How to prepare an

effective oral
presentation

The Presentation Process

Setting your aims and

objectives
What is the purpose of your
presentation?
Is the presentation to inform, train,
persuade, entertain or demonstrate?
What are you hoping to achieve with your
presentation?

Researching your
audience
What do the members of the audience do?
(Are they students, lecturers, or others?)
Are they native or non-native speakers ?(in
case you deliver your presentation in a foreign
language)
What do they already know about the subject?
What will be new to them?
What interests your audience?

The Presentation
Structure

Introduction
Body
Conclusion

Introduction
Attract and focus the attention of the audience
Explain the purpose of the talk and what you
would like to achieve (I`m going to talk
about; Today I want to explain; The
objective/aim of this presentation isetc.)
Give an overview of the key points of the
presentation (I will concentrate on the following
points; First of allThenThis will lead to
And finally)

Body
Present your main points one by one in a logical order
(go from the simple to the complex)
Pause at the end of each point (give people time to
take notes, or time to think about what you are saying)
Make it absolutely clear when you move to another
point (The next point is ; Now I`m going to talk
about; Now I`d like to explain; Of course, we must
not forget that; However, it is important to realize
that etc.)
Use clear examples to illustrate and support your key
points
You can ask for questions

Conclusion
Summarize your main points again (To sum up; So,
in conclusion; OK, to recap the main points; In
short,; In brief,, In conclusion,;Altogether,; In
all,; Therefore/Thus/On the basis, it can/may be
concluded that etc.)
Restate the purpose of your talk, and say that you have
achieved your aim (I think you can now see; My
intention was, and it should be clear that etc.)
Thank the audience and invite questions (Thank you
for your attention. Are there any questions?)
Bad conclusion: That`s it!!!

Visual Aids
Whiteboard/blackboard
Flipcharts
Handouts
Overhead projector (OHP)
Computer-based presentation (e.g.
PowerPoint)
Video
Film
Objects (models, experiments and products)

 Help to make a presentation more lively

Help the audience to follow your presentation
Help you to present information that would be
difficult to follow through speech alone
Help the audience to remember what you have
said
Reinforce important and exact information
(numbers, exact quotes, financial detail)
Link several complex ideas (themes, diagrams)
Compare information (charts, graphs, etc.)

Caution !!!

Keep visual aids simple and clear

Try not to use too many visual aids
Do not use whole sentences (except for
quotes)
Pay attention to proper spelling and grammar
Use bold typeface, and a minimum of size 18
font
Do not block the audience`s vision
Make sure you know to operate the equipment

Delivering your
presentation

Voice
Speak loudly enough for everyone in the
room to hear you
Speak slowly and clearly so the audience
can follow you
Vary your voice quality
Slow down for key points
Use pauses (but not too long)
Avoid fillers like um or er

Body language

Stand straight and comfortably

Look confident
Start with a smile
Move around
Use your hands and facial expressions
(but avoid unnecessary and unnatural
gestures)

Interaction with the

audience

Keep eye contact with your audience

Be aware how your audience is reacting
Involve your audience by asking
occasional questions

Effective use of notes

Write down key sentences only
You may use cards or overhead
transparencies
Speak to your audience, do not read to
them

Presenter mannerism
that irritate the
audience
Lack of eye contact

Turning your back to the audience

Pointing a pointer at the audience
Hiding behind your notes or screen
Not being able to find the right slide
Standing perfectly still

Handling questions
Try to predict the questions
Try to point to questions you would like to
discuss
Be honest: if you cannot answer the
question, say so

Dealing with public

speaking fear

 People are afraid of public

speaking In fact, most say it`s
their number one fear. Death,
apparently, only comes second.
Jerry Seinfeld

 You may be judged by all those people,

and judged badly
You may feel like a fool
You might lose your way
You will be completely humiliated
The audience will not like you
They will not get what you are trying to
say

How does your body

react

Your mouth goes dry

Your knees may shake
Your voice quavers
Your heart beats
You blush
You have butterflies in your stomach
Your hands sweat

How to overcome fear of

public speaking
Nerves will keep you awake and ensure you do
not get too complacent
Focus on anything other than yourself (e.g. pay
attention to the environment, notice how
people are dressed etc.)
Nervousness is usually invisible
Your audience understands your nervousness
they are on your side
Confess you are nervous this makes the
audience more sympathetic

Take a deep breath

Smile
Slow down
Be yourself
Most important: Practice!

Things to remember !!!

Be prepared research your subject to
ensure you are knowledgeable
Know your audience tailor the
presentation to your audience`s level of
knowledge and interests
Use visual aids
Do not read your presentation talk to
your audience

Maintain eye contact

Actively involve your audience
Use your voice and body language
effectively
Try to anticipate possible questions
Relax
Practice!!! Practice!!! Practice!!!

Thank you for your

attention !!!