Tips for Presenters

Compiled by Professional Development

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Contents
The four Ps of presentations .................................................................3
How confident are you? ........................................................................4
Characteristics of a good presenter ......................................................5
Planning for your session ......................................................................6
Preparing your message........................................................................8
Preparing yourself ...............................................................................12
Presenting your message ....................................................................15
A word about PowerPoint...................................................................17
Personal Pitfalls ...................................................................................18
Tips for question time .........................................................................19
Presentation checklist .........................................................................20
On the day ...........................................................................................21
Notes: ..................................................................................................22
Notes: ..................................................................................................23

The objective of this booklet is to provide practical tips, tools and techniques
that will
 increase your confidence
 assist with your preparation
 help with the design of your presentation
 help you feel more confident

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The four Ps of presentations

As with any communication, your goal when presenting is to get your

message across clearly and effectively. We have arranged the materials
according to the following four key steps.

 Planning your message

This step involves thinking about your audience, your message
and what you can use to connect the two.

 Preparing your message

This step includes thinking about your message in three sections:
the opening, the body and the conclusion. Each of these is
important and requires planning.

 Preparing yourself
Dealing with your anxieties and nerves.

 Presenting your message

Thinking and rehearsing your delivery of the message.
Presentations have two components: the verbal transmission of
the message and the non-verbal communication of your emotions
around the message.

Presenting your message also looks at visual aids – how to get the
best from them.

Tip:
Believe in your subject, and your ability to facilitate.

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How confident are you?

This quick test helps you measure the effectiveness of your presentation skills.
If you wished, you could give this to colleagues for feedback on your
presentation.
Element 
I communicate in a way that is easy to understand.
I speak clearly and confidently with a relaxed, natural
voice.
I vary my pitch, tone and pace to add variety.
I maintain eye contact with the audience.
I use appropriate visual aids.
My presentation follows a logical sequence.
I know how to manage my presentation nerves.
I have identified the main purpose of my presentation.
I familiarise myself with the physical environment.
I practise the finished version several times.
My presentation includes:
a simple structure
a catchy introduction
the main body of information
a memorable conclusion
I have not put too much information on my visuals.
My visuals and handouts are free from error.
I am aware of my body language.
I give the audience the opportunity to ask questions.
I am enthusiastic about the topic of my presentation.

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Characteristics of a good presenter

characteristics Preparation Passion

Facts Knowledge
Style Inclusive
Clear Backup plan
speaker
Calm Interactive
Participation Eye contact

The most important thing is the presenter’s ability to relate to the group
members in a way that makes individuals feel valued and interested.

Good presenters talk with the group, not to them.

Tip:
Smile as you walk into the room.

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Planning for your session

You need to consider your audience. Important points to consider are:

who needs the information; why do they need it; what do they already
know; and what do they need to know. Think about language: would they
understand any jargon.

Define your objectives. You should determine what knowledge or skill

you wish to transfer to your audience. You are helping your group solve
problems and reach decisions to meet these objectives.

Tip:
Only tell people the thing they need to know.

Your message needs to be structured. Start with a high level overview

which tells the audience what the central message of your presentation is.
A tip is to think about the “what” and the “why” of your message.

Think about what visual aids would assist the audience to understand
your message or improve their experience. Examples might include a short
piece of video, power points or whiteboard diagrams. If you are going to
supply handouts, think about when you will give these out.

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Ensure that you assess the environment prior to your session. This
includes: your venue, for functionality; any technology you will be
using, for usability; and whether you have sufficient resources.

Repeat performances require repeat review. Are your original

objectives meeting the needs of your audience? Are your materials still
up-to-date? Did your previous session’s exercises help the group?

Tip:
Be prepared – don’t panic!

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Preparing your message

One of the most common mistakes people make when starting to create a
presentation is to sit down at the computer and open PowerPoint. The truth is,
this may work just fine for some people, but for many others it confuses the
process.

One Approach – the power of post it notes

An alternative approach is to stay away from the computer until you are clear
about the overall flow and the rough content of the presentation.

You can use post-it notes to map out your talk, placing each idea on a note and
then placing it within the overall structure of the talk. The great thing about
this technique is that you can simply move the ideas around if you feel like
something is misplaced. They also offer very limited space so you will not be
able to dive too much into the detail until after you have the structure.

If you prefer to work at the computer, spend your time in a word processor or
mind map program where you will focus only on the content and structure -
not the look.

Calculating content to fill your time

If you have a tight time constraint for your presentation

here are a couple of tricks to help keep you on track and on
time. First of all consider the word count of what you want
to communicate. On average you should speak at three
words per second.

This calculation will let you know how long it will take without any major
pauses. If you are planning pauses calculate those separately.

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Opening your message

The opening of your presentation is often about 10 - 15% of the total

time. As you are planning your opening you will want to keep some things
in mind.

 Greet people warmly and connect to your audience. This can be as

simple as making eye contact with members of the audience and
smiling.
 Get their attention by starting with a question or short story which ties
in to your topic for the day.
 Introduce yourself.
 If someone will introduce you make sure you know what they will say
about you and adjust any introductory comments accordingly within
your opening.
 Add details about your experience or qualifications if you feel that will
add to your credibility.
 Set the participants expectations by indicating how the talk will
proceed and what you hope they will gain from the presentation.
 Let people know if they should ask questions throughout or at the end.

Tip:
The ‘power of three’ rule has been used in
presentations for centuries. Think “friends, Romans,
countrymen”.

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The body of your message

The body of your presentation should comprise approximately 60 - 70% of the

total time. You have a number of options available to organise the main body
of your presentation. Here are some of the more common themes:

 Anticipate the questions your audience will have and structure around
answering those questions.
 Organise the information chronologically if your topic is suited to this
approach.
 Introduce a problem and then introduce a possible solution and the
benefits or pitfalls of that solution.
 This final one is sometimes referred to as a decision making approach.
You start with an opinion or suggestion, then counter with an opposing
opinion, but then you come back to give evidence to support your first
opinion and restate the thought in a new way.

You can help your audience understand the topic faster and easier by splitting
your topic into small pieces of information – also known as chunks. Your
handouts should be chunked e.g. with bulleted lists, short subheadings, and
short sentences and paragraphs.

A proper sequence of points during your session provides your group with a
pattern.

As you interact with participants, be mindful of the impact your language

choice has. Are you setting a positive tone? Does your language communicate
that participants are in a safe place where they can ask questions. Be careful of
humour – it’s easy for members of your audience to misunderstand and be
offended.

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Your conclusion

Often this is the least thought out component of a presentation but it is

one of the most important sections. It is often the message delivered in the
final few minutes that will stay with the attendees the longest, so this is
your chance to really drive home your major point.

As you are planning your conclusion you may want to:

 Plan to allow about 15 - 20% of your time for your conclusion.

 Summarise the main points of your talk.
 Let people know how to get more information on the topic.
 Be sure to have a strong closing sentence planned and rehearsed so
people will know you are finished and the talk doesn’t just fizzle out
at the end.
 Thank the audience.

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Preparing yourself

For some reason, public speaking is a source of stress for most people. In
fact, research into the things we fear shows it is our top fear. And this is
above heights, terrorist acts or even death.

So what causes this level of anxiety?

The most common causes of the fear are:

 Being unprepared
 Feeling you are not a good presenter
 Fear that your subject won’t be interesting
 Concern that you won’t have enough time or will have too much time
to cover your material

Just remember:
Feeling nervous is not the same as looking nervous. The audience often
cannot tell.

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Overcoming your fears

Being unprepared – To overcome this - know your material, know your

audience and practice. Practice out loud and with your equipment. Ensure
you arrive early so that you can get comfortable with the room and the
layout. Being early also gives you time to prepare your notes and be
completely ready before your audience arrives.

Feeling you are not a good presenter – The only way to overcome this one
is to gain experience. Being prepared is important but the truth is that the
more you give presentations, the better you will become. Remember your
audience wants you to succeed and will give you every chance.

Feeling that your subject won’t be interesting – If this was true no one
would show up to the talk. Your audience has made a special effort to
attend because they are already interested in what you have to say.

Too little time or not enough time – This one can be overcome with lots
of preparation and practice. If you practice giving your presentation several
times beforehand you will have a good idea of the time required. If you
find that your practice sessions are too long, cut some material or if they
are too short, add in extra material.

The most important thing to remember about being nervous is that it is

perfectly natural, we are all nervous at some time and fortunately most of
the symptoms are not visible to your audience.

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To help overcome nerves:

 Keep breathing – this sounds logical but taking a few deep breaths can
help relax your body and your nerves.
 Channel the nervous energy – accept that you will be nervous and that
your presentation may not be perfect as a result but let the energy
come through in the way you speak.
 Never call attention to your nerves (or apologise for them) –
remember your audience will not be able to see the symptoms
anyway.
 Pause for a few moments – do this before starting to help gather your
thoughts.
 Know your material and your plan – thorough preparation is the
BEST defense against nerves.

Tip:
Welcome the question! It’s a sign of interest.

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Presenting your message
You have spent time planning the message, structure and content. You
have spent more time developing the visual aids. Now you need to practice
your presentation with some friendly faces who can give you feedback.

Things to think about include:

Be mindful of your voice. The voice is something that we tend to

overlook when giving a presentation. However remember this is what
carries the message to your audience. There are four main qualities to keep
in mind:
 Volume – how loud you speak will depend upon the size of the
venue and the number of people attending. The goal is to speak
loudly enough so that it still sounds natural and you can be heard
without shouting.
 Emphasis – More experienced speakers will often lower their voice
slightly to gain the audience’s attention and then raise it back up
to make the point. Another way of emphasising important points
is to repeat them or to give practical examples that relate to the
audience.
 Pace – It is a well accepted fact that we always speak a little bit
faster than we think we actually do. As a result, when giving
presentations it is important to try and speak deliberately slowly.
Don’t worry that your audience will find it too slow, even if it
sounds that way to you. Speaking slowly and pausing can also be
used to emphasise important points.
 Sound enthusiastic – we can’t expect our audience to be
interested in our presentation, if we don’t sound interested. Vary
the tone and colour in your voice to keep the energy up.

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Watch for your body language.

Body language is an important part of making your audience feel comfortable

with you as a presenter. Some points to think about:

 Unless it is a very small group you should always stand whenever able.
 Smile - be enthusiastic.
 Face your audience - eye contact engages participants.
 Maintain attention levels - do something different every 10 minutes.
 Stand up straight and keep steady on your feet - minimize shuffling.
This will convey confidence even if you don’t feel it.
 If you do sit, lean forward slightly to help connect with the audience.
 Make eye contact with individuals if possible.
 If you are unsure what to do with your hands, you can easily cross them
behind your back or fold your hands causally in front of yourself.
 If possible use your hands to communicate too. It is more visually
interesting for the audience.
 Avoid holding things in your hands that you might fidget with.
 Use some of that nervous energy to convey enthusiasm for your topic.
 Wear comfortable clothing appropriate for the situation but avoid any
jewellery that might be distracting or noisy.
 Remember to watch your audiences’ body language - what are they
telling you?
 If you are using visual aids - let people look at your visual for a few
seconds before you start to speak about it. Finally, look out to the
audience not back at the screen.

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A word about PowerPoint

PowerPoint can be a very powerful presentation tool when used to your

advantage with automated timings and animations. However it can also be
a trap in that it is easy to be tempted into becoming too flashy.

Tips for effective use of PowerPoint include:

 Using consistent colours and effect throughout the presentation.

 Keep the font size above 30 points at all times. If your information
won’t fit at that size you are putting too much information on one
page.
 Keep it simple.

Short Simple Good!

Things to avoid:

 Being too flashy and distracting your audience from the message.
 Using PowerPoint as a way of giving yourself something to do.
 Overdoing the animation or the sound effects.

Tip:
Never read a slide word for word.

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Personal Pitfalls

 Poor organisation and being unprepared

With a properly designed session plan, extra supplies on hand and a
complete checklist, you can present professionally, keep on track and
better handle the unexpected.

 Making the topic too broad or too narrow

With just the right amount of material, you can deliver a clear message
and effect desired learning.

 Improper pacing
Maintain appropriate flow to begin and end on time. Participants will
feel energised and respond positively when information is presented
in a variety of ways with smooth pacing.

 Poorly designed handouts

A well-designed handout contains just the right amount of
information.

 Failing to establish rapport, early on

First impressions count. Your introduction and the tone you set at the
start of the session will either engage participants or have them tune
out.

 Caught in tangents, getting off track, losing the focus

If you get caught up in questions and concerns of the participants and
don’t bring the session back to focus, you will lose credibility.

Tip:
Stay present and practise presence.

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Tips for question time

Questions are an opportunity to ensure your message has been

understood rather than something to be feared.

Tips for handling question time include:

 Always allow sufficient time for at least three questions to be asked.

 Ensure you address your answer to the person asking the question
and the wider group as often others will be interested in the answer.
 If someone asks a question which requires a long and involved
answer that probably does not relate to others in the audience, ask
them to come and see you afterwards to discuss it one-on-one.
 If an audience member argues with your answer, say “I don’t want to
focus too much on that, perhaps we can discuss it afterwards”.
 If one person is dominating the question time, ask “does anyone else
have any questions”.

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Presentation checklist

Check 
Have you identified the aim of your presentation?
Have you thought about the audience?
Do you know how much time you have?
Is your presentation set out in a logical manner?
Have you rehearsed your presentation?
Have you anticipated and prepared for questions?
Are any aids clear and legible?
Have you checked for spelling and grammar?
Are your handouts clear and legible?
Do you have enough copies of the handouts?
Are you using technology?
If you are using technology, have you arranged to visit
the room?
Do you have a contingency plan if the technology breaks
down?
Have you built in time to warm up and calm your nerves?
Have you arranged for time notification?

“People trust you to give them the information

they need. Enjoy the opportunity to build
knowledge together.”

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On the day

On the day, make sure you arrive at the venue well in advance to check out
the equipment, visuals, any props, seating arrangements, the use of
technicians, etc.

 Make sure you are comfortable with your position for the
presentation, and familiarise yourself with your surroundings.
 Have a glass of water available within easy reach.
 Arrange your notes in such a way that it will be easy to see and use
them.

Always remember to welcome your audience at the start of the

presentation and thank them for their attention at the end.

Concentrate on projecting your voice and pace yourself. Pausing briefly

between each sentence will help you ensure that you don’t run away with
your speech.

Remember, only you know the content of your presentation. If you forget
part of it, continue and, if possible, try to subtly add the missing part later
on. The audience is only likely to notice that something has been missed if
you tell them so!

Keep an eye on the time. Be prepared to be flexible and concentrate on

the priorities if you are running out of time.

If you have prepared a finale, deliver it as you planned to get the reaction
you want.

Don’t forget to give out handouts if you planned to do so. Decide when
you will distribute them, depending on what you wish to achieve with the
presentation; either at the start so that everyone can follow along and take
notes, or at the end to ensure that all attention is focused on you during
the presentation.
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Notes:

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Notes:

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