PRESENTATION SKILLS

Nature/Features
Form of Oral communication
Participative/Interactive & two-way
Purposeful & goal oriented
Audience oriented
Formal & structured presentation of message
Requires visual support for better
impact/understanding

FORMS OF PRESENTATION
Paper presentation in
Seminars/workshop/conference
Product launch
Team presentations
Dept. presentations in meetings
Sales presentations to the target customer
Awareness campaigns
Promotional presentations

DISTINCTION BETWEEN A SPEECH

& A PRESENTATION
Speech/Talk

Presentation

The occasion is often light

Made at anniversary, inauguration, etc

Usually no scope of question-answers

The occasion is serious and

purposeful

Audience is generally large

Audience is compact

Made at a conference, meeting

The purpose is more focusedexplain, persuade, etc

It is followed by questions

PLANNING THE PRESENTATION

Define the Purpose:
to share new information
to convince prospective customers
to demonstrate a process, etc.
to raise awareness about an issue
Focused questions:
Why am I making this pres.?
What will the audience gain at the end of my
presentation?

PLANNING THE PRESENTATION

CONT..
Analysing the audience:
A-audience: who? how many?
U-understanding: subject/topic knowledge, level of
understanding
D-demographics: age, sex, educational-social-culturaleconomic background
I-interest: why will they attend the pres.?
E-environment: setting, resources available
N-needs: listeners needs/what will they gain?
C-customised: how to fit my message according to the
need of the audience
E-expectations: what do they expect to learn/know from
me

PREPARING THE PRESENTATION

Choosing a suitable / appropriate title / catch line / thought line
Developing the central idea & the supporting ideas:
restates the pres. topic
Gives background information
Importance/relevance of the topic/subject
Expresses definite standpoint
establish reasons for the supporting ideas being true, through
facts/figures
Can adopt any of these approaches as applicable: Chronological /
sequential, general / specific concepts, categorical / classification, cause
& effect, problems / crisis & corresponding solutions, Contrast and
comparisons, Examples & non-examples
Gathering

supporting material : exploring resources available e.g.

newspapers, journals, books, net, other resources

Giving

a mock presentation / a rehearsal

USING VISUAL AIDS

Serve as Speech Notes: clarify main points of
presentation
Retain attention: has a better impact and helps to
retain the attention of the audience
Give confidence: the presenter feels well equipped
Time saving devices: pre-planned graphs, diagrams,
etc

e.g. PPTs, handouts, charts, maps, etc.

PREPARING A PPT
1st slide title slide, 2nd slide outline of pres. ; 2nd last slide
summary, last slide Thanks giving
Each slide to have a sub-title, highlighting the slide content
Less of running text & content in one slide ; content to be
presented in enumerated format / bullet format
Readable point size of text so that can be viewed from the
audience at the back
Avoiding making slides very colourful, should keep
formality, use of formal colours
Slide background & slide text should have contrasting
colours
Highlight necessary points of focus / attention
Avoiding too much custom animation of texts / items
Use slide transitions for better impact
Slides not to be put in automatic mode of operation

STAGES OF A PRESENTATION
INTRODUCTION:
Greeting & Welcoming the audience
Getting audiences attention by a catchy statement /
beginning : quote, joke, story
Introducing the topic/subject
Preview the main ideas to be discussed in points
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION: Summarise the presentation, Reemphasise the central idea, Motivate the audience to give
feedback : Now its upto you to decide/say/believe.
Provide closure: that is all I have to say about
..(topic/area/subject).; Thanking the audience
OPEN FORUM / Q & A

ASPECTS OF A GOOD
PRESENTATION
Analysing the audience
Confident beginning & delivery with full knowledge &
belief in what being delivered
Occasional use of relevant humour, anecdotes, etc.
Use of supporting & visual aids
Well articulated speech with proper pronunciation,
intonation & speed
Good & controlled use of body language
Maintaing eye contact with the audience
Moving into the audience [if possible]
Asking questions while delivery
Memorable closing

CONT
Maintaining a formal style of delivery all through
Keeping a pleasant expression & temperament
all through
Reacting to the mood of the audience during
delivery
Finally rehearsing the presentation