(the information contained herein is taken, in the main, from two books: Lani Arrendono's The McGraw Hill 36 Hour Course: Business Presentations, New York: McGraw Hill, 1994 and Peter Urs Bender's Secrets of Power Presentations, Toronto, Canada: The Achievement Group, 1994)
Section 1: Theory
A. The Basics:
Giving effective presentations is a communication skill, and one that is mastered through study and practice. In today's world, the need to communicate well is growing and the necessity of presenting information to a group of people is a reality to almost everyone, from students to individuals in business. The goal of a presentation is to persuade an audience through using skillful communication and polished presentation techniques. Effective presenters can
Presentations are, in the main, a communication process. The presenter has the opportunity to address and persuade an audience&emdash;the degree to which a presenter is successful is measured by the degree to which an audience is persuaded to agree with the presenter. The following nine factors influence communication and the outcome of the presentation:
Presenter
Cues
Message
Audience
Feedback
Channels of Communication
Environment and Surroundings
Influencing Factors
Perceptions
The Presenter is, of course, the person who presents the information to the audience. The presenter is the focal point of attention and has the responsibility for the ultimate outcome of the presentation.
The Message is the content of the presentations. Messages may be communicated in many different ways (verbally, non-verbally, written, electronically, face-to-face, explicit, implied, etc.), and the presenter must be aware of these different ways of sending a message and purposefully employ appropriate means to communicate to an audience.
Audience refers to the person or persons who are receiving the communication presented. The importance of understanding one's audience cannot be stressed too heavily. The effective presenter will learn about and understand the audience to whom the presentation is delivered. Audience defines the mode, the substance, and the type of communication.
Feedback is audience response to the presenter. Like messages, feedback can be communicated in different ways (nods, yawns, questions, tone of voice, facial expressions, words, etc.). Good presenters pay close attention to feedback and alter their communications accordingly.
Messages and feedback are conveyed through three different Channels of Communication: visual, vocal, and verbal. Visual refers to everything the audience sees from the facial expressions of the presenter to flip charts. Vocal encompasses voice characteristics. Verbal communication pertains to the words a presenter uses. It is important to remember that presentations are not comprised of words only&emdash;they are not even made up of words predominantly. Vocal and visual communication have a far greater impact on audiences than one might assume.
Cues are the means by which a presenter and the audience communicate with one another. A cue is a signal or hint that indicates what someone should do next. Cues, whether they are intentional or unintentional, elicit a response from the audience. The reverse is true also.
The Environment (temperature, noise, lighting, and air quality) and Surroundings (color of the walls, furniture, and fixtures) affect communication. While the effects may be subtle, they can be significant in the ways in which the environment can either contribute or detract from the effectiveness of a presentation.
Communication is heavily affected by various Influencing Factors that reside within the presenter and the audience. These factors include culture, attitudes, education, experience, gender, thought processes, background, interests, intellectual capabilities and physical, psychological and emotional conditions. It is critical that presenters recognize these characteristics of the audience (and within themselves) and know that they play a very important part in communication. Specifically, these factors influence the words a presenter chooses, and they affect the feedback an audience expresses in response.
Perceptions are a significant part of the communication process. The formulation of perceptions (in both the audience and the presenter) is the cumulating effect of action and interaction. From the time a presentation begins until its conclusion, the audience is forming perceptions of the presenter and the message. One of the most important principles of giving effective presentations is this: perceptions are more powerful than facts. People respond on the basis of what they believe to be true and make decisions accordingly. A good presenter carefully crafts and carries out a presentation aimed at molding favorable perceptions on the part of the audience.
B. The Presentation Process
A good presentation has four basic elements: plan, prepare, present, proceed.
C. Planning
Planning is the first, essential step in the process of presenting. Good presenters plan for the presentation in a systematic manner. The most important benefit of planning is that it sets up the presenter for success.
One way to plan is to ask questions: who, what, when, where, how, which, and why. For example, a presenter might ask, " who will I be addressing?" "What is my desired outcome?" Other questions include, "When am I expected to begin and finish? Where can I find the material I need for my presentation? How can I collect my material; how soon can I start preparing? Why is the presentation being done?"
Planning Responsibilities:
The first responsibility of the presenter is to identify the persons that need to be contacted. Contacts provide important information such as time, location, setting, and size and nature of the audience. Contacts can also be sources of important information or data.
Second, the presenter should keep written records of significant details concerning the presentation: date and time, type of presentation, nature of the presentation event, theme of the presentation, subject of the presentation, and potential payoff or goal of the presentation.
Third, the presenter must locate sources of information and services that are necessary to the success of the presentation. Clear identification of sources can save time, effort, and aggravation,
Fourth, the presenter must create the schedule. The schedule includes tasks that need to be done, the dates by which to complete the tasks, and the name of the person responsible for the task.
Fifth, a good presenter confirms all arrangements.
Good Planning concentrates on the nature and needs of the audience:
Probably the most important aspect of a successful presentation is the audience. The audience determines what information is presented, how it is presented, and why it is presented. The audience also determines the outcome of the presentation&emdash;is the presenter successful or not. Things to know about an audience are age, education, gender, geographic location, occupation, social and economic status, and interests.
The best way to identify and define the audience is to ask questions. Some questions need to be asked of a contact person and some may be answered by the presenter, either by common sense or through research.
Some common questions to ask are
Setting the Stage:
A very important aspect of planning is stage setting. For example, clarify the time the presentation is to start and how long it is to continue. Do not go over time.
Next, determine how much material will comprise the bulk of the presentation. Make sure that there is enough time to cover all aspects of the material. If not, then condense and cut. If there is more time, expand.
Arrive early to ensure that all is well and ready. Make sure that all equipment is in order and ready to use. Guarantee that all presentation material is on hand and in the correct order.
D. Preparation
Careful preparation has four elements: structure, substance, style, support.
Structure refers to the materials that compose a presentation and the way that they are arranged. Implicit in the word structure is the notion that the parts are put together in such a way that the whole construction holds up. A well-structured presentation is built according to audience specifications&emdash;it is built to serve the wants and needs of the audience. In general, the structure of a presentation begins with the opener or introduction, proceeds to a preview of the main points that will be discussed, the body of the presentation comes next in which the material or information is presented, then the presenter gives a review, and finally comes the closing or conclusion. Graphically, the structure looks like this:
Remember the Rule of Three. The best and most memorable presentations have no more than three key points&emdash;never more.
Key points can be arranged in chronological (time) order, spatial (space or geographic area) order, topical (main topics) order, crescendo (least important to most important) order, general to specific order, specific to general order, and by comparison (when considering two key points.
Substance refers to the believability of the material or information being presented. If the audience believes the points that the speaker is making, the presentation is valid and worth consideration. The material or information must also hold up to questions, scrutiny, debate, skepticism, or doubt. Therefore, evidence must be on hand to support the message. Evidence can come from statistics and research, from examples, from comparisons and contrasts, from quotations, from audiovisual aids, or from audience participation.
Conventional sources for evidence include journals and magazines, annual reports, newsletters, brochures and catalogues, transcripts, books, databases, etc. There are three important questions to ask of your information:
Once your material has passed the above three questions, reexamine it again against the following four questions:
Finally, once the information or material has passed the above seven questions, it is ready to be organized and distilled. Since presentations are part and parcel of the art of communicating information to an audience, it is very important to ensure that the audience is not overwhelmed with information. It is, therefore, necessary that the presenter distill (condense and refine) the material or information. There are three stages to the distillation process
Research &endash; the information is researched and gathered, then examined against the seven questions listed above.
Selection &endash; during this process, the presenter identifies the three main points to address and selects related material. Here, the presenter is concerned with choosing the information that will meet the needs of the audience and will serve the presenter's objective. Any information that does not fit, not matter how appealing is thrown out.
Organization - Finally, the selected material is analyzed and arranged so that it supports the presenter's three main points. During this stage, the material is edited and refined so that it is tailor fit into the nature and time frame of the presentation.
Once, the presentation material has been distilled and organized, it must be honed further to make sure that it fits into the time allotted. A good rule-of-thumb for a thirty-minute presentation is to divide it as follows:
Opening and preview (one minute each)
- 2 minutes
Body of the message (three key points at 7 minutes each, plus 1 minute for transitions)
- 22 minutes
Closing and review
- 1 minute
Question period
- 5 minutes
For a 15 minute presentation, divide the recommended times by half.
It is very important not to run over the allotted presentation time. If there is extra time, spend it on elaborating or rehashing the key points and main issues during the question and answer period.
The presentation material is almost ready to go, but it must past one final, very important test. Ask the following questions of the material:
Is the material
Does the material's subject
Is the material's message
Does the material's content
Style is the manner in which a message is conveyed. Style encompasses verbal expression and physical expression (body language).
Verbal expression: Language must be clear, concise, correct, and well considered. Eliminate jargon, explain acronyms and abbreviations, avoid verbose sentences, try to use "low risk" words that tend to be politically correct, watch grammar and syntax, always use correct expressions, avoid malapropisms (words spoken in error), and think before you speak.
Avoid cliches and overworked adjectives (great, nice, awful, crazy, cute, fine, funny, etc.) Hackneyed phrases tend to be boring (the bottom line isŠ, gain the leading edgeŠ, etc.), and redundancy puts an audience to sleep (basic essentials, final conclusion, desirable benefits, etc.). Discriminatory language and anything said in poor taste are definitely not appropriate.
Try to incorporate imagery, metaphors, stories, and humor into the presentation. Most importantly, do not speak to quickly&emdash;slow down&emdash;and make sure that the audience can hear you.
Physical expression: How our bodies speak and communicate is very important to a presentation. Facial expressions make a world of difference&emdash;this means that the skillful presenter smiles. Try to scan the audience often and establish eye contact. Keep your hands visible (not in your pockets) and learn to use gestures smoothly and naturally. Stand up straight, feel confident, and keep moving. A speaker who stays in one place tends to get boring. Movement helps to keep the audience listening and interesting&emdash;just don't be distracting.
Dress appropriately. Understand the style of your audience and remember first impressions are very important. Try to dress slightly more conservatively than you audience and always be neat and clean. Dark blue tends to make a speaker look professional and successful and white and cream colored shirts or blouses are good. Avoid jewelry, accessories, pens, etc. because they tend to distract, and don't wear perfume. Some people are sensitive to any type of scent.
Support refers to audiovisual aids and the equipment used to assist a presentation. It is important to remember that such aids merely complement a presentation and lend the speaker support. Good presenters understand that audiovisuals enhance the audience's understanding and help to clearly communicate the message. Audiovisuals will never carry a poor quality presentation.
Audiovisuals will not:
Audiovisuals will:
Audiovisuals (in the form of handouts, workbooks, overheads, flip charts, graphs, slides, films chalk boards, audio tapes, etc). should be interesting, colorful, and creative. Make sure that visuals are easy-to-read and are well prepared. This means
When using an audiovisual, be sure that everyone can see (or hear) it. Explain the visual, but do not speak to it, speak to the audience (and never turn your back on your audience). If you are going to use a slide show, rehearse it and make sure that the slides are in correct order. Handouts are the most basic and easy-to-us visual. Make sure that they are polished, easy-to-read, correct, and complete.
When using overhead transparencies, do not show everything at once. Isolate the part that you are discussing by covering the rest of the transparency with a sheet of paper and reveal the rest of the material as you speak. In addition, there are special overhead pens that allow you to write on transparencies while you speak. Finally, when using several transparencies, keep those already shown separate from those that are unseen. The two piles should be well away from one another.
Flip charts are good for groups of less than forty. Make sure that the information that you write on them is clear and easy to read. Keep them simple and always face the audience when you speak.
White boards and chalkboards can be effectively used during presentations because the audience is present when the information is created and displayed, therefore taking part in the process. Just make sure that the chalk does not squeak and that your writing is large and clear.
Most types of information or data can be placed in charts and graphs. Charts and graphs make data easier to visualize and understand.
E. Present
Present is the third basic element of an effective and successful presentation. After the presenter has thoroughly planned and prepared (paying careful attention to structure, substance, style, and support), the time arrives to deliver the completed message to the audience. Presenting encompasses two general elements: building a relationship with the audience and obtaining a response.
To create a positive relationship with the audience, the presenter must keep the following principles in mind:
To obtain the desired response from an audience, the presenter must recognize the needs and wants of the audience. The presenter should understand the audience's
Another important factor of good presenting includes the knowledge that the audience wants to know that they are the presenter's chief concern. Therefore, audience response depends on the on the presenter's attitude and actions. Therefore, the presenter's attitudes and actions affect the audience, which responds to the presenter, who adjusts his/her attitudes and actions.
Therefore, an audience centered attitude works to the presenter's advantage. There are several ways by which to invite positive audience response. First, the presenter can ask questions, either rhetorically or directly. In both cases, the questions should be open-ended. Another thing the presenter can do is to ask the audience to recall either a point in the presentation itself or an event in the audience's experience. This practice involves the audience and personalizes the presenter's message.
F. Proceed
The final element in an effective presentation is to proceed. This consists of handling questions, comments, and disruptions easily and gracefully.
The first rule-of-thumb is to anticipate as many questions as possible. This is done by recognizing who the audience is and what the audience's needs are. Also, questions often arise asking the presenter to clarify a point or issue made earlier. If questions are not asked, the presenter can start a question period by saying, "One of the most commonly asked, questions is . . ."
When answering questions, maintain eye contact with the questioner and thank the person for the question, then answer the question as best you can. If you do not know the answer, say so and offer to research an answer and relay it to the questioner at a later date. If you rephrase a question, especially a difficult one, you can often defuse the question or direct audience attention to one aspect of the question that is easier to answer.
The usual way to answer questions is to listen to the question, rephrase it, ask the questioner if your rephrase is correct, answer the question, and then check with the questioner to see if your answer was comprehensible.
One of the best ways to handle interruptions is to just ignore them or to respond by telling the audience that you will answer questions later. Hecklers are best ignored--do not make eye contact. Silly questions can be rephrased, acknowledged and then the presenter can continue to ask for more questions. Ignore hostile remarks and late comers.
The question and answer period is a good opportunity to clarify your message and make personal contact with the audience. Use it to your advantage.
Section 2: Practical
This section is comprised of a few tips, hints, and advice.
The single most important tip for a successful presentation is contained in one word: rehearse. Prepare your presentation completely, simulate the environment in which you will give your presentation, and rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. If possible, videotape or tape-record yourself. Rehearse and practice your presentation until it is comfortable and flows smoothly. The best way to convey confidence and assurance to your audience is to be well prepared and completely rehearsed.
Second, do not have your presentation completely scripted and read from the script. Nothing is more boring than to have to listen to speakers reading from their notes. Make an outline and work from it. Better yet, write your outline on index cards and work off them. On the outline or index cards, write only the key points and general supporting information. If it helps, the full text of the introduction and conclusion can be written out. The "life preserver" effect of having the first few minutes of a presentation fully written out allows you to relax and feel comfortable. If, during rehearsal, you find that you consistently forget something or say something incorrectly, write yourself a note on a Post-it and attach it to your outline or index card. Overheads, flip charts, and other visuals can have Post-its attached also, reminding you of what you wanted to discuss.
Next, having a podium, lectern, or desk on which to place your materials is very helpful. Make sure that things are organized and do not get mixed up, though. Be sure to not stay glued to the lectern, and do not keep your hands gripped on the sides. Use your hands and walk around. Body language helps convey your message, and body language is invisible if the presenter is hidden behind a lectern or if one's hands are nervously clinging to the sides of the lectern.
Finally, there are many computer programs that make preparing a presentation easier. One very popular program is called Power Point. This program leads you through the process of making slides or overheads, step-by-step, which can be projected from your computer onto a large viewing screen. Your slides can also be printed out onto transparencies and used with an overhead projector. Power Point also contains the ability to allow you to create organization charts, flow charts, graphs, and much more. You can incorporate clip art into Power Point, as well. This program is very easy to learn, and the Help portion of the program leads you through Power Point's applications easily.
Compel is another presentation program that is equally easy to use. Compel's Help contains step-by-step directions for self-teaching this software.
Hand-in-hand with presentation software are draw programs. There are a large number of these available. One that is particularly easy to use is Arts and Letters. This program has a wonderful tutorial that takes the user by the hand with clear instructions. This is a very easy to learn program and has many applications. Creating pictures and incorporating them into a presentations boots audience attention and makes the presentation much more interesting This program also allows you to create text, headings, or titles and skew or alter them.
A bit more complicated and harder to learn are graphic programs with which you alter or enhance a picture or photograph. When using these, the user can first scan a photo, then use the software to achieve the desired effect. Once learned, these programs give the presenter enormous ability to create graphics and pictures to incorporate into a presentation. An example of a graphic program is Paint Shop Pro. Generally, the tutorials included in the Help sections of these types of programs allow the user to learn the program easily.
Following are links to samples of a three-part planning checklist, an outline worksheet, and a visual aid comparison chart. It is highly recommended that presenters make copies of the checklists and worksheet and use them.
Presenter's Planning Checklist I
Presenter's Planning Checklist II
Presenter's Planning Checklist III
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