Careers & Lifestyle Presentation skills

Many managers would sell

their souls to the devil
himself to be able to give
the perfect presentation.
With Rob Yeung’s top tips,
there’s no need

W
hen was the last time you sat through a
great presentation? No, not just a
presentation that didn’t bore you, but
one that actually made you want to
listen, made you think, perhaps even brought a wry smile
to your face or made you laugh out loud.
Presenting exceptionally is a rare talent. If you want to
shine, beware the seven deadly sins of presenting.

1 Not anticipating the needs of the audience

Perhaps the greatest sin of presenting is not considering
the interests and expectations of your audience.
Consider some of these questions: 2 Letting the dog eat your homework
■ What are the aims of your audience in coming to Being ‘too busy’ to prepare for a presentation is an
hear the presentation? Consider the extent to which your almost bulletproof way to fail. Either prepare for a
audience is looking for information versus inspiration. presentation or don’t give one at all. The impact of
■ How sophisticated are audience members about looking like a fool in front of your colleagues or
your topic? Take into account how much background customers is more career damaging than declining to
and coverage of key concepts you will need to provide give the presentation in the first place.
before covering new material. Begin your preparation by brainstorming ideas and
■ What is your audience’s attitude to the subject of writing notes. If you’re stuck for inspiration, a good tip is
your presentation? Bear in mind that arguing against to look at what has been written on the topic in the huge
common perceptions is not only more interesting, but library of resources that is the internet. Bear in mind that
also more difficult, than affirming the audience’s views. variety will ensure that your presentation is both
■ How much time does your audience have to hear interesting and memorable. Collect together rhetorical
you speak? Consider whether you need to include time questions, examples, anecdotes, quotations, and case
to answer questions or not. studies as well as diagrams and charts.

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 Presentation skills Careers & Lifestyle

As you need to narrow your key ideas down and supplement to your presentation. Reading them out
decide what to include in your presentation, bear in more or less verbatim obviously adds no value. Neither
mind that it is harder to convey information when are visual aids a substitute for a logical structure,
speaking about it than when writing about it. If in doubt, compelling content, or expressive delivery.
err on the side of keeping it simpler.
And as most presentations are accompanied by question 5 Failing to practise, practise, practise
and answer sessions, make sure that you also brainstorm Audiences hate stuttering paper-shufflers who stand and
likely questions so you can prepare your responses rather read their notes. It may sound hackneyed to say that
than having to make answers up on the fly. practice makes perfect – but just because a phrase has
passed into cliché does not make it any less true. The
3 Disregarding the advice of Mr Spock more you know your material,the more you can avoid looking
Throwing your points at your audience without a logical at your notes and focus on the job of making eye contact with
structure will confuse your audience as surely as it might the audience and bringing the material to life instead.
have confused Mr Spock of the star When you practise, try to simulate the actual
ship Enterprise. Imagine that presentation conditions as closely as possible. Speak it
someone presented you with the out loud and at the right volume. If you need to stand for Dr Rob Yeung
letters E H P S E and C. Doesn’t make your presentation, stand up when you practise too. If you
much sense, does it? But now can, project your slides up on a flat surface and think
consider if the sequence was about how you will gesture to them too.
changed to S P E E C H.
Choosing an appropriate present- 6 Allowing nerves to get the better of you
ation pattern is often as key to A visibly nervous presenter makes an audience feel
communicating effectively as having nervous too. But the key word here is visibly. Remember
good points to make in the first that an audience can rarely discern nervousness as much
place. There are many common as you can feel it. So long as you can appear relaxed, they
patterns that crop up in presentations, can’t tell that your heart might be racing and your palms
such as: are sweating.
■ Chronological – speaking Focus on speaking slowly and keeping the tone of
about a series of events or talking your voice deep. Force your voice to at least begin in a
about the past, present and future lower part of its register than normal as you may find that
often makes a presentation very any nervousness will likely make your tone creep up.
easy to follow. Watch out also for what your hands are doing as
■ Using an acronym or a word – fidgeting is possibly the sign of nervousness that
for example using SWOT to talk audiences most commonly notice.
through strengths and weaknesses, Another good tip is to write out your introduction
opportunities and threats. Or choose verbatim and practise it several times. Given the
your own word, eg, SURE – ‘I’m going disproportionate importance of making a good first
to talk about the Scale of the impression, it pays dividends to begin your opening
problem, its Urgency, our suggested minutes as smoothly and confidently as you can.
Response, and then I’m going to
Elicit feedback on the topic’. 7 Focusing on education over entertainment
■ Problem/solution – state the Another major sin is forgetting that you are there as
problem and then guide your audience to the solution. much to entertain – or at least engage – the audience as
■ Theory/practice – begin with the theory and then you are to present facts and figures to them.
describe what happened when you tried to apply it. Your impact is determined not only by what you say
but also how you say it. Think about how you convey
4 Causing death by visual aid your enthusiasm through appropriate facial expressions
While it’s said that a picture can paint a thousand words, and hand gestures. Change your stance and introduce
ill-conceived visual aids can paint a thousand of the physical movement around the stage or podium too.
wrong words. Vary the pitch of your voice – for example dropping it to Dr Rob Yeung is a director and
Novice presenters often pack their visual aids with too a conspiratorial whisper occasionally or asking a executive coach at leadership
much content. Bear in mind that your audience will be rhetorical question in a loud and showman-like manner consulting firm Talentspace. He is
hearing your speech and viewing your visual aids for the – to retain the audience’s interest. the author of over a dozen books
first time. It’s difficult for anyone to take on board words To further enhance your level of engagement, think of including The Rules of EQ
or diagrams on a slide while someone is saying ways to interact with your audience. Perhaps begin your (Cyan/Marshall Cavendish) and
something different. Make sure you talk through your presentation with a controversial statement,which you could Public Speaking & Presentations
slides rather than simply talking over them. then qualify over the course of your presentation or ask a for Dummies (Wiley)
On the other hand, visual aids should only be a question that requires your audience to shout out responses.

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