Starting an effective presentation

Starting an effective presentation

1. Designing an Effective Presentation

   • Practice
     • “Practice makes you perfect,” as they say. to inspire confidence and trust you must be truly familiarized with your subject. Don’t just read it; understand it. You cannot explain something to someone else unless you completely understand that something yourself.
   • Be Assertive
     • Posture and presence are of the upmost importance. Be aware of how you are standing, your use of gestures and the mood you are establishing in your presentation. A good presenter is always measuring the audience and how they are responding to the presentation, taking special care to set the proper mood that is consistent with the topic
   • Contact
     • In what way would you like to connect with your audience? You want to keep them interested and while at the same time creating a sense of connection between you and them.
       • Eye Contact. This is particularly difficult with large audiences, but not impossible. Change your focal point, scanning each section of the audience so that everyone feels engaged with you and the presentation.
       • Gestures. Studies indicate that up to 55% of communication is body language. We use our arms, hands, legs, facial expressions and much more when explaining and emphasizing. A good presenter is careful to avoid keeping his hands in his pockets or his arms at his sides at all times.
       • Verbal contact. Always check beforehand if everyone can accurately see you or hear you; test the audio and lighting to be sure they are working. Engage your audience with rhetorical questions (they should be direct and clear) such as “How do you think we get to this conclusion?” or “What does this tell us?”
       • Language. You may be tempted to believe that a good presentation is one in which only technical or academic language is used. This is not always the case. Either way, you want to be sure that you speak in a clear and understandable manner. A good technique you can use is to use the pronoun “we” so that your audience feels involved.
   • Voice
     • It is believed that only people with a certain type of voice can be heard or understood. The truth is, though, that we all can do something with what we’ve got
       • It is believed that only people with a certain type of voice can be heard or understood. The truth is, though, that we all can do something with what we’ve got
       • Pitch, the frequency of the sound waves you produce should be refined. It is about the high or low notes you hit with your voice. Establish and reinforce your message with these variations. For example, questions should end on a higher note whereas affirmations should end on a slightly lower one.
       • Rhythm is used to carry meaning as it is the pattern of the sounds you produce. Tempo, on the other hand, is the pace of your voice: how slow or fast you speak. Slow down when you want to emphasize and quicken to show emotion or humor.
       • Finally, timbre is the emotional quality of your voice; how you reflect your attitude to enhance meaning or express emotion.
   • Breathe
     • Breathing is usually one of those things we forget to do properly because it is usually done automatically. Bad breathing, however, can affect our voice and our expression, especially when our presentation might take a considerable amount of time. Every effective presenter recommends taking a few deep breaths before starting. You can also use pauses throughout your presentation to ensure maintaining comfortable breathing patterns.
   • Drink
     • It is natural for our throats to dry up when we are speaking. This is why having water available can help prevent this problem. It is recommended to use room-temperature water (never cold; it affects the quality of the voice), and some people recommend a warm (not hot) cup of tea to ease your vocal chords and throat before you start.

2. Planning, Developing of Contents and Activities

   • Determine the purpose of your presentation and identify your own objectives.
     • Of the various factors that can affect the design of your presentation, the most important are your objectives and audience. So, as a start, you must know exactly what you want to achieve and what it is that you want your audience to take from you.
   • Know your audience and what it knows.
     • Spectators have very different individual experiences. You are sometimes facing a heterogeneous audience with various interests and levels of knowledge.
   • Define your topic.
     • Defining your topic means choosing the main points you wish to convey. It is advised not to use more than three points in a ten-minute presentation, including your opening and your conclusion.
   • Arrange your material in a way that makes sense for your objectives.
     • As we said, your topic must be logical, structured and built upon previous points.
   • Compose your presentation.
     • This is the core of your work. You must take into account everything we have discussed so far when composing your presentation. It is important to add linking statements, taking into account the flow of your presentation, both backwards and forwards. Through the usage of links you can prove that you are making a point and you are moving toward something specific.
   • Create visual aids.
     • Visual aids and supporting information will help your audience gain a better understanding, as well as believe and agree with your topic. The use of diagrams, charts, tables, pictures or different multimedia (audio and video) is suggested
   • Practice your presentation.
     • As we stated before, you can always practice by yourself in an empty room, or even in front of a mirror. No matter how you do it, always be sure to be objective with yourself, noting what you like and what you don’t.
   • Make Necessary adjustments.
     • Always review the contents of your presentation. Once you have checked every aspect of it and practiced it, you can still make adjustments in timing and contents to match your objectives.
   • Analyze the room where you’ll be giving your presentation (set-up, sight lines, equipment, etc.).
     • This is, of course, part of the technical aspects of your presentation that requires your attention each time you present. If possible, it is recommended you perform a technical check a few days prior to the presentation date.
   • Practice again.
     • We’ll be saying this a lot because it matters: practice makes perfect. You should feel positive, confident and satisfied. And even after the actual presentation is over, always look for new feedback from your audiences. This is, after all, a constant work in progress and improvement.