Presentation Skills

Business English

Introduction

• Effective oral presentation skills = success!

• Presentation not just mastery of CONTENT

• Effective presentation

Content

Planning

Delivery

Purposes of oral presentation

• Deliver information

• Persuade

• Entertain

Benefits of a good presentation

• Stress reduction

• Enhanced self-esteem

• Job acquisition

• Professional success

• Improved organizational images

How to reduce stress?

• Develop the skills of presentation

• Confidence of delivery

Effective Presentation

• Key success:

Knowledge on the content

Oral communication skills to deliver the

knowledge

Components of effective presentation

• Introduction

• Body

• Close

Components (con’t)

• Introduction

Three key parts:

o Attention getter

o The purpose

o Overview of the organizational plan

Components (con’t)

• Attention Getter

Something that the audience can relate

It should relate to the overall topic

A rhetorical question, a humorous story

Components (con’t)

• The Purpose

Tell them what you’re going to tell them

Components (con’t)

• Overview of the organizational plan

Information on some key topics of the presentation

Components (con’t)

• Body 75% of the presentation time

The Structure:o Topic

o Purpose

o Central Theme (1) like a thesis statement

o Main Ideas (4 or 5) like a topic sentence

o Supporting Ideas statistics, examples, analogies, quotations

Components (con’t)

• Close

Objective: To fix the central theme to the

audience’s mind

Content:

o Summary

o Conclusions

o recommendations

Oral Presentation Skills

• Three Basic Phases:

Planning and preparation

Delivery

Follow-up

Skills (con’t)

• Planning and Preparation

Steps:o Define your topic

o Research your topic

o Anticipate your listeners’ frame of reference

o Organize your presentation

Other preparationo Information about the facility

o Visual aids necessity?

Good Tips on Slides Formatting

• Size

the distance from the projector

Small amount of info per slide

font size – at least 24 pt

Only use the top ¾ or ⅔ of the visual

Handouts font – 12 or preferably 14 and above.

Good Tips on Slides Formatting

• Text colors

background/foreground combinations?

Do not use color to convey meaning –visual difficulties

Use high-contrast colors

mid-tones do not show up well

avoid bright red as it shimmers

Good Tips on Slides Formatting

• Backgrounds

background/foreground combinations?

dark rooms. – a dark background and light text

light rooms – a light background and dark text

the same background color throughout the presentation.

Avoid patterned backgrounds behind text

Good Tips on Slides Formatting

• Text font

Use bold to highlight rather than Italics

or underlining

'sans serif' fonts

mixed case

Good Tips on Slides Formatting

• Layout slide layout tools wherever possible

6 bullet points are optimal, not too much info

bullets or numbers rather than continuous prose.

lines left justified with ragged right edge.

wider spacing between sentences and paragraphs.

only one subject matter per slide

Good Tips on Slides Formatting

• Too much

any large blocks of text on a handout

keep your slides to bullet points or

simple sentences

about 40 words per slide

Good Tips on Slides Formatting

• Diagrams

provide a printed version.

complex diagrams? color contrast

please!

alternative text for images and

diagrams.

Good Tips on Slides Formatting

• Keep it simple

Only use one or two

o text colors

o font styles

o animation or transition effects.

Use sound effects sparingly and make

sure they are relevant.

Skills (con’t)

• Actual Delivery

• Tips for success:

Project enthusiasm

Effective eye contact

Effective visual aids

Effective question handling

Get feedback

Skills (con’t)

• Project enthusiasm

Important!

o Contagious

o Get and maintain audience attention

o Relieve your stress

Skills (con’t)

• Effective Eye Contact

Good image of communication

Techniques:

o Notes are notes, not speech text

o NO: one spot at the back, ceiling and out

the window

o Look at the individuals randomly

Skills (con’t)

• Effective Visual Aids Dos and Don’ts

o Visible visual aids

o Fitness of visual aids with presentation

o Time to read

o Explain each visual aid

o Talk to the audience, not to the visual aids

o emphasize!

o Don’t block visual aids

Skills (con’t)

• Effective Question Handling

There will be questions!

Anticipate and prepare

Don’t know the answer? Say you don’t

Give time for questions

Understand the question

Skills (con’t)

• Get feedback

Sensitive to non-verbal cues

Vary your presentation to match audience

interests

o Content

o Depth of analysis

o Organization

o Humor

Skills (con’t)

• Follow-up

Questions to ask:

o Did you accomplish the purpose?

o What lacks?

o What ways and means to improve?

Evaluation

o Checklist on p. 84-85

Questions?

• Please ask…