A presentation is a formal talk given on a specific set of topics to inform and educate. They may be short or long, include slides or other visual aids, and be done individually or in a group.
Planning and structuring a presentation is similar to the process of writing an essay, except the speaker needs to be conscious of a live audience and use spoken language instead of written.
Below are the four basic skills required to create a successful presentation:
Step 1: Planning:
While planning a presentation, the following questions should be kept in mind:
- What is the aim of your research?
- Why are you presenting it in oral form?
- What is important about your findings?
- What is the key focus of your presentation?
- To whom are you presenting your findings?
- Are they more or less knowledgeable on the topic than you?
- What does your audience expect to gain from listening to you?
The presentation must be planned in such a way that it answers all these questions first before moving on to the structuring stage.
Step 2: Structuring the Presentation:
Like an essay, an presentation needs an introduction, body and a conclusion. The introduction may consist of an anecdote or provocative question to engage the audience right from the start. A question that includes your audience will make them want to follow through with you to find out the implications as they relate to them directly. The body will contain the main theme of the presentation where the ideas introduced earlier are explored thoroughly. The concluding statement should be a clear summary of what has been said in the main part of the presentation. It should also point toward further research or conclusive results if possible.
There are a lot of differences in speech and writing, and they must be kept in mind while preparing a presentation.
One of the most obvious ways in which to achieve natural speech is to speak sometimes in the first person - you can refer to yourself in a presentation, for example, "I'd like to start by..." or "Let me give you an example...", whereas in written projects it is best to keep the use of the first person to a minimum.
While preparing for a presentation, visual aids such as PowerPoint presentations could be very useful to illustrate one’s ideas more clearly. It can be very purposeful to employ such visual aids while discussing the central themes of the topic.
Step 3: Preparation:
Preparedness helps in easing nerves nous and boosts confidence. The following considerations should be kept in mind while preparing for presentations.
Time limits:
The presentation must be practiced a number of times to get the pacing right and to ensure the information can be contained in the time provided. Finishing too early might make the audience think that you lack proper material or understanding of the topic whereas finishing too late might make them feel boredom.
Speak from notes:
It's preferable to reduce the original paper to bullet points while presenting so as to not lose eye contact, intonation and good posture.
Body language:
Use of gestures and good posture combined with a smile keeps the audience engaged and interested.
Voice:
Loudness should be ample so that the audience can hear you clearly and the pace should be perfect so they can follow your arguments. Use silence and pauses effectively when making particular points, also speaking in monotone should be avoided.
Step 4: Presentation:
If all of the previous steps are followed carefully, one should be able to present easily and effectively. Questions should be welcomed and special attention should be given to the audience’s reactions and one’s own body language.
It should always be kept in mind what the purpose of the presentation is and all improvisations should be done in accordance to that purpose. The presentation should be ended with a polite “thank you” and all questions from the audience should be answered as clearly as possible.
References:
1. Learn Insta
2. Khuzaima Blogspot