Introduction
Preparation
Postcard Technique
Reducing your fears
Transparencies and handouts
Questions and answers
Introduction: What is the purpose of a presentation?
Many students are asked to give a presentation or short talk to their fellow students and for some courses this is a formal requirement which cannot be avoided. The process of giving a presentation is useful for a number of reasons:
- A presentation will generally prompt an informal discussion and generate a lot of new and interesting ideas
- They will highlight a variety of different viewpoints and attitudes and perhaps cause people to stop, think and re-asses their views
- Presentations allow people whose skills are verbal rather than written to present themselves effectively and gain credit for their particular skills
- Some occupations require the ability to give effective presentations
The important features of presentations are that you have an audience and that you communicate information to them. This simple statement produces your first two questions:
- firstly, what exactly do you wish to communicate to your audience?
- and secondly, what do you want your presentation to achieve?
Before you start to prepare any presentation you should ask yourself these two fundamental questions. Only then can you focus the preparations for your presentation and ensure that it is clear, relevant, simple and to the point. Remember that your objective is to communicate with and inform your audience not simply to impress them; so, pitch your talk at a suitable level and try to begin with an "ice breaker" of some sort. Seeking common ground with the audience at the start of the talk will establish a good rapport for the material that is to follow.
Plan carefully, just as if you were completing a piece of written work. Start early so that you have plenty of time to improve the logic of your presentation by redrafting earlier efforts. (If you are adept at using computers you will find that the templates in PowerPoint provide a good starting point for your first drafts).
Useful tips are:
- Intend to make just a few main points which your audience will remember. Do not plan to swamp them with your knowledge or "blind them with science!"
- Select a small number of concrete example which your audience will easily be able to relate to and which accurately illustrate your arguments.
- Structure your talk carefully using logically organised headings and know the order in which you are going to make your points.
- Repeat the main points so that the audience is clear about the direction your talk is taking.
- It usually takes longer to say something than it does to read it; so, allow plenty of time and practice speaking at a slow, clear pace.