ORAL PRESENTATION SKILLS

Radhika Jaidev

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lecture, you should be able to:

• Understand the purpose of a proposal presentation

• Prepare your individual presentation

• Plan a good team presentation

• Prepare yourself to respond to questions

STEPS TO A PERSUASIVE PRESENTATION

1. Know your purpose & audience

2. Select content based on significance in decision-making

3. Organize your presentation

4. Write out your presentation

5. Rehearse your presentation

THE PURPOSE OF MAKING PRESENTATIONS

Could be any one of these or a combination

Inform Persuade Entertain

When presenting a proposal, your key purpose has to be to persuade.

KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE

AUDIENCE

Who are they? Names? Department?

Position? Gender?

Possible response??

How much do they already know?

What are their roles in this context?Are they decision-makers?

http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/p/presentation_skills.asp

A purposeful presentation is about being selective

The ‘Elevator Test’

Can you sell your message in 30-45 seconds- the time taken to get from one floor to another in a lift?

Can you crystallize the essence of your proposal and write it in one sentence on the back of a business card?

Selecting your content

Too much content will Drown your audience in facts and figures –

overkill!

Make them lose focus of what you are proposing

Make you lose your impact on them

Confuse and delay decision-making

Select the most essential info to make your point.

How to select essential content?

State the position as it exists that leads directly to the problem

State the problem and explain it carefully

State the possible options to resolve the problem? (Include key definitions, facts and figures, concrete examples, case-studies, illustrations/pictures, quotes from experts, etc . to support the above-mentioned claims)

Make your recommendation purposefully. Explain why your team’s proposal is the optimal option given the context.

Convert written language to spoken language

Don’t sound colloquial or use slang but Use personal pronouns, active voice &

active verbs. Insert pauses for effect. Ask rhetorical and direct questions. Invite the audience to view the issue from

your perspective

Avoid jargon wherever possible

Plan your presentation with your team in mind

Strategize how each member will contribute to the whole

There is only one purpose for every team member- for your team’s proposal to be accepted!

Your team approach must be unified and consistent: cross-referencing among team members; recapping / summing up as you go along; handling Q/A

INTRODUCTION

Use an attention getter to put your audience in a receptive frame of mind for your proposal

Ask questions- rhetorical or direct

State an unusual fact or shocking statistic

Tell a joke- be sure that it works

Quotes

Attention-getters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_VvIr1KkLo

THE BODY OF A TEAM PRESENTATION

Every member must know the other members’ parts

can deliver in his/her personal style but there must be a consistency in the slides – colour, titles, font, layout, etc.

You may want to have a common theme for dress & general appearance

Every team member should have the same purposeful style of presentation!!

To Conclude

Review main points by reiterating main arguments stating benefits of the proposal calling for action

Make a memorable statement

Signal that you are ending Do not introduce new points Do not end abruptly

REHEARSING YOUR PRESENTATIONDon’t learn your speech by-heart

Know it well – go over it many times in your mind

Practise from note cards with your visual aids

in front of a mirror with the correct tone, volume, pauses and gestures

observe your own non-verbal language- facial expressions, body posture, expression in your eyes, smile, etc.

get feedback

Pay attention to the Non Verbals

Body Posture and Movement

Gestures

Eye Contact

Facial Expressions

Voice Modulation and Projection

Pauses

What to do with your hands when speaking??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooOQQOQdhH8&feature=related

Using your voice

Speak slowly

Intonation & Pitch Modulation Stress on some key words

StrongerClearerStretchInformation words

ChunkingBreak the sentences in small parts

Using your voice to your advantage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evpn-U3t-i0

THE USE OF VISUAL AIDS To Clarify To Simplify To Emphasize To Summarize To Reinforce To Attract To Unify

Developing your PowerPoint slides

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QwC1cl0Wa4

DURING THE PRESENTATION…

Dress appropriately Be calm Step up confidently Get equipment and script ready before speaking Establish eye-contact with the audience Be comfortable Address your audience

consciously

Maintain eye contact Do not sound mechanical

Question & Answer

Encourage questionsBe polite and honestPrepare by anticipating questionsSpeak to allClarify and rephrase questions if you

have trouble understanding them at first