Effective Presentation Skills

Presentation can be defined as a formal event characterized by teamwork and

use of audio-visual aids. The main purpose of presentation is to give information,
to persuade the audience to act and to create goodwill. A good presentation should
have a good subject matter, should match with the objective, should best fit the
audience, and should be well organized.

Characteristics of a Good/Effective Presentation

1. The presentation ideas should be well adapted to your audience. Relate your
presentation message/idea to the interests of the audience. A detailed
audience analysis must be made before the presentation, i.e., an analysis of
the needs, age, educational background, language, and culture of the target
audience. Their body language instantly gives the speaker the required
feedback.
2. A good presentation should be concise and should be focused on the topic. It
should not move off-track.
3. A good presentation should have the potential to convey the required
information.
4. The fear should be transformed into positive energy during the presentation.
Be calm and relaxed while giving a presentation. Before beginning, wait and
develop an eye contact with the audience. Focus on conveying your message
well and use a positive body language.
5. To communicate the desired information, the speaker should use more of
visual aids such as transparencies, diagrams, pictures, charts, etc. Each
transparency/slide should contain limited and essential information only. No
slide should be kept on for a longer time. Try facing the audience, rather
 than the screen. The speaker should not block the view. Turn on the room
lights else the audience might fall asleep and loose interest. Organize all the
visuals for making a logical and sound presentation.
6. A good presentation must be planned. The speaker must plan how to begin
the presentation, what to speak in the middle of presentation and how to end
the presentation without losing audience interests at any point of time.
7. Rehearse and practice the presentation. This will help the speaker to be more
confident and self-assured. The more the speaker rehearses the better the
presentation turns to be.
8. The speaker should encourage more questions from the audience. He should
be honest enough to answer those questions. If any biased question is put
forth by the audience, rearticulate it before answering.
9. Summarize the presentation at the end. Give final comments. Leave a
positive impact upon the audience.
10.The speaker must have a presentable appearance while giving a presentation.
The speaker should stand with feet far apart maintaining a good balance. He
must use confident gestures. He must use short and simple words.
11.Try to gain and maintain audience interest by using positive quotes, humour,
or remarkable fact.
12.The speaker must be affirmative and optimistic before giving presentation.
He should ensure all tools and equipments to be used in presentation are
working well.
13.The speaker must state the objectives of the presentation at beginning of the
presentation.
14.A presentation is a tool for communicating opinions and ideas of the speaker
in front of the group of people. Presentation is very important for any
profession like in a business to spread the information about any product
 launch etc., in teaching and training or so on. Being able to speak efficiently
is an asset for any profession. The success of presentation depends on the
confidence and capability of a speaker. Anybody can give good presentation
just by practicing and preparing for presentation.
15.A can be given in so many ways i.e. it can be oral, PowerPoint presentation,
multimedia etc.
16.Good presentations contain these elements:
17.Content : it is the very important element because it contains the information
which is needed for a presentation
18.Structure: it is another main element of a presentation because a presentation
should have the proper structure i.e. logical beginning, middle and proper
end.

Planning an effective presentation

What is an effective presentation?
An effective presentation makes the best use of the relationship between the
presenter and the audience. It takes full consideration of the audience’s needs in
order to capture their interest, develop their understanding, inspire their confidence
and achieve the presenter’s objectives.

Careful planning is essential.

Seven stages in planning a presentation

1. Preparation
Many factors affect the design of your presentation. A powerful presenter will
acknowledge and address each of the following:

• objectives;
• audience;
• venue;
• remit.
Objectives
Why you are making your presentation? Bear in mind what you want to achieve
and what you want your audience to take away with them. Once you have decided
upon your objectives, you are in a much better position to make strategic decisions
about the design and tone of your presentation. For example, a presentation to a
seminar group might require a balanced
argument, whereas a charity appeal might require a more creative approach. Ask
yourself:
• what do you want your audience to have understood?
• what action do you want your audience to take following your presentation?
• how can you best design your presentation to meet your objectives?
Audience
Your audience will have a variety of different experiences, interests and levels of
knowledge. A powerful presenter will need to acknowledge these and prepare for
and respond to them accordingly. Ask yourself:

• how much will your audience already know about your topic?
• how can you link new material to things they might already understand?
• will you need to win them over to a particular point of view?

You may not be able to answer these questions for each member of your audience
but you should have enough information to ensure that you have targeted
your material at the right level for their needs. This might involve avoiding
technical jargon or explaining abstract concepts with clear practical examples. If
you fail to consider your audience’s needs, you will fail to appeal to their interest
and imagination.

Venue
Where will you be making your presentation? What will the room be like? What
atmosphere will the physical conditions create? A large lecture theatre might create
 a formal atmosphere. Similarly, a seminar room might create a less formal tone.
Ask yourself:
• what kind of atmosphere do you wish to create?
• how might the room arrangement affect your relationship with the audience?
• can you do anything to change the arrangement of the room to suit your
objectives?
• what audio-visual aids can you use?
Remit
You may well have been given a remit for your presentation; you will need to stick
to this. For example, you may have been asked to present a paper at a conference
in a certain style or meet certain assessment criteria on your course. Ask yourself:

• how much time have you been allocated?

• are you required to stick to a common format or style?
• have any guidelines been set regarding the content of your presentation (i.e. a
predetermined title, or a fixed number of overhead transparencies)?
2. Choosing your main points
Once you have thought about the design of your presentation, you can define your
main points. Try presenting no more than three main points in a ten minute
presentation. Always allow time for an adequate introduction and conclusion. It is
difficult for an audience to follow a more complex argument without significant
help from the presenter. A powerful presentation delivers information in a logical,
structured manner, building on the previous point and avoiding large jumps in
sequence. Ask yourself:

• what are the main points you wish to make?

• are these points structured in a logical, coherent way?
• do these main points reflect your own objectives and take account of the needs of
your audience?
 3. Choosing your supporting information
The supporting information helps your audience understand, believe in and agree
with your main points. This evidence might take the form of factual data, points of
detail or an explanation of process. It might be presented in imaginative ways
using diagrams, pictures or video segments. Think about:

• what will add clarity to your argument (explaining complex terms, reminding your
audience of any supporting theories)?
• what will add authority to your argument (making connections with other
people's work, quoting experts, offering evidence from your own research)?
• what will add colour to your argument (showing a video clip or a slide, using a
practical example or a vibrant analogy)?
4. Establishing linking statements
The next stage is to develop the linear flow of your presentation. This can be
achieved by using linking statements to show clearly how your main points fit
together. Common linking statements include:

• “The next stage in our project was to …”;

• “Another important issue of consideration was …”;
• “By following this argument we can now see that …”.
Linking statements send signals to your audience, highlighting the next point in
your argument, linking to earlier ideas or clarifying the stage you have reached in
your argument overall. This may be of particular importance in a lengthy
presentation where even the most effective presenter has to work hard to keep an
audience involved.

5. Developing an opening
The introduction to your presentation is crucial. It is your first point of contact with
your audience; you can either capture or lose your audience’s interest in a matter of
seconds. Use your introduction to lay a clear foundation for the presentation to
follow. Try using the following structure:

• introduce yourself;
• state what you will be talking about (a title or subject area);
• state how you will be talking about it (e.g. by comparing test results or reviewing
the supporting literature);
• state what you intend to be the outcome of your presentation (an informed
group, a lively discussion);
• state what you expect your audience to do (listen, take notes, read a handout, ask
questions before/during/after).

Always give your audience a moment to absorb this information before moving
into your first main point.

6. Developing a conclusion
Your conclusion is another important stage in your presentation. You can use it to
remind your audience of your main points, draw these points to a stimulating
conclusion and leave your audience with a lasting impression of the quality of your
presentation. The following structure provides a powerful conclusion:

• a review of your title or subject area

“In this presentation I wanted to explore the relationship between X and Y.”;
• a summary of your main points
“We have discussed the following points…”;
• a summary of the process you have been through
“By looking at X we have found that Y …”;
• a conclusion clearly drawn from your main points (this must be supported by the
detail of your presentation)
“It is clear that there can be no substantive relationship between X and Y”;
• a parting statement to stimulate your audience’s thoughts (this might be a
question or a bold comment).
7. Reviewing your presentation
Once you have written your presentation make sure that you review its content.
Ask yourself:

• does the presentation meet your objectives?

• is it logically structured?
• have you targeted the material at the right level for your audience?
• is the presentation too long or too short

• Factors Affecting Presentation

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Following factors affect the effectiveness of the presentation:

1) Audience Analysis: If the speaker has analyzed the audience in a proper
way before presentation, his presentation will be more effective. On the
other hand, poor or improper audience analysis leads to ineffective
presentation. The style of the presentation is largely dependent upon the type
and size of the audience. If audi-ence is large, presentation should be more
formal whereas informal presentation can work in small audience.

2) Communication Environment: Communication environment affects the

effectiveness of the presentations. Much of the audience notices the physical
things surrounding the speaker, the stage, lighting arrangement, background,
etc. Proper arrangement of these things can enhance the impact of the
presentation. If there is noise in the surrounding environment, it detracts the
audience from listening and consequently leaves unhealthy messages.

3) Personal Appearance: Personal appearance of the speaker has great

impact on the audience. Well dressed up person can deliver good
presentation. Therefore, the speaker should wear neat and clean clothes and
take time to check his appearance just before starting presentation.

4) Use of Visuals: Visuals can enhance the professional image of the

presentation. Different research studies demonstrate that presenters using
latest visual techniques are perceived as better prepared, more persuasive,
more credible and more interesting than speakers who do not use visuals.
But visuals work only if the technology on which they depend works well.
Therefore, presenter should check the equipment in advance before
presenting.

5) Opening and Closing of Presentation: The beginning and closing of a

presentation are the positions of emphasis. Those presenters who can open
the presentation with interesting remarks which are likely to create more
interest and enthusiasm for listening the presentation. On the other hand,
presenters with poor opening are likely to leave the audience bored.
Similarly, the ending of the presentation has profound impact on the
audience. Endings, with vivid and positive pictures are more likely to have
profound impact on the audience.

6) Organization of Presentation: Clarity in presentation is essential that

comes with proper organization of the information. Organizing the
information in a proper manner can make the message more understandable,
keep the audience happy and boost the image of the speaker. Proper
organization of presentation enhances the effectiveness of the presentation.
On the other hand, improper organization of the presentation will not
influence the audience. Improper organization of presentation is reflected as
follows:
i) Taking a long time to get to the point.
ii) Inclusion of irrelevant material.
iii) Leaving out necessary information.
iv) Mixing up of ideas.
To overcome these problems, presentation can be organized in one of the
five standard patterns:
i) Chronological: It starts with past, moves to the present and ends by
looking ahead.
ii) Problem-Causes-Solution: It explains the symptoms of the problem,
identifies its causes and suggests the remedial measures.
iii) Excluding Alternatives: It shows the symptoms of the problem,
suggests possible solutions, explains the reasons why these don't work and
ends the discussion with a solution that will work.
iv) Pros-Cons: It explains the advantages and disadvantages of problem(s).
v) 1-2-3: It discusses three aspects of a topic: introduction, body and
conclusion.

7) Language and Words: The quality of presentation is affected by the

language and words. To make the audience understand the message, the
speaker has to talk in the language known to the audience. To enhance the
impact of presentation, he should choose the catchy words that appeal to the
heart and emotions of the audience. If the language spoken by presentator is
different from audience's language, and words used are stereotyped, it is
likely to have least impact on the audience.

8) Quality of Voice: Quality of voice of the presenter affects the

effectiveness of the presentation. Voice modu-lation is likely to have greater
impact upon the audience whereas monotonous voice will bore the audience.

9) Body Language: The effectiveness of the presentation is also affected by

the body language of the speaker. A speaker having eye contact with
 audience is likely to impress more than a speaker reading out the hand outs.
A speaker who looked more at the audience is judged as better informed,
more experienced, more honest and friendliest than a speaker who delivers
the speech with less eye contact. With eye contact members of audience feel
that speaker is talking to them.

Similarly, confidently moving speakers are likely to have more impact than
nervous speakers. To calm one's nervousness, one should be well-prepared,
take several deep breaths, relax one's muscles, pause and look at the
audience and use body energy in strong gestures and movement.

10) Answering Questions: The effectiveness of presentation is also affected

by presenter's skill in handling questions asked at the end of presentation. A
speaker who answers the audience's questions and handles hostile questions
with tact is likely to influence the audience more. On the other hand, a
speaker who answers rudely will leave negative impact upon the audience.
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