Presentation Skills

Presentation Pointers: Before & After

Eye contact
The eyes communicate powerful cognitive messages. Presenters should not underestimate their ability to persuade an audience with their eyes.
Tips: Mentally divide the room in 3-5 equal sections, and make eye contact with each section When speaking from notes, follow these rules: Look at your notes Absorb one idea Make eye contact with individuals in the audience Speak your full idea Repeat this pattern

Presentation Pointers: Before & After

Facial expressions
Facial expressions also communicate cognitive messages and emotions. They enhance your verbal communication by producing "feeling tone," the impression that you care about what you're saying.
Tips: Smile before you begin speaking Don't be either mechanical or melodramatic; act naturally Think about what you're saying and react with facial expressions to match or enhance the thought

Presentation Pointers: Before & After

Hand gestures
Hand gestures are important to emphasize words and emotions, illustrate verbal messages, or even replace verbal messages altogether. Tips: Keep your hands by your side or neutrally in front of you, unless you can use them to make a point. Avoid doing the following with your hands: Putting them behind your back Putting them in your pockets Putting them in front of you Using them to fidget Keep most gestures at chest level Think about what you're saying and react with hand gestures to match or enhance your message

Presentation Pointers: Before & After

Posture
Posture is an important element of your body language because it can communicate your message with confidence.
Tips: Before your presentation, sit or stand straight Walk confidently to the podium Assume the "basic speaker stance," which is as follows: Feet 12-18 inches apart and turned slightly outward Weight evenly distributed over the balls of both feet Body leaning slightly toward the audience Hands at sides Elbows loose

Presentation Pointers: Before & After

Improvising
No matter how well you prepare a presentation, problems sometimes occur. If this happens, you must improvise to salvage your presentation.
It is important that you remember the following when problems occur during your presentation: Problems should be ignored, if possible Extra audience attention should not be called to the problem Quickly solve the problem, but if you cannot, move on Avoid breaking the flow of your presentation when a problem occurs

Presentation Pointers: Before & After

Improvising
If you have to delay your verbal presentation, remind the audience what you were talking about before the interruption, and then continue. Following are ways to handle specific problems that occur during presentations:

Presentation Pointers: Before & After

Microphone problems
If you experience feedback, popping noises, or distortion, you may be too close--move back
If the microphone problem continues, fill your lungs with air and speak without a mike

Presentation Pointers: Before & After

Audio-visual support problems
You cannot depend on audio-visual supports for presentation success and you must be prepared to proceed without them
If an audio-visual problem arises during your presentation, choose the path that is least distracting to the audience to correct the problem

Presentation Pointers: Before & After

Dropped note cards
Continue without them, if possible
If you cannot continue without them, stop, pick them up, and continue

Presentation Pointers: Before & After

Unfriendly audiences
Answer hostile questions briefly, without becoming defensive, and then take another question Address unfriendly audience members by first stressing areas of mutual agreement or understanding Handle hecklers by pausing, making eye contact with the heckler, but not saying anything. Usually an audience member will address them. If this fails, ask the heckler to speak to you after your presentation is over. If you are heckled a third time, request that the heckler be removed from the room

Presentation Pointers: Before & After

Evaluate your presentation afterward
Once you finish presenting, evaluate yourself within 24 hours. If you have ideas on how to strengthen your material, make the changes immediately while the ideas are fresh. If you have ideas on how to strengthen your performance, make notes and implement these ideas with your next presentation.
Review any evaluations that you receive. Do not dwell on negative comments, but focus instead on your overall scores and averages in each category.

Presentation Hints and Tips

Start with a quotation
You can find lots of quotations on the Internet.
No one ever complained of a presentation being too short Long presentations can turn off the audience and be boring. Say what you have to say. Stop and shut up. A picture is worth a thousand words Use pictures instead of bullet points and your message retention should increase. Research suggests that this could be by a factor of five.

Presentation Hints and Tips

Involve the audience
Happy Computers have made a great success of their coaching business by involving the audience. Their motto seems very apt. Tell me and I will forget, Show me and I will remember, Involve me and I will understand. Make the presentation interactive if you can.

Presentation Hints and Tips

Live with the fear
All presenters feel very nervous before a presentation. We have given literally hundreds, and the fear never goes away. It is a combination of adrenaline and testosterone (which affects both men and women). Learn how to harness it, just like an athlete has to.
Clean your shoes You will be on display. Your audience will be looking at how well turned out you are. They will look at your shoes. Make sure that you have cleaned them.

Presentation Hints and Tips

The eyes have it Maintain good eye contact with the audience. Dont keep contact with only one group of the audience. Spread your attention around the room. Avoid jargon People really do play buzzword bingo. Whether it is the TLA Three Letter Abbreviation or the Paradigm Shift, you dont want the audience to be scoring points at your expense.

Presentation Hints and Tips

Keep It Simple Reduce your presentation to simple concepts and your audience should be able to follow you. If you go beyond their understanding they will switch off. Dont use PowerPoint sound effects It may seem funny to have applause at the end of a slide, or a screeching sound for a new bullet point, but it will turn off the audience.

Presentation Hints and Tips

Check out the room before your presentation Make sure the room has everything that you need and make sure the presentation works on the screen. If possible, go up the day before or at least an hour beforehand. This will avoid any nasty surprises on the big day.

Presentation Hints and Tips

Dont drink the night before and certainly dont get drunk Alcohol recovery or a hangover will be the kiss of death to your presentation. Alcohol will drain all of the enthusiasm from your voice. And if youve had a drink before you go on, your voice will be slightly slurred. Best avoid it, the time for a drink is after, not before.

Presentation Hints and Tips

Dont lock your knees When you get to the lectern, unlock your knees and act as if you are about to catch a ball. It will relax you and make it all flow much more smoothly.

Signs of a Boring Presentation

1. start to look down 2. touch or rub their face, hands or hair 3. eyes glaze over and look at the screen (this is easy to mistake as sitting listening intently) 4. Fidget 5. yawn (often with a hand covering their mouth)

Signs of a Boring Presentation

6. flick through their notes of the conference catalogue 7. make copious notes or jot down things they have forgotten to do (this can be mistaken for jotting down key points) 8. sigh heavily 9. lie back in their chair and cross their arms

Signs of a Boring Presentation

10. scan across the room 11. whisper to each other quietly 12. tap their feet

What to Wear During Presentation?

Guidelines:
Stay Authentic Within reason, your attire must express who you are. If you feel like you're wearing someone else's costume, your verbal message may not ring true.
Dress Like Your Audience, But One Step Better Appearing similar to, but slightly more dressed up than your listeners conveys respect both for them and for your subject. It enhances your credibility.

What to Wear During Presentation?

5 Tips as Guide to Dressing for Credibility
1. Wear well-made and well-maintained clothing Whether you choose to look conservative or creative, wear well-made clothing made from high quality fabric. Avoid linen and other easily wrinkled material. 2. Pay attention to details. Even if your audience wont see your shoes, make sure they are polished and that the heels are secure. Men should have a recent haircut and trimmed facial hair. Search for loose threads or inopportune gaps between buttons.

What to Wear During Presentation?

5 Tips as Guide to Dressing for Credibility
3. Wear your "Confident Clothes. Wear something that makes you feel sprightly and energized. This could mean sticking to the tried and true, so long as its one step above your audience and expresses your personality. Use a solid color that suits you near your face.

What to Wear During Presentation?

5 Tips as Guide to Dressing for Credibility
4. Make sure its comfortable. You are NOT allowed to tug at or rearrange your clothes while presenting. Wear your outfit around the house a few days before your presentation to ensure that you can move comfortably. Then put your outfit aside, including all underwear, jewelry and shoes, and go back to preparing your speech. 5. Dress to look taller. Consider wearing a solid color for both pieces of your outfit. This will help you appear taller and help you tap into the Intensified You.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Seating along with related physical arrangements create the foundation for meetings, programs and training. Often called room setups, they encompass comfort, access and safety for the attendees, and when selected appropriately, extend a presenter's influence in the room, broadcast intention and eliminate distractions. Seating setups fall into two broad categories: large groups (generally over 40) and small groups (usually under 40).

Guidelines for Room Setup

Large Group Setups The most commonly used, but not always the most appropriate, style of seating for large groups is Theater style. Other options are Classroom and Chevron styles.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Large Group Setups

Theater style supports "Sage on the Stage" presentations where speakers give forth with their wisdom, knowledge or wit intending that it be absorbed individually and passively by members of the audience without any reinforcement activity such as practice sessions, role playing, or brainstorming. If the presentation involves note taking or reference to handout material

Guidelines for Room Setup

Large Group Setups Classroom style is a better choice as it provides a writing surface.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Large Group Setups Chevron style is an excellent choice for audience interactivity.It is very flexible, good for either large or small groups and fosters a sense of audience involvement as the audience can see others and get feedback from them. Chevron can be adapted into Cluster seating for group exercises by audience members turning their seats around to face the table behind.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Small Groups Setups

All the small group setups (Perpendicular, U-Shape, Semi-Circle, Hollow Square or Rectangle, Boardroom, Cluster and Chevron) provide for and encourage the audience to take an active role in the presentation/meeting and to communicate with their peers.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Small Groups Setups

Hollow square or rectangle For meetings where hierarchy is not an issue. Excellent for facilitator led meetings. Encourages audience participation. Awkward to use any visuals.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Small Groups Setups Boardroom Very good for groups between 6 and 15. Suggests formality and hierarchy. Over 15, people at the far end table may feel left out and form a separate group.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Small Groups Setups Perpendicular Style Seats can be on either outside or inside of tables. Instructor can survey students' work. Easy exchange between presenter and audience. Center usable for exhibits or demos.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Small Groups Setups U-Shape Encourages collaboration. Center area usable for simulations and role plays. Can be used with or without speaker table.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Small Groups Setups Semi-circle or Circle Can be setup with or without tables. Presenter's role is minimal. Excellent for emotional sessions such as sharing grief. Encourages a sense of group and bonding.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Small Groups Setups Cluster style Good for presentations with breakout groups. Clusters easily return to being a single group. Quick and easy to follow with a meal. Tables can be either round or small rectangles.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Arrangements Checklist Select a seating arrangement to support the event and presenter's goals. Provide comfortable chairs. Arrange for adjustable chairs for day-long training. Provide surface for writing, using manuals, laptops, and placing beverages. Accommodate people with special hearing, seeing or mobility needs.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Arrangements Checklist Plan sufficient space for each person to avoid feeling cramped. Provide for easy access to seating with adequate number and width of aisles.

Select space proportionate to the number of people attending.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Arrangements Checklist Ten people will feel lost in a room set up for 300, surmise the meeting is poorly attended even though everyone is there and tend to disperse to near the exits. If you must use a large room for a small group, cordon off the unused area with plastic emergency tape. Check for adequate air and comfortable air temperature. Avoid noxious odors or enticing aromas.

Check room for exterior noise.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Arrangements Checklist Tape door latches to prevent them from making noise when people have to leave or arrive late. Arrange for adequate acoustics and acoustical support so people can hear (May require a variety of microphones).

Arrange for adequate lighting for presenter, audience and activities planned Find out who to contact when problems occur. Raise the speaker with a podium or platform so those in back can see.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Arrangements Checklist Consider whether to use a lectern, it covers about 75% of the body and restricts the speaker's movement. Locate screens, projectors and related visual equipment so audience can see Determine which wall will be the front of the room. Place entrance at rear of room to minimize coming and going distractions.

Check flip chart use and wall space for the display of filled pages.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Arrangements Checklist Find out if there is time and staff to change the setup in a room for subsequent speakers. Provide water, coffee, or other refreshments. Test equipment for working order (video, projectors, monitors, greaseboards). Provide vanity curtain for speaker's table to hide their stuff. Note proximity to rest rooms and coat storage.

Guidelines for Room Setup

Arrangements Checklist See that exit doors are clearly marked. Provide signs on outside door(s) and inside identifying the event and time. Provide name tags and/or name tents for attendees and presenters. Arrange for intuitive registration and program material distribution.

References
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