GIVING THE

PRESENTATION
 INTRODUCTION

Finally, there is the start.—The nearly

unbearable tension can relax.—But how
can you reach that? How do you warm
up? How do you survive the first critical
five minutes? Read and try out the
following experiences, rules and tips?

Giving a presentation can be

nerve-wracking, but with the right
preparation and mindset, you can
deliver it with confidence and
impact.
 Arriving early before giving a presentation can
provide several advantages.
Firstly, it allows you to set up your equipment and
ARRIVE EARLY make sure everything is functioning correctly.
Technical difficulties can be stressful and
distracting, so arriving early to troubleshoot any
Arrive early to issues can help you feel more prepared and

set up your confident.

In addition, arriving early gives you time to become
equipment and familiar with the space.

get You can check the layout of the room, the position
of the projector or screen, and any other important
comfortable details.

with the space. This will help you to feel more comfortable and
confident during the presentation.
This will help Arriving early also gives you the opportunity to
mentally prepare yourself for the presentation.
you to feel You can use this time to review your notes, practice
more relaxed your delivery, and focus your mind on the task at
hand.
and focused. This can help you to feel more relaxed and focused
when it is time to begin the presentation.
Overall, arriving early before a presentation is a
simple but effective way to help ensure that
everything runs smoothly and to give yourself the
best chance of delivering a successful presentation.
 DRESS APPROPRIATELY
Dressing appropriately is an important aspect of giving a
presentation as it helps to create a good first impression
and sets the tone for the audience.
The choice of attire should depend on the type of
audience and the nature of the occasion.
For instance, if you are presenting to a group of
corporate executives, formal business attire such as
a suit and tie would be appropriate. On the other
hand, if you are presenting to a more casual
audience, a smart casual attire would suffice.
When you dress appropriately, you are not only showing
respect for your audience and the occasion, but you are
also setting a standard of professionalism for yourself.
This helps you to feel more confident and in control,
which in turn can improve your delivery and overall
performance.
Additionally, when you are dressed professionally, you
are less likely to be distracted by concerns about your
appearance, allowing you to focus fully on your Dress appropriately for
presentation and engage with your audience more
your audience and the
effectively.
In summary, dressing appropriately is an important occasion. Dressing
aspect of giving a presentation as it helps to create a professionally will help you
positive first impression, demonstrates respect for your
to feel more confident and
audience and the occasion, and can improve your
confidence and performance. respected.
 BE CONFIDENT
Your presentation starts with contact
preparations and contacting the audience

Confidence is an essential aspect of giving a Stand tall, speak clearly, and make
successful presentation. eye contact with your audience.
It is important to stand tall and maintain good This will help you to project
posture while delivering your presentation. confidence and credibility.

This will make you appear more confident and

authoritative.
Additionally, speaking clearly and articulately
will help you to convey your message
effectively. Remember that it's normal to feel a
Eye contact is also crucial because it shows bit nervous when giving a

your audience that you are engaged and presentation, especially if it's in front
of a large audience or an important
confident.
group of people. However, by
When making eye contact, try to look at
practicing your presentation
different areas of the room to include all beforehand and focusing on
members of your audience. projecting confidence and
Remember, projecting confidence and credibility, you can overcome your
credibility will help to keep your audience nerves and deliver a successful

engaged and interested in your presentation. presentation.

 CREATING A RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE AUDIENCE
In the human communication, also when presenting the most
boring technical contents, it is inevitable to create a positive
relationship between speaker and audience.
If there is nothing “going on” between both parties, the
presentation does not “come across” well!
This experience is often disregarded by technicians, because
they are so convinced of the quality of their subject and
qualification, that they do not care enough for “these manners”.
However, “these manners” are more than a container for the
technical contents.
The manners, the art of human interaction in the widest sense,
are the key to introduce technology to people and to influence
the decision makers in a positive way.
Therefore, engineers should know a little bit of psychology.
The more important teams become in our professional life, the
more important are key competences like thes
 CREATING A RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE AUDIENCE
How can you build up such a relationship at the beginning of your
presentation? There is no patent medicine, but a recommendation:
Friendliness, open-mindedness and interest for the audience create
sympathy and in response open-mindedness and acceptance for
your person and your presentation contents in the audience
a successful, well-balanced greeting,
referring to the common situation (“nice room”, “yesterday night we
visited … together” etc.),
integration of contents from the previous presentation, praise of
the previous presentation (if appropriate) and advertising for the
next presentation,
friendly, positive, human introductory sentences,
offer to ask intermediate questions, organization of breaks, offer to
open the discussion,
distribution of the structure or a first documentation (1st present),
announcing/promising a more bulky documentation or a little
surprise at the end of the presentation or 214 5 Presenting the
Technical Report
anything else positive that comes to your mind
 USE BODY LANGUAGE

Using body language during a presentation can

help you to convey your message more effectively
and engage your audience.
Hand gestures can be used to emphasize
important points, highlight key information, or
illustrate an idea.
Facial expressions can show enthusiasm, convey
emotions, and express sincerity.
Body language, such as standing up straight,
walking around the room, or leaning forward, can
help to demonstrate confidence and engagement.
However, it is important to use body language in a
natural and appropriate way.
Avoid excessive movements or gestures that may
be distracting or convey nervousness.
Use body language to enhance your message, but Use hand gestures, facial
make sure it doesn't overpower it. expressions, and body language
Practice using body language in conjunction with to emphasize your message
your message to find the right balance and
and engage your audience.
increase your effectiveness as a presenter.
 SPEAK CLEARLY
Speaking clearly and at a moderate pace is essential to
ensure that your audience understands your message
and stays engaged throughout your presentation.
When you speak too fast, your audience may have
difficulty following along and keeping up with your
ideas.
Conversely, when you speak too slowly, you risk losing
your audience's attention and causing them to become
bored or distracted.
To speak clearly, try to enunciate each word and avoid
mumbling or slurring your speech.
Additionally, try to use a natural and conversational
tone, as this will help to make your presentation more
engaging and relatable.
It can also be helpful to practice your delivery
beforehand, either alone or with a friend or colleague, to
ensure that you are speaking at an appropriate pace
and using clear and concise language.
Use your visuals to support your
message, but don't rely on them
USE YOUR VISUALS
too heavily. Make sure that you
are the focus of the
presentation, not the slides. While using visuals is important to support your message
and make the presentation more engaging, it's equally
important not to rely on them too heavily.
The slides should be used to complement and enhance
your presentation, not replace it. Remember that you are
the presenter and the focus should be on you, not the
slides.
To avoid relying too heavily on visuals, keep your slides
simple and uncluttered, and use them to convey key
points or highlight important information.
You can also use visuals as a way to break up the
presentation and add interest, but make sure they are
relevant and directly related to your message.
Additionally, practice your presentation in advance so that
you know your material well and can speak confidently
without relying on the slides.
This will help you to engage with your audience and ensure
that your message is communicated effectively.
 APPROPRIATE POINTING

When explaining the figures, you should keep as much eye contact
with your audience as possible, i.e. you either show with a pointer
(plastic hand, flat ruler, tapered, not rolling pencil) on an overhead
projector or with the mouse cursor on the display of the laptop.
(Speakers who use a beamer cannot avoid to point with a cursor.)

It was the idea of the overhead projector to point while looking to

the audience! Telescopic pointer and laser pointer should stay at
home to avoid speaking “with the projection wall”.
If you point on an overhead projector with a pencil, lay it down
onto the slide, let it loose and move it to point something else, the
audience can see the pointer direction longer, more sharp-edged
and better.
If you keep the pencil in your hand and tip on the slide, the
audience can recognize with pleasure the trembling of your hand
(strongly magnified) and can imagine your stage freight very well.
The latter is especially true for the often wildly dancing red point of
the laser pointer.
BE PREPARED FOR QUESTIONS
Being prepared for questions is an important aspect of giving a Be prepared for questions and have
presentation. It shows that you have a good understanding of your answers ready. If you don't know the
topic and are confident in your message. answer, be honest and offer to follow
To be prepared, it is a good idea to anticipate what types of up later.
questions your audience might ask and prepare answers in
advance.
You can also review your presentation material and take note of
any areas that may require further explanation or clarification.
During the presentation, make sure to actively listen to the
questions asked and respond to them in a clear and concise
manner.
If you don't know the answer to a question, don't panic. Simply
acknowledge that you don't know the answer and offer to follow up
with more information at a later time.
It's important to avoid making up an answer or giving incorrect
information as this can damage your credibility and trust with the
audience.
Being prepared for questions and having the ability to handle them
effectively can leave a positive and lasting impression on your
audience. It demonstrates that you are knowledgeable and
approachable, and it can also lead to further discussion and
engagement with your audience.
 END STRONG
Ending your presentation with a strong
summary and call to action is essential to
leaving a lasting impression on your
audience.

Use this time to emphasize the key

takeaways of your presentation and clearly
state your call to action.

This could be anything from encouraging

your audience to make a purchase, take a
specific action, or simply remember the
information you've presented.

Make sure to deliver this message with

confidence and enthusiasm.

If appropriate, consider ending with a

memorable quote or personal story that ties
in with your presentation's theme.

Finally, thank your audience for their

attention and remind them of how they can
contact you for further questions or follow-
up.
Thank You
Remember to breathe, stay focused, and be
yourself. With the right preparation and
mindset, you can give a successful and
impactful presentation.