Presentation delivery tips and techniques

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Tips and Techniques

Tips and TechniquesPresentation

Delivery

Advance Preparation

Start Strong

Manage the Flow

Speaking Style

The ability to give a presentation is a necessary skill in the

workplace. Most of us give informal talks from time to time; others

deliver more formal presentations standing in front of an audience

with a set agenda and visual aids.

When the occasion arises that you are called on to present, the tips

and techniques in this module will help you prepare and deliver a

successful presentation.

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Visual Aids

Tips and Techniques

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

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Speaking Style

A presentation is a brief talk on a focused topic that’s delivered to a

group of listeners in order to impart knowledge, persuade towards

a course of action, and/or to stimulate discussion.

Begin by assessing the requirements of your speaking assignment.

Your resource requirements will vary depending on the type of talk

you need to give.

Is your presentation simply knowledge sharing or an informational

review? In these situations, a short, informal update may be all

that’s needed. At other times, a more formal presentation is

expected. If this is the case, using visual aids can supplement and

enhance your message. Engage the Audience

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Delivery

Visual Aids

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A visual aid may be an actual physical object, or an image such as a

photo, a graph, a chart, a table or some other form of digital

representation that pertains to the information being presented.

These items may be displayed on an easel or other physical space,

appear in handouts, or be projected onto a screen or monitor.

Choice of media largely depends on the presentation setting.

• A handout or text on a white board works well when presenting informally to a small group in a face-to-face setting.

• Presentation slides work well when presenting more formally to a larger audience or in an online setting.

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Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

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When using PowerPoint slides to display your visuals, it’s a good

practice to provide your audience with a copy of your presentation.

How and when to provide this depends on you.

When delivering your presentation face-to-face, you may want the

audience to have something to refer to while you talk. In this case,

print copies of your slides with room for note-taking.

When delivering your presentation online, you may want the

audience to have your presentation afterwards. If you plan to

distribute copies of your slides, be sure to include your speaking

points in the ‘Notes’ section on each page. Write full sentences so

that it is a complete and accurate record of your talk. Engage the Audience


Delivery

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

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Manage the Flow

Speaking Style

When delivering a presentation in the workplace, your audience

isn’t there to see a slideshow. They want to hear your message. The

more prepared you are, the more credible you will appear.

To organize your presentation, start by outlining four elements.• Content - What am I going to say about my topic?• Process - How will I address the points I want to make?• Purpose - Why is my topic important to the audience?• Outcome - What is the benefit to be gained?

Once you determine what your talk will be about, prepare an

agenda of what you plan to cover. Audiences like to have a guide so

that they know what to expect.Engage the Audience

Presentation Delivery


Delivery

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

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Manage the Flow

Speaking Style

No presenter is expected to fully memorize their presentation

content. A useful technique is to prepare speaker notes ahead of

time and use them to rehearse. This will give you confidence and

help to smooth out your delivery.

You can create speaker notes for yourself by simply writing down

on paper what you want to say. You should be familiar with your

material, so don’t write down whole sentences. Just use key

phrases as cues for what you want to say. This technique forces you

to develop and explain ideas in your own words, creating a more

enthusiastic presentation.

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Delivery

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

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Speaking Style

Some presenters who stand in front of groups prefer to hold small

note cards. You can make these by preparing custom handouts.

• From your PowerPoint document, click the File menu (for Microsoft 2003) or the Publish menu (for Microsoft 2007). Select ‘Notes below slides’ for the page layout.

• In the new Word document, delete all slide content until only your notes remain.

• Go to Page Set-up and fix the top, left, bottom and right margins to .4; landscape orientation; and custom size paper to 6” wide and 4” high.

• Select all the text and reduce the font to size 10 or 12.

• Remove unnecessary words until just the essential points fit on the page.

• Print your notes on 6” by 4” index cards.

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Delivery

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

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Advance preparation also involves dressing appropriately when

presenting face-to-face. Make sure your clothing conveys a positive

image. The more casual you dress, the more likely it is that your

authority, professionalism, and competence will be challenged.

Always wear clothing that is suitable for the event. The general rule

is to match your attire to the dress of others. Business casual is

usually the minimum standard.

You may want to dress a little more formally than you think you

need to. It’s easier to dress down if you are slightly overdressed

than it is to dress-up a too casual outfit. If you wear casual outfits

to work every day, keep a jacket at the office. A jacket makes even

the most casual outfit more authoritative and businesslike.

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Delivery

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

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First impressions are important, so make sure the beginning

moments of your presentation work to your advantage. To start

strong, always compose your opening statements ahead of time.

Use the following steps to guide your introduction:

• Introduce yourself (if necessary) and state the purpose of your presentation.

1. Hello, my name is… 2. I work with… and my role is to… 3. I’m here to share what I know about…4. This information will help you to…

• Preview your agenda and set the expectations for your talk.5. I’m going to discuss…6. By the end, you will…

Finally, customize your comments for the occasion and practice to minimize nervousness.

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Delivery

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

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Manage the Flow

Speaking Style

Having an agenda will help you pace the flow of your presentation.

You will want to stay on course to finish in the time allotted.

Effective presenters employ the following techniques to manage

their delivery.

• Establish norms. For example, will you take questions as you go along or would you prefer to take them at the end?

• Use transitions to indicate when one topic ends and another has begun. Example: “Now that we’ve discussed topic A, let’s now consider topic B.”

• Stay focused. Respond to audience input but avoid time-consuming tangents. Example: “Thank you for your comments but now we need to move on.”

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Delivery

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

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Manage the Flow

Speaking Style

If you are given a certain amount of time to speak, you will want to

manage your timing so as not to run over or hurry your delivery.

In general, allow about 15% of your time for the introduction, 75%

for the main part of your talk, and 10% for the conclusion.

For example, given a 20 minute time slot, take about three minutes

for the beginning, 15 minutes for your main points, and two

minutes for the ending. Practice ahead of time to see how this

formula works with your presentation content. Speak out loud

using your visual aids and time yourself. Make adjustments as

necessary until you feel comfortable with the format.

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Beginning

• 15%

Middle

• 75%

End

• 10%


Delivery

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

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Manage the Flow

Speaking Style

If you are using PowerPoint as a visual aid, don’t treat the text on

your slides as a script to read verbatim. This tends to create an

impersonal tone where you’re speaking at the audience instead of

to the audience.

The content on your slides should simply provide a framework for

your message, not tell the whole story. If you’re familiar enough

with your material, the only reason you should be referring to your

slides is to point something out. You can also glance at your slides

to cue what you want to say, but you should say it in a natural and

conversational manner.

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Delivery

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

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Manage the Flow

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Business presenters are not expected to be performers, just

effective communicators. The best delivery involves a narrative,

storytelling style that can only come with practice.

It is totally unproductive to simply talk about your presentation to

someone or to mumble about it to yourself. You must actually

stand up and practice speaking the words out loud in order to

crystallize the ideas in your mind. The key is to remember whole

thoughts from which to launch your topic. To be in full command of

what you want to say, focus on articulating ideas rather than on

constructing sentences. This will give you the “mental clarity” that

allows you to present in a natural and conversational manner.Engage the Audience


Delivery

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

Start Strong

Manage the Flow

Speaking Style

When presenting, you never want to just “wing-it” nor do you want

to be totally, 100% scripted. Try to develop a speaking style that

combines both preciseness and spontaneity.

One method to use when rehearsing with your speaker notes is to

think of some relevant experiences, stories, or examples to share

that will bring the information to life. This type of planning allows

you some freedom to improvise when “in the moment.” If you are

knowledgeable and passionate about your topic, your enthusiasm

and sincerity will be evident.

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Delivery

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

Start Strong

Manage the Flow

Speaking Style

Effective presenters engage their audiences by creating various

opportunities for two-way communication. A few methods include:

• Asking questions to gain participation.

• Facilitating a dialog to discuss how the topic applies to the job.

• Inviting reactions to get immediate input/feedback.

Asking questions during a presentation is an excellent way to get

listeners involved since most people like an opportunity to interact.

Here are some ways to elicit audience responses. • Ask for a show of hands.

• Ask a rhetorical question.

• Ask a leading question.

• Ask for comments and opinions.Engage the Audience


Delivery

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

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Manage the Flow

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It’s also common to ask for questions from the audience. Follow

these tips to ensure that you are prepared when answering.

• Prior to presenting, try to anticipate any questions that might be asked by the audience and how you would respond.

• Always repeat the question before answering to ensure that others can hear it clearly. Repeating the question allows you to simplify it and also buys you time to formulate a response.

• Be familiar with knowable facts, such as names, roles or other important pieces of data. Having correct and up-to-date information shows that you value and respect the individuals in your audience.

• Questions inject some unpredictability, so be flexible and willing to adjust to the needs of your audience. They will appreciate if you listen carefully and respond honestly.

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Delivery

Visual Aids

Advance Preparation

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Manage the Flow

Speaking Style

As you end your presentation, it’s important to review and

summarize your topic. Never end with: “Well I guess that’s it…”

If you take questions towards the end of your presentation, leave

enough time for your conclusion. Ending a presentation with

questions and answers is not a powerful way to close. The final

words you say will be the most memorable, so make sure your

closing points are ones you planned to say.

• Remind the audience why your topic is important to them.

• Restate the benefits to be gained.

• Repeat key points you want the audience to remember most.

The END. Engage the Audience

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