always give it a shot.
5. Brevity Is The Soul Of The Wit
Some of the most effective speeches of all times have been brief. “The Gettysburg Address” was
only 15 minutes, while “I Have a Dream” was for 17 minutes. Aim for brevity. A good formula
is to speak for less time than you’ve been asked to, as people tend to overestimate the attention
span of their audience.
6. Feedback is Important
As the speech has to be delivered to an audience, it is important to get feedback from theoretical
listeners. Read your speech to someone you trust and ask for some honest feedback. In particular,
it can be helpful to ask if anything is confusing or unclear. Your speech will have more impact if
the message is engaging.
7. Eye Contact is Important
During your speech, look at your audience while you are speaking. Put the content of your
speech, either fully written out or in bullet points, so you are not staring straight down at a piece
of paper while you speak. Engaging your audience visually makes you appear secure and
confident.
8. Use Appropriate Gestures
A well-placed gesture can add humor or aid greater understanding of your speech. For optimal
effectiveness, punctuate your speech with gestures when appropriate. If you’re a very nervous
public speaker, try just resting your hands against the podium. It will make you feel steadier.
9. Walk When Required
If your speech is informal, walking from one side of the stage to the other can help engage
people sitting in different parts. It will draw your audience in and enhance your confidence.
10. Use Props
If appropriate, bring props to punctuate your speech for your audience. This can be anything
useful such as a graph to handout to all attendees or even a personal item to drive home your
speech’s content. Props can personalize your speech and add interest or humor. Limit yourself to
one or two props maximum per speech.
EnglishMate is a chain of English Speaking Institutes by Hindustan Times that offers a range
of courses to help you speak better English and get smarter.
Conquering Stage Fright

Public speaking is said to be the biggest fear reported by many American adults, topping flying,
financial ruin, sickness, and even death.

You may have heard the joke that some people would prefer to be in their own coffins than give
a eulogy at a funeral. While this may be an exaggeration, many would agree.

Most of us feel a degree of nervous apprehension when preparing to speak up or perform in front
of a group. But those who are filled with feelings of dread and panic in such a situation—or
anywhere the person might be center of attention—may be suffering from a form of social
anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia).

The fear of public speaking or performance, often called stage fright, exacts a huge toll on self-
confidence and self-esteem and causes some people to leave school or a job or pass up a
promotion. Many, including seasoned professional performers, suffer in silent terror. And
because they feel embarrassed, people try to keep their fear a secret, even from a spouse or other
close family members or friends.
Taking Steps to Overcome Your Fear
Learning to improve your speaking or performance skills is good, but it’s generally not enough
to substantially reduce your fear. You must address and revise any negative perceptions, beliefs,
thoughts, images, and predictions related to public speaking or performing. And it’s often helpful
to uncover the deeper fears related to being seen and heard by others, showing vulnerability, and
being considered less than perfect. Learning to accept yourself and not feeling that you have to
prove yourself to others is at the root of healing.

It is recommended that you learn skills to reduce and manage your fear and anxiety and not
resort to using medication or natural products alone. It’s also critical to learn cognitive-
behavioral methods to stop the cycle of avoiding fearful situations. Avoidance may give you
immediate relief, but it reinforces your fear in the long run.

Some people also choose medication or natural remedies to help reduce their symptoms of
performance anxiety. Talk with your physician to find the most appropriate treatment for you.

If you are willing stop avoiding your fears and learn new skills to reduce and manage them, you
will develop an empowering belief and trust in yourself. In facing your fear, it becomes possible
to overcome performance anxiety and find comfort and ease in expressing yourself in front of
others.

Try these 10 tips to reduce your stage fright:


Shift the focus from yourself and your fear to your true purpose—contributing something of
value to your audience.
Stop scaring yourself with thoughts about what might go wrong. Instead, focus your attention on
thoughts and images that are calming and reassuring.
Refuse to think thoughts that create self-doubt and low confidence.
Practice ways to calm and relax your mind and body, such as deep breathing, relaxation
exercises, yoga, and meditation.
Exercise, eat well, and practice other healthful lifestyle habits. Try to limit caffeine, sugar, and
alcohol as much as possible.
Visualize your success: Always focus on your strength and ability to handle challenging
situations.
Prepare your material in advance and read it aloud to hear your voice.
Make connections with your audience: Smile and greet people, thinking of them as friends rather
than enemies.
Stand or sit in a self-assured, confident posture. Remain warm and open and make eye contact.
Give up trying to be perfect and know that it is OK to make mistakes. Be natural, be yourself.

Whether you are presenting to a small group of 20 or a large group of 200, there are many things
you can to do in advance to ensure that your presentation achieves the desired response. The
most important is to know and understand your audience as well as the venue logistics.
To connect with your audience, you need to understand why your topic is important to them.
What do they expect to learn from the presentation? Don't assume the audience is like you. They
may have cultural or geographic biases and the more you understand them, the better you can
express yourself to them and avoid speaking gaffes. It is also important to know the level of
knowledge they have about your topic, so you can present the information with the correct tone
to keep people interested and engaged. There is nothing more insulting than to present basic
information to a highly knowledgeable audience, and conversely, speak at too high a level for a
novice audience. Also for You: 5 Public Speaking Tips for Engineers
If you are presenting in a foreign country, it is important to understand the cultural differences of
the audience. How do they dress? How is their sense of humor? How do they typically
communicate? What gestures are appropriate or inappropriate? Are there religious factors that
should be considered?
There are several things you can do to prepare and research your audience before and at the
beginning of the talk that will help you adjust your speech to better engage the audience.
Research in Advance
Prior to the meeting or event, speak to the organizer or sponsor of the meeting and find out the
level of knowledge the audience has on the topic for discussion. Ask about the audience
expectations as well as their demographics–age, background, gender, etc. If you are presenting at
an industry event, research the event Web site and familiarize yourself with the mission of the
event and typical attendees.
If you are presenting to a corporation, then learn as much as you can about them by visiting their
Web site, reading news reports, and reviewing their blogs.
Greet Them at the Door
If you are unable to find out much information about the audience prior to the meeting, you'll
have to improvise and adjust your talk on the fly based on information you collect at the
beginning of the meeting.
Toastmasters International, a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and
leadership skills, suggests that, if possible, the speaker greet people at the door and ask questions
to ascertain their level of knowledge and expectations of the audience. You'll also make a few
friends in the beginning and it's always nice to have friends in the room.
Call and Response Technique
Toastmasters also suggests that speakers use the "Call and Response" technique at the beginning
of the talk. Frame questions at the beginning geared toward learning about the audience. Find out
how much experience they have with the topic and adjust the speech accordingly. Using this
method you can also gauge the mood of the audience. If the audience seems to be in a
lighthearted mood, the speaker can use humor to keep audience interest. If they seem to be
serious or the topic is of a serious nature, then the speaker should get right to meat of the talk.
Be Familiar with the Room Layout
Public speaking coach Lisa Braithwaite suggests that the speaker visit the location of the talk
prior to the meeting if possible to see how the room will be laid out, and to make any requests for
positioning the visual aid equipment. Braithwaite also notes that knowing more about the venue
and the size of the room will give the speaker some idea as to how energetic and physical they
will have to be to engage the audience, whether a microphone will needed, and what type of
visual aids will be the most effective.
When you know more about your audience and their expectations, you'll be able to tailor your
talk to make it more interesting. Your audience will be engaged and satisfied, and you will
willingly accept their applause at the end.
Tom Ricci is an independent writer. Read More: 3 Keys to Public S

What is Oral Presentation | Oral Presentation Definition

What is Oral Presentation | Oral Presentation Definition


The oral presentation means delivering an address to a public audience. It also refers to public
speaking and/or speech-making. It is a brief discussion of a defined topic delivered to a public
audience in order to impart knowledge or to stimulate discussion. The skill in oral presentation is
equally as important as effective writing. Almost every oral presentation contains an
introduction, main body and conclusion like a short paper. Though it is a formal speech in nature
or vocal performance to an audience, it may occasionally require adequate planning and
thorough preparation in using one's voice, body language and visual aids such as slideshows to
present and illustrate the points more effectively and to achieve the desired results.
… When you think your presentation is going well Murphy’s law strikes again!
Murphy’s Law states that ‘anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.’ This seems to be
especially true when you consider public speaking.
Speaking in front of others is already a frightening experience, and when things start to go wrong
during the presentation, it can become even more stressful. The good news is, if you’re aware of
and prepared to handle certain setbacks, you can easily recover.
Today I’d like to give you some tips on how to avoid, as well as how to recover from, four
common public speaking mishaps.
MISHAP #1 – YOU RUN OUT OF TIME.

Dragging a presentation on longer than your allotted time is one of the most common mistakes
made by rookies in public speaking.
It’s critical to try to stay within your allotted time. In fact, if you can, end a littler earlier than
you’re supposed to! Remember, your presentation time is an implicit contract with your
audience. Professionals, now a day are very time sensitive. Having a presentation go longer than
it’s supposed to can cause your audience to become annoyed with you, but a shorter presentation
will likely cause them to be pleased with you.
Unfortunately, sometimes other presenters go, over their allotted time and can cause your time
slot to be shortened, you should still try to finish in your given time slot.
How to prevent it.
– Practice your speech. A lot. And be sure to time yourself every time you practice. The more
you practice your speech, the more comfortable you are when you’re giving it. Additionally the
more you practice you’ll be able to get an idea of exactly how long it will take you to present.
Keep in mind that your speech will likely take longer than what you’ve practiced, so, plan
accordingly. The worst case scenario is that you end early and that at least leaves you time for
any questions or to simply let your audience out early.
Practicing your presentation is what allows you to determine if you have enough time to give
your entire speech, or if you have to remove certain words to get your point better across in
fewer words. Timing is everything. View it as if you are borrowing your audience’s time.
They’re investing in you, so don’t abuse that trust.
Tip – Internalize, don’t memorize. Memorization will leave you with zero flexibility during a
presentation. You will have to say things in a specific order and specific sequence, and that’s
dangerous. Practice until you have the concepts internalized. Which means you know the topic
inside out and you can say what you need to say in many different ways. It gives you flexibility
just in case something goes wrong, and you need to cut something out or add something new in
based on the circumstance.
– Know the main points of your presentation so that if you do start to run low on time, you have
the ability to wrap it up quickly while still skimming over your main points. By identifying the
points that need to know vs. the points that are only nice to know, you have the ability to cut
parts of your speech on the fly easily.
– Build your presentation based on modules. Stand up comedians build their shows that way so
that they are flexible. You can do the same thing with your presentation.
What to do when it happens.
– If you realize you’re starting to run out of time try to determine which points in your topic are
most important and then only cover those points. If you want you can tell your audience that
you’ve run out of time and that if they’d like they can email you and you’ll answer anything you
couldn’t get to in your allotted time frame. But you don’t have to because your audience
members don’t know exactly what you wanted to cover.
– Don’t rush through the rest of your presentation! If you start to talk too fast, your audience will
not be able to understand what you’re saying. Don’t panic, just cover what you can and don’t
make a big deal out of not covering everything.
– Most importantly – don’t drop the last part of your speech! The closing portion is the most
important part of your presentation. It helps to wrap up everything you’ve said up until that
point, and, for many presentations, your closing is the call to action and the main purpose of the
entire speech. Don’t skip it!
MISHAP #2 – EQUIPMENT CRASH OR MISSING

It seems to be an inevitable reality when it comes to presentations; at some point, you’re going to
have a technical problem. Or your host forgets to bring the equipment needed like a projector (It
happened to me on many occasions).
Some venues will try to minimize technical issues by asking you to use their computers.
However, if they don’t have the correct software, connection, or clicker, this can only worsen the
issue.
Do you think that will not happen to you? Guess again. If you speak enough, this will happen,
and it’s only a matter of time.
Luckily, a failing or missing equipment doesn’t have to be the end of your speech.
How to prevent it.
– Practice! You shouldn’t be 100% reliant on your slides, in fact, you should be able to give the
entire presentation without them.
– Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world, and often you’ve had little time to prepare for
your presentation and do need the slides to be able to keep yourself on track.
– In these situations, be sure to print out your slides before arriving. With a printed out copy,
you’ll have the ability to refer to your slides and continue with your presentation. Or at least have
an outline of your presentation with you all the time.
What to do when it happens.
– Don’t try to fix the technology while you’re supposed to be giving your presentation. It is a
surefire way to lose your audience. One time, the host forgot to bring a projector, so I did my
presentation without one and never told the audience that I had slides. The audience was happy,
and the host saved face.
– Ask for technical assistance. It allows you to start your presentation, then if/when the problem
has been fixed, you’ll be able to continue almost seamlessly.
MISHAP #3 – HECKLERS
You won’t often have to deal with hecklers in your audience, but when it does happen your
audience is likely just as frustrated with the person as you are, and you can use this to your
advantage.
Hecklers are most often people with their agenda. They want attention, are drunk, want to prove
you wrong, or are just having a bad day. No matter the reason for their behavior, you need to
maintain a level head. Here’s a video illustrating how you can handle a heckler based on
techniques Barack Obama used in a similar situation.

How to prevent.
– When you’re up in front of the audience, you make the rules. Let the audience know how they
can interact with you. For some, this means asking that all questions be held until after the
presentation. For others, questions are okay at any point during the presentation, and if that’s the
case, let them know that they should raise their hands.
– Give the audience your email. This way if someone would like to ask a question that they’re
not sure is appropriate for the entire audience; they can message you privately.
– Take the stage with certainty. If you show any sign of hesitation or discomfort as you are
taking the stage, the potential hecklers will be empowered. The best thing to do is take the stage
as a leader, and this will deter most of the hecklers.
What to do when it happens.
– Don’t engage with a heckler. Doing so will make you look rude or mean to the rest of the
audience. Even if a joke is made at your expense, don’t turn it into an argument.
– Ask them to hold their questions or comments until after you’ve presented. It will almost
always work as long as it’s done calmly and politely.
– Add in a little humor. If you’re confident in your improv skills, you can attempt to dispatch a
heckler with a joke or funny comment. It will give your audience a laugh and hopefully silence
the heckler. If you’re not confident in your comedic abilities, you may want to avoid this route.
– If the person that is heckling you is upsetting others or getting out of hand, you can ask them to
leave. Use this as a last resort, but it may sometimes be necessary.
MISHAP #4 – YOU LOSE YOUR TRAIN OF THOUGHT.

Have you ever wondered why you lose your train of thought? You knew exactly what you were
talking about and you even knew what you were about to say, and then, poof! Your mind went
blank, and you’re left standing around looking confused.
Even the best public speakers will sometimes draw a blank. The difference between an
experienced speaker and a new speaker is that an experienced speaker knows what to do when
this situation occurs.
Losing your train of thought can be unnerving, and cause you to feel like a deer caught in the
headlights. Luckily there are some ways to recover that when done properly, may make it appear
like you never lost your train of thought, to begin with!
How to prevent it.
– Plenty of practice is one of the only ways to avoid this scenario. Unfortunately, no matter how
well you’ve practiced you can’t always keep yourself from losing your train of thought. Luckily
there are a few tricks to help you out when it does happen.
– Don’t take yourself so seriously. The more pressure you put on yourself, the more likely you
are to lose your train of thought – so instead just relax and trust in yourself.
What to do when it happens.
– Don’t make a big deal out of it. If you do, your audience will too. One time I was giving a high
paid speech for 80 people in the insurance industry and lost my train of thought. It happened
right at the beginning too: I said: “today I am going to talk about three things: one x, two y, three
oops…” I paused and smiled and said, “sorry I forgot the third one, but I promise to come back
to it later.” They laughed, and I continued with my speech. No one asked for a refund, in fact, I
got so many good reviews on how I handled it.
– Be willing to ask the audience for help. Instead of freezing, ask the audience where you were.
Often someone in the audience is willing to help, and they will love you for it. English is not my
first language, and sometimes I blank out on some English words. I don’t make it a big deal, and
I ask the audience for help. They love helping.
– Feel free to poke a little fun at yourself! When you make fun of yourself, the audience is more
easily able to relate to you.
– Review your speech. Repetition is key, and a memory lapse is a great time to reiterate the
outline of your speech.
– Make it look planned. One way to do this is by taking a water break. Using this pause to take a
sip of water will allow you time to regain your bearings. Those in the audience will be none the
wiser!

https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/public-speaking-know-your-audience
http://dailyenglish24.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-is-oral-presentation-definition.html
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/social-anxiety-disorder/treatment/conquering-stage-fright
http://www.englishmate.com/blog/how-to-prepare-and-deliver-a-speech-effectively/
https://magneticspeaking.com/4-things-that-can-go-wrong-with-your-presentation-and-how-to-
handle-them/

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy