1

Improving Oral Improving Oral PresentationsPresentations

2

The most important The most important thing in a Oral thing in a Oral

Presentation is….?Presentation is….?Audience

You

Content

Topic

Time

Visual Aids

• Planning the Presentation

• Organizing the Presentation

• Developing Visual Aids

• Practicing the Presentation

• Delivering the Presentation

Preparing an Oral Preparing an Oral PresentationPresentation

1. Identify your purpose: reporting, explaining, persuading, motivating etc.• Decide what you want your audience to

believe, remember, or do when you finish.• Aim all parts of your talk toward your purpose.

2. Analyze the audience: identify demographic factors, their level of knowledge about your topic and psychological needs.

3. Timing

4. Delivery Method: Memorizing, Reading, Speaking from the notes

Planning the Planning the PresentationPresentation

1. Introduction• Get the audience involved.• Capture attention by opening with a promise,

story, startling fact, question, quotation, relevant problem, or visual aid.

• Opening should introduce the topic, identify the purpose, and preview the main points of the presentation.

• Establish your credibility by identifying your position, expertise, knowledge, or qualifications.

Organizing the Organizing the PresentationPresentation

2. The Body of the Presentation.

• Organize the body logically, according to the topic and audience needs.

• Develop four to five main points. Streamline your topic and summarize its principal parts.

• Arrange the points logically: chronologically, from most important to least important, by comparison and contrast, or by some other strategy.

Organizing the Organizing the PresentationPresentation

• Organize the body.• Prepare transitions.

• Use “bridge” statements between major parts (I’ve just discussed three reasons for X; now I want to move to Y).

• Use verbal signposts (however, for example, etc.).

• Have extra material ready. • Be prepared with more information and visuals

if needed.

Organizing the Organizing the PresentationPresentation

3. Organize the conclusion.

• Finish on a strong, upbeat note, leaving your audience with a clear and simple message.

• Review/Summarize your main points.• Provide a final focus. Tell your listeners how

they can use this information, why you have spoken, or what you want them to do.

• Plan a graceful exit.• Questions/discussions should be handled by

all team members.

Organizing the Organizing the PresentationPresentation

1. A promiseBy the end of this presentation, you will be able to . . . .

2. DramaTell a moving story; describe a serious problem.

3. Eye contactCommand attention at the beginning by making eye contact with as many people as possible.

Preparing an Oral Preparing an Oral PresentationPresentation

Nine Techniques for Gaining and Keeping Audience Attention

4. MovementLeave the lectern area. Move toward the audience.

5. QuestionsAsk for a show of hands. Use rhetorical questions.

6. DemonstrationsInclude a member of the audience.

Preparing an Oral Preparing an Oral PresentationPresentation

Nine Techniques for Gaining and Keeping Audience Attention

7. Samples/gimmicksAward prizes to volunteer participants; pass out samples.

8. VisualsUse a variety of visuals.

9. Self-interestAudience wants to know “What’s in it for me?”

Preparing an Oral Preparing an Oral PresentationPresentation

Nine Techniques for Gaining and Keeping Audience Attention

Building Audience Building Audience RapportRapport

• Use effective imagery.Analogies, metaphors, similes, anecdotes, statistics, worst-and best-case scenarios

• Include verbal signposts.Previewing, summarizing, switching

directions

• Send positive nonverbal messages.Look terrific, animate your body,

punctuate your words, move about, vary your expression

• Select the medium.• Consider the size of the audience and the

degree of formality desired.• Consider cost, ease of preparation, and

potential effectiveness.• Highlight the main ideas.

• Focus on major concepts only.• Avoid overkill. Showing too many graphics

reduces effectiveness.• Keep all visuals simple.

Designing and Using Designing and Using GraphicsGraphics

• Ensure visibility.• Use large type for transparencies and slides.• Position the screen high enough to be seen.• Be sure all audience members can see.

• Enhance comprehension.• Give the audience a moment to study a visual

before discussing it.• Paraphrase its verbal message; don’t read it.

Designing and Using Designing and Using GraphicsGraphics

• Practice using your visual aids.• Rehearse your talk, perfecting the

handling of your visual aids.• Practice talking to the audience and not

to the visual.

Designing and Using Designing and Using GraphicsGraphics

Presentation EnhancersPresentation Enhancers

•Multimedia Slides•Overhead Transparencies•Handouts•Flipchart•Write-and-wipe Board•Video

• Use slides only to summarize major

points.

• Explain what each point means.

• Allow time for audience to absorb

meaning.

Using PowerPoint Using PowerPoint EffectivelyEffectively

• Keep the lights as bright as possible.

• Don’t rely totally on PowerPoint.

• Prepare for the worst; have

transparencies or alternate media

ready.

• Don’t let your slides upstage you!

Using PowerPoint Using PowerPoint EffectivelyEffectively

Overcoming Stage FrightOvercoming Stage Fright

• Stomach butterflies

• Pounding heart

• Shortage of breath

• Sweaty palms

• Dry throat

• Unsteady voice

• Trembling hands

• Wobbly knees

• Tied tongue

Overcoming Stage FrightOvercoming Stage Fright

Symptoms of Stage Fright

• Select a familiar, relevant topic. Prepare 150 percent.

• Use positive self-talk.

• Convert your fear into anticipation and enthusiasm and positive eneegy.

• Shift the focus from yourself to your visuals.

• Focus on familiar faces.

Ways to Overcome Stage Fright

Overcoming Stage FrightOvercoming Stage Fright

• Give yourself permission to make an occasional mistake.

• Ignore stumbles; keep going. Don’t apologize.

• Make the listeners your partners. Get them involved. Use natural gestures.

• Just before you speak, practice deep breathing.

Ways to Overcome Stage Fright

Overcoming Stage FrightOvercoming Stage Fright

• Reading from the slides

• Eye Contact/Posture

• Hand in the pockets

• Speed/Tone

• Highlight on main issues and not on unimportant ones.

• A group presentation should reflect good teamwork.

• Strong Introduction with the agenda for the presentation.

• Consistency in the information presented by all members.

• Inadequate rehearsal time

• Enforce time limits strictly

ObservationsObservations

1. How can internet be used to find a job?

2. How can your organization or institution improve its image?

3. Why should people invest in a company or scheme?

4. Should employees be able to use computers in a work environment for anything other than work-related business?

5. What are the pros and cons of videoconferencing for an organization?

6. What is your opinion of the statement, “Advertising steals our time, defaces the landscape, and degrades the dignity of public institutions”?

Read chapter 15. for the next class.