Ready, Steady, PRESENT! (How to give presentations)

Member Name: Lools_24

Product:	How to give presentations
Date:	11/03/09 (190 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The more you practice and do them the better you become

Disadvantages: Nerves

Presentations.... A bit like marmite, you either love them or hate them.. Most people I know hate them; being a bit of an odd bod I love them. But I suppose I have to as part of my job I have to give presentations at least twice a week. I have presented to small audiences and also on a number of occasions to an audience of over 200 people. I have also presented to the CEO and executive directors of the company I currently work for on a number of occasions. For me the worst presentations were always the ones I had to give at university in front of my peers, I still would prefer to present in front of room full people who I have never met before than a small group of people that I know.

So these are my tips, hope they help:


***Preparation***

It sounds obvious but make sure you know what exactly it is you are required to present. Understand what the key objectives of the presentation are and plan the presentation accordingly around this.

Size of the audience- With a smaller audience it is often easier for the presentation to be more interactive, which often isn't possible with a larger audience. Therefore with a larger audience you may need more visual aids to make your presentation hold the attention of the audience.

Audience- Consider your audience, the skills and knowledge base. There is no point presenting a basic overview on a subject to an audience of specialists in the field you are talking to or vice versa a complex presentation to an audience of people with little understanding on a subject. If you know the general level of understanding of your audience you can tailor the content accordingly

Venue- Where possible find out as much as you can about the venue. The size of the room, shape of the room and layout. That way you will have an idea of equipment available to you. You will also have an idea of the volume you need to speak at, or if you require a microphone.

If you have the opportunity make sure you practice in the room you plan to carry out the presentation in, and take along someone who can give you feedback on your presentation. It will identify anything else you may need and check if the equipment in the room works. It will also help you to see where you need to stand and check that you are not blocking the view of any audience members

Practice- NEVER READ OFF A SET SCRIPT. If you really do need prompts then write a few basic bullet points or figures on prompt cards but never stand and present with reams of paper in your hand. If you practice and run through the presentation before your actual presentation day it gives you a better idea of how it will flow. If you are using PowerPoint you can use this as your prompt (this is what I try and do). If you practice in front of a mirror it will let you assess your body language and assess if its suitable.

Feedback- Make sure you find someone to give you honest constructive feedback on your presentation. Listen to what they have to say and amend where you feel appropriate. Don't be offended and ask this person to be as honest as possible as feedback can only make your presentation better.

Remain Flexible
Change is inevitable in life and all best laid plans are often subject to last minute change. If you have prepared and know your material this the important factor, the room you present it in or the equipment you have is less important providing you don't depend too heavily on one aspect. Have back up plan in case the worst happens- i.e. print out copies of a visual aid that you may have put on a flip chart etc. If you do have a last minute change, don't panic and if its really necessary negotiate more time if there is no way the presentation can go ahead.


***Carrying out the Presentation***

Personality
Although you should always tailor your presentation to suit your audience you should also ensure that your presentation suits your personality. If you are naturally lively then make your presentation lively. Alternatively if you are not a natural comedian then don't include lots of jokes in your presentation. The most important things is to feel comfortable the way you present as often what you present may not be what you are most comfortable presenting (especially in a business situation).

Body Language
It is an accepted fact that you will more than likely be nervous. Try not to stand with your arms folded or dancing around on the spot as it is a distraction to the audience. If like me you make hand gestures and talk waving your hands around, try and control this. I find hold a pen works well, but what ever you do don't fiddle with the pen

Eye Contact
Look at the audience but don't stare them out. Look around the room and not in the same area. Smile and look relaxed and it should help you build a better rapport with the audience. This is why you can't read off a script as if you are looking down you will not be looking at the audience

Dress Appropriately
Wear something that you feel comfortable in. Layers are always a good idea as you can take off of put of if you are hot. Men often sweat so wearing a light coloured shirt may be a bit risky opt for a darker colour. Ladies, short skirts low cut tops make the audience look at you but not for the right reason. The worst presentation I was in the audience of was of a girl in a very short skirt who kept pulling it down constantly and was very distracting and it made me cringe for the poor girl.

Introduction & Conclusion/ Summary
It makes it easier for the audience to follow the presentation to let them know straight off in the introduction what you are going to cover. i.e. think about what questions are you going to answer. Ending your presentation with a summary means you can run over your main points from the presentation and confirm what you said you would deliver in the introduction.

PowerPoint
If you do decide to use PowerPoint do not overload your slides with lots of text and long sentences. Short points by bullet points act as a prompt and the audience focus on what you are saying rather than reading the slides behind you. Check the text size of your PowerPoint, ensure it supports the flow of your presentation and what ever you do DON'T USE SOUNDS linked onto text. Text whooshing in just looks totally unprofessional!

***Questions***
This is the part of a presentation I love... there is some form of anticipation and I get a huge adrenalin rush as there is so much uncertainty to what I will be asked

As part of the preparation think about the types of questions you may be asked and ensure that these are covered in the presentation. Be prepared to expand on points in the question time if you have any. It's difficult to identify what questions could be asked but always think about what you could be asked as mental preparation.

Most importantly if you get a question that you really can't answer... SAY SO. Don't make up an answer as you could be challenged further and made to look life a fool. Tell the person you will get back to their question after the presentation.

Some people like to take questions are the presentation goes along, others prefer to wait until the end. My general rule is if you have an audience over 5 people, questions should be left until the end otherwise the flow will be interrupted. Under 5 people it is possible to build a rapport with the audience and be able to expand on points as you go along.

Also if you feel nervous and feel you may lose your flow by inviting questions during the presentation, set out in your introduction that you want questions left until the end.


***Breathe***

Remember if you feel it all going to pot, stop, take a deep breath and then continue. Composure and confidence is the most important thing to a successful presentation.

It takes time to become comfortable with presenting and the only way to improve is to actually deliver presentations unfortunately

Summary: It all comes with practice