UNIT –IV

PRESENTATION SKILLS

Presentation is a speech that is usually given in a formal setup-business, technical,

professional or scientific environment. Something set forth to an audience for the attention
of the mind. An effective presentation creates a change in the audience; they become more
informed or gain a better understanding of a particular subject. A good presentation is a kind
of communication between the speaker and the audience.
Presentations are an important way of communicating ideas and information to a group.
Presentation carries the speaker’s personality better and allows immediate interaction
between all participants.
In order to communicate with your audience, you need to consider the following points:
1. Content: It contains information that people need. The presenter should assess how much
information the audience can absorb.
2. Structure: It has a logical be beginning, middle and end. It must be sequenced and paced
so that the audience can understand it. The presenter must be careful not to lose the audience
when wandering from the main point of the presentation.
An Outline for Presentations:
(A) WHAT
Define the Purpose: Clearly establish the goal of your presentation.
Ask yourself, what do you want to achieve by the end of the session?
- For instance:
(i) Inform: Deliver new information to the audience (e.g., product updates, company
announcements).
(ii) Persuade: Convince the audience to adopt a new idea, approach, or product (e.g., sales
pitch, change management proposal).
(iii) Instruct: Provide detailed instructions or training (e.g., technical training sessions,
workshops).
(iv) Entertain: Engage and entertain while delivering key messages (e.g., motivational
speech).
(v) Core Message: Identify the single most important idea or message you want your audience
to take away. If they remember only one thing, what should it be?
(B) HOW
Research
(i) Gather Information: Use reliable sources, whether for factual data, case studies, or
industry insights. The more evidence you have, the more credible your presentation will be.
(ii) Tailor Content: Customize your content to suit the presentation context. For a business
presentation, focus son data, case studies, and concrete results.
Organize Information
(i) Logical Flow: Structure the presentation in a logical sequence so that one point leads
naturally to the next. A common format is:
(ii) Problem → Solution: Present a challenge and offer a solution.
(iii) Past → Present → Future: Explain the history, current situation, and future outlook.
(iv) Main Points: Prioritize the most important information. Group similar ideas and avoid
overcrowding the presentation with too many points.
(C)FOR WHOM (AUDIENCE)
Identify Your Audience
(i) Are they experts, managers, clients, or general public? The audience’s background and
experience level will determine how technical or simple your language should be.
(ii) Consider their interests, concerns, and possible biases.
Engage the Audience
(i) Interaction: Use interactive elements like Q&A sessions, polls, or exercises to engage the
audience.
(ii) Relate to Audience: Use examples or stories that resonate with the audience’s experience,
making the content more relatable and memorable.
(D) Structure
Introduction
(i) Hook: Start with a powerful opening to grab attention (e.g., a surprising statistic, a
provocative question, or a short story).
(ii) Overview: Briefly outline what will be covered. This helps the audience understand the
flow of the presentation.
Body
(i) Main Points: Divide the content into 2-4 key sections. Ensure each section has a clear focus,
supporting evidence, and logical flow.
(ii) Transitions: Use transitions between sections to maintain coherence. For example: “Now
that we’ve discussed the problem, let’s move on to the solution.”
(iii) Support with Data: Use relevant facts, figures, and examples to reinforce each point.
Conclusion
(i) Recap: Summarize the key takeaways. Restate the core message or the "big idea."
(ii) Call-to-Action: If applicable, conclude by telling the audience what they should do next
(e.g., implement a change, buy a product, etc.).
(iii) End with Impact: Leave the audience with something memorable, whether it’s a thought-
provoking question, an inspiring quote, or a powerful statistic.
PRINCIPLES OF PRESENTATION
1. Clarity

 Ensure that your ideas are clear and straightforward. Avoid jargon unless it’s
necessary and always provide explanations for technical terms.
 Use clear, concise language to get your point across. Avoid overcomplicating the
content.
2. Consistency

 Stick to a consistent style in both content and visuals. This includes using the same
fonts, colors, and layout across slides.
 Ensure your message aligns with the overall goal and doesn’t stray into unrelated
topics.
3. Relevance

 Every point and visual should support your main argument. Avoid filler content that
does not add value to the presentation.
4. Engagement

 Use storytelling techniques where applicable. Real-life examples, case studies, and
anecdotes can make abstract concepts more relatable.
 Involve the audience with questions, interactive polls, or short discussions to keep
them engaged.
5. Timing

 Practice delivering your presentation within the allotted time. Plan your slides or
speaking points to ensure they fit comfortably within the timeframe.
 Avoid rushing through important sections or dragging out less important ones.
PRESENTATION TECHNIQUE
1. Voice Modulation

 Vary the tone, pitch, and volume of your voice to maintain the audience’s interest. Use
emphasis on key points for impact.
 Avoid speaking in a monotone, as it can cause the audience to lose attention.
2. Body Language

 Stand confidently with good posture. Use open gestures that complement your
message.
 Eye contact is essential to build rapport with your audience. Avoid reading directly
from slides or notes.
 Use hand gestures to emphasize points but avoid overusing them.
3. Pacing

 Speak at a pace that is neither too fast nor too slow. Practice timing yourself to ensure
you’re delivering the content at the right speed.
 Pause occasionally for emphasis or to allow the audience to digest complex
information.
4. Visual Aids

 Visual aids (e.g., slides, videos, charts) should complement the presentation, not
dominate it.
 Use them to illustrate key points, but ensure that the audience’s focus remains on you
as the speaker.

5. Storytelling
 Using stories to connect with your audience emotionally and make them more
attentive
6. Audience engagement
 Making the audience the star of your presentation to persuade them and build
deeper relationships
7. Confidence
 Having confidence can help you convey to your audience that you have knowledge
of the topic, helping to build credibility
8. Practice
 Practicing your presentation several times to pay attention to your delivery,
timing, and body language

BUSINESS PRESENTATION SPECIFICATIONS

1. Purpose-Driven

 Business presentations often serve specific purposes such as making decisions,

reporting progress, or pitching an idea.
 Ensure your presentation is clearly aligned with business goals and objectives.
2. Professional Tone

 Maintain a formal, professional tone. Avoid colloquialisms or overly casual language,

unless the presentation allows for informality.
 Focus on delivering information efficiently without unnecessary embellishments.
3. Data-Driven

 Business presentations often require factual data, statistics, and KPIs to support
arguments.
 Visual representations like charts, graphs, and tables help make data easier to
understand and more persuasive.
4. Executive Summary

 In a business setting, especially with time-constrained audiences like executives, it is

common to present an executive summary at the beginning.
 This summary provides an overview of the presentation’s key points, allowing
decision-makers to quickly grasp the most important information.
REPORT WRITING
Every phase of organizational activity creates information. This information needs to be
collected, scrutinized and presented in the form of ‘reports’. Reports are presented in a clear
correct and coherent language. In every organization, several thousands of reports are
prepared every year, depending on requirements. These reports vary in length and content.
They provide important information to top management for making decisions. Simply stated,
a report is “a communication from someone who has some information to someone who
wants to use that information.”
A report may thus, be defined as a written statement based on facts, events and opinions
and usually expresses a summarized and interpretative value of this information. It may
deal with past accomplishments, present conditions and probable future developments. To
summarize, it may be stated that:
 Every report is based on facts, events or opinions;
 It presents a snapshot of events at a particular point of time, usually in writing;
 Presents information in a summarised and systematic manner;
 Provides a record for future use.
ESSENTIAL OF A GOOD REPORT
Preparation of a report is not easy. It demands skills of a special kind. A report, as we all
know, is more than language, composition, just as any other good piece of writing is more
than words, commas, and semicolons. There are some common features which need to be
understood clearly by all those interested in using "reports" as effective communication
devices. These ate outlined below:
1. Accuracy: Information presented in reports should be accurate. Inaccurate information
may often land the managers in trouble. As far as possible, the report must be based on
accurate information. For example, in the case of the project report given in the previous
section, if the teams give inaccurate information about the place or availability of the
infrastructural facilities, the company may face much problem in future.
2. Simplicity: A report should be simple. This would help in arriving at decisions quickly and
easily. If the facts are presented in complex manner, the managers may not reach the correct
decision.
3. Completeness: The report should be complete in all respects. There should be no room
for ambiguity. For example in the above case, if report about any of the required information
is missing, managers will not be able to take a final decision.
4. Brevity: Executives do not find sufficient time to read lengthy reports. Therefore, the
reports should briefly reflect the essential point.
5. Appearance: The arrangement, organization, format, layout and make-up of a report
should be pleasing and as far as possible, eye-catching.
6. Readability: Reports must be easy to read. They must avoid technical language as far as
possible. The writer must present the facts through elegant and grammatically correct
English.
7. Reliability: Reports should be reliable, and should not create an erroneous impression in
the minds of readers either due to oversight or neglect.
8. Economy: Report writing should not be a costly exercise. The most economical methods
and standard quality must be employed, while conveying the matter.
9. Timeliness: To be useful and purposive, reports should reach the readers well in time.
Any delay in submission of reports makes the preparation of reports a futile exercise.
10. Logical content: The content of the report must be presented in a logical manner. The
facts must be reported in an unbiased manner. Distinctive points must bear self-explanatory
headings and sub-headings.

DEVELOPING EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION SKILLS

Delivering effective presentations is critical in your professional and personal life. You’ll need
to hone your presentation skills in various areas, such as when giving a speech, convincing
your partner to make a substantial purchase, and talking to friends and family about an
important situation.

No matter if you’re using them in a personal or professional setting, these are the skills that
make it easier and more effective to convey your ideas, convince or persuade others, and
experience success. A few of the benefits that often accompany improving your presentation
skills include:

 Enriched written and verbal communication skills

 Enhanced confidence and self-image
 Boosted critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities
 Better motivational techniques
 Increased leadership skills
 Expanded time management, negotiation, and creativity

Here some of the effective presentation skills,

1. Verbal communication

How you use language and deliver messages play essential roles in how your audience will
receive your presentation. Speak clearly and confidently, projecting your voice enough to
ensure everyone can hear. Think before you speak, pausing when necessary and tailoring the
way you talk to resonate with your particular audience.

2. Body language

Body language combines various critical elements, including posture, gestures, eye contact,
expressions, and position in front of the audience. Body language is one of the elements that
can instantly transform a presentation that would otherwise be dull into one that's dynamic
and interesting.
3. Voice projection

The ability to project your voice improves your presentation by allowing your audience to hear
what you're saying. It also increases your confidence to help settle any lingering nerves while
also making your message more engaging. To project your voice, stand comfortably with your
shoulders back. Take deep breaths to power your speaking voice and ensure you enunciate
every syllable you speak.

4. Posture

How you present yourself plays a role in your body language and ability to project your voice.
It also sets the tone for the presentation. Avoid slouching or looking overly tense. Instead,
remain open, upright, and adaptable while taking the formality of the occasion into account.

5. Storytelling

Incorporating storytelling into a presentation is an effective strategy used by many powerful

public speakers. It has the power to bring your subject to life and pique the audience’s
curiosity. Don’t be afraid to tell a personal story, slowly building up suspense or adding a
dramatic moment. And, of course, be sure to end with a positive takeaway to drive your point
home.

6. Active listening

Active listening is a valuable skill all on its own. When you understand and thoughtfully
respond to what you hear—whether it's in a conversation or during a presentation—you’ll
likely deepen your personal relationships and actively engage audiences during a
presentation. As part of your presentation skill set, it helps catch and maintain the audience’s
attention, helping them remain focused while minimizing passive response, ensuring the
message is delivered correctly, and encouraging a call to action.

7. Stage presence

During a presentation, projecting confidence can help keep your audience engaged. Stage
presence can help you connect with your audience and encourage them to want to watch you.
To improve your presence, try amping up your normal demeanor by infusing it with a bit of
enthusiasm. Project confidence and keep your information interesting.

8. Self-awareness

Monitoring your own emotions and reactions will allow you to react well in various situations.
It helps you remain personable throughout your presentation and handle feedback well. Self-
awareness can help soothe nervousness during presentations, allowing you to perform more
effectively.

9. Writing skills

Writing is a form of presentation. Sharp writing skills can help you master your presentation’s
outline to ensure you stay on message and remain clear about your objectives from the
beginning until the end. It’s also helpful to have strong writing abilities for creating compelling
slides and other visual aids.

10. Understanding an audience

When you understand your audience's needs and interests, you can design your presentation
around them. In turn, you'll deliver maximum value to them and enhance your ability to make
your message easy to understand.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS
PRINCIPLES OF ORAL PRESENTATION
Oral presentations are a common form of communication in various settings, including
academic, professional, and public contexts. Delivering an effective oral presentation
requires careful planning, preparation, organization, and delivery to engage, inform, and
influence the audience.
Here are some fundamental principles of oral presentation:

1. Know Your Audience:

 Understand the demographics, interests, knowledge level, and expectations of your
audience to tailor your content, language, examples, and approach to resonate with
them effectively.

2. Define Clear Objectives:

 Clearly define the purpose, goals, objectives, and key messages of your presentation
to guide your content, structure, and delivery and ensure alignment with your
intended outcomes.

3. Organize and Structure Content:

 Structure your presentation with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion,
organizing your content logically, coherently, and sequentially to facilitate
understanding, retention, and engagement.
4. Create Engaging and Relevant Content:
 Develop content that is relevant, meaningful, and beneficial to your audience,
incorporating relevant examples, evidence, stories, visuals, and supporting materials
to illustrate and reinforce your points effectively.

5. Design Effective Visual Aids:

 Use visual aids, such as slides, charts, graphs, images, or videos, to enhance your
presentation, illustrate key points, and engage visual learners, ensuring clarity,
simplicity, and alignment with your content and objectives.

6. Practice and Rehearse:

 Rehearse your presentation multiple times, focusing on your delivery, timing,
transitions, and interactions to build confidence, familiarity, and fluency in presenting
your content and responding to questions or feedback.

7. Maintain Professionalism and Confidence:

 Project confidence, enthusiasm, passion, and credibility in your delivery, maintaining
eye contact, using appropriate body language, gestures, and vocal variety to engage,
connect, and build rapport with your audience.

8. Adapt and Adjust to Feedback:

 Be receptive to feedback, questions, reactions, and interactions from your audience,
adapting, adjusting, and modifying your presentation, content, or approach as needed
to address concerns, clarify points, or enhance understanding and engagement.

9. Manage Time Effectively:

 Manage your time effectively, allocating sufficient time for each section or segment of
your presentation, including time for introductions, transitions, discussions, and
conclusions, and adhering to the allocated time limits to respect your audience’s time
and maintain engagement.

10. Encourage Interaction and Participation:

 Foster interaction, participation, and engagement with your audience by encouraging
questions, discussions, feedback, or reflections, creating opportunities for dialogue,
collaboration, and shared learning during and after your presentation.

11. Conclude with a Strong Closing:

 Conclude your presentation with a strong closing that summarizes key points,
reinforces your main messages, provides actionable insights or recommendations,
 and leaves a lasting impression on your audience, inspiring them to reflect, act, or
inquire further about your topic.

FACTORS AFFECTING PRESENTATION

1. Audience Analysis

When the speaker has made some background research about the audience in a proper
manner, it results in excelling in the presentation. However, when the audience analysis is
poor, it will result in an ineffective presentation.

2. Communication environment

The effectiveness of the presentation is highly influenced by the communication

environment. Maximum people of the audience notice the surrounding. These surroundings
include the speaker, stage, background, lighting, aeration and so forth. If the arrangements
are not proper then it will have an adverse impact on the presentation.

3. Personal Appearance

How the speaker is appearing to the audience has a great impact. A person who is well
dressed up, wearing limited accessories and looking professional, can influence the audience
by their communication easily.

4. Use of Visuals

Visuals are like the cherry on the cake. It makes the presentation more effective. If the
presenters use visual aids, then it is supposed to be better prepared. Also, they appear more
persuasive, credible and interesting to the audience.

5. Opening and Closing Presentation

The beginning of the presentation should be interesting enough to retain the attention of the
audience. The ending of the presentation should leave a deep impact on the audience.

6. Organization of Presentation

When the facts and data are organized in a proper manner, clarity is ensured. Further, it
makes the message understandable and keeps the enthusiasm of the audience intact. Also, it
improves the image of the speaker.
7. Language and Words

The quality of the presentation also depends on the language and words. The speaker should
speak in the language with which the audience is familiar. So, he could choose some catchy
words to grab the interest of the audience.

8. Voice Quality

The presenter’s voice quality also has an influence on the audience. A strong and striking
voice can easily draw the attention of the audience.

9. Body Language

The audience listens to the speaker who maintains eye contact while speaking. It shows the
confidence, knowledge, friendliness and experience of the speaker.

10. Answering Questions

If the speaker is capable of handling the questions of the audience tactfully asked when the
presentation ends. It helps in impressing the audience. Then, the presentation is said to be
successful.

SALES PRESENTATION

1. Understanding the Audience

 Research: Before the presentation, research the prospective client’s company,
industry, and specific needs.
 Personalization: Tailor your presentation to address the unique challenges and goals
of the client.
2. Structuring the Presentation
 Introduction: Begin with a compelling opening that grabs attention and establishes
credibility. Mention your name, company, and the purpose of the presentation.
 Problem Statement: Clearly articulate the client’s problem or need that your product
or service will address.
 Solution: Present your product or service as the solution. Highlight its features,
benefits, and how it addresses the client’s specific needs.
 Evidence: Provide supporting evidence such as case studies, testimonials, or data to
reinforce your claims and demonstrate effectiveness.
 Call to Action: Conclude with a clear, actionable next step, such as scheduling a follow-
up meeting or making a purchase decision.
3. Key Elements
 Value Proposition: Clearly communicate the unique value your product or service
offers compared to competitors.
 Benefits Over Features: Focus on how the features translate into tangible benefits for
the client.
 Client-Centric Language: Use language that resonates with the client’s specific pain
points and needs.
 Visuals and Demonstrations: Use visuals, demos, or product samples to illustrate your
points and make your presentation more engaging.

4. Handling Objections
 Preparation: Anticipate common objections and prepare responses that address
these concerns effectively.
 Empathy: Show understanding and empathy towards the client’s objections.
 Reframe: Reframe objections as opportunities to provide additional information and
strengthen your case.

5. Building Rapport
 Engagement: Ask questions and engage the client in a dialogue to understand their
needs better and show genuine interest.
 Trust: Build trust through transparent communication, professional demeanor, and
by demonstrating expertise.

6. Follow-Up
 Documentation: Provide a summary of key points discussed, including any agreed-
upon next steps.
 Timeliness: Follow up promptly after the presentation to keep the momentum and
address any additional questions or concerns.
 Continued Engagement: Maintain communication to nurture the relationship and
support the client through the decision-making process.

7. Presentation Tips
 Practice: Rehearse your presentation to ensure smooth delivery and to build
confidence.
 Feedback: Seek feedback from colleagues or mentors to refine your presentation and
approach.
 Professionalism: Dress appropriately, maintain a confident posture, and be prepared
to adapt to the client’s responses and questions.
VISUAL PRESENTATION
A visual presentation is a way to communicate information using visual aids like charts,
images, slides, videos, and models. Visual presentations are often used in lectures,
conferences, and meetings to help audiences understand and retain information.
1. Craft Your Message
(i) Define Your Purpose: Clearly understand the main goal of your presentation (e.g., to
inform, persuade, entertain).
(ii) Key Messages: Identify and focus on the core messages you want to communicate. Keep
these messages concise and memorable.
(iii) Audience Consideration: Tailor your message to the needs, interests, and understanding
of your audience.
(iv) Storytelling: Use a narrative structure to make your message engaging and relatable.
Include an introduction, main points, and a conclusion.
(v) Clarity and Simplicity: Avoid jargon and complex language. Aim for straightforward and
clear communication.
2. Make Visuals
(i) Design Principles: Use design principles such as contrast, alignment, repetition, and
proximity to create visually appealing slides.
(ii) Consistency: Maintain a consistent style throughout the presentation, including fonts,
colors, and slide layouts.
(iii) Visual Hierarchy: Arrange elements to guide the viewer's eye through the slide in a
logical order. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points effectively.
(iv) Images and Graphics: Use high-quality images, charts, and diagrams to complement and
reinforce your message. Ensure visuals are relevant and support the content.
(v) Minimal Text: Limit the amount of text on each slide. Use bullet points or short phrases to
convey key points rather than long paragraphs.
(vi) Data Presentation: Use charts, graphs, and tables to present data clearly and make
complex information more digestible.
3. Include Proper Content of Your Presentation
(i) Title Slide: Include a title slide with the presentation’s title, your name, and date. This sets
the stage for your audience.
(ii) Introduction: Provide an overview of what will be covered, including the objectives and
agenda.
(iii) Main Content: Organize the body of your presentation into clear, logical sections. Each
section should cover a specific aspect of the topic and support your key messages.
(iv) Supporting Material: Include evidence such as statistics, case studies, and quotes to back
up your points and add credibility.
(v) Conclusion: Summarize the main points, restate key messages, and provide a clear closing
statement or call to action.
(vi) Q&A Slide: Prepare a slide inviting questions from the audience. This encourages
interaction and provides an opportunity to address any concerns or clarifications needed.