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Learning Skills UnitSaigon: Level 4 In the Library / Hanoi:
1.2.010 In the Library
[email protected] /
[email protected]
Giving good presentations is a requirement of university
study and of work. Almost every RMIT subject will require
you to give a presentation of some kind, and then when you
graduate and move into your chosen career, you will need
to give presentations to both clients and colleagues.
So,developing good presentation skills is important. This guide
covers the very basics of good presentations.
Seven points to consider when giving a presentation
1) Purpose of the presentation
Having a well-defined purpose will mean that your presentation
is clear and focussed. It is not
necessary, or desirable, to say everything you know about a
topic.
What do you need to achieve with your presentation?
Is the presentation to inform, persuade, entertain or
demonstrate?
What should the presentation include or omit?
2) Structure of a presentation
A presentation should have three parts:
Introduction: Say what you are going to say.
Body: Say it.
Conclusion: Say that you said it.
This may seem needlessly repetitive, but people have a tendency
to remember the first and last
things said to them (the theory of primacy and recency) so the
most important message should be
stated at the beginning and the end, with the body acting as the
logical justification for the positionbeing presented.
In the introduction, you should:
Tell your audience who you are and why you are giving this
presentation.
Tell them what the presentation is about.
Tell them what your objectives are.
Tell them what the background to the presentation is.
Tell them what they can gain from listening to you.
Ask some closed (yes/no) questions as this will get the audience
involved right at the start.
In the body, you should:
Give details of your topic in a logical and coherent order.
Use anecdotes and real examples to illustrate your points (this
will allow your listeners to
relate to you and your experience).
Tell them how this information applies to them.
Back up all the claims that you made at the start (if you cant
support it, dont say it!).
In the conclusion, you should:
Summarise your key points and explain how you have achieved the
stated outcomes of your
presentation. Give the audience your contact details in case
they require further information.
Invite questions.
Try to end positively. Avoid saying Thats all! or just trailing
off into silence.
In this handout
Presentation objectives
Structure
Audience
Visual Aids
Delivery
Giving a PresentationA uick uide
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Learning Skills UnitSaigon: Level 4 In the Library / Hanoi:
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3) The audience
When planning a presentation you must take into account who will
be in the audience and why they
are there. Members of the audience will be at your presentation
for a reason and this will be different
in different contexts. Do you know what those reasons are? Will
you meet their expectations? You
should think about what the audience already knows about the
subject. Assuming too much prior
knowledge on the part of the audience will result in confusion.
On the other hand, telling people
things they already know may cause them to feel bored and
patronised.
4) Body language
The success of your presentation will be affected by your body
language. Below is a table of good,
positive body language, and also body language to avoid.
Positive body language Body language to avoid
Standing up straight and facing the audience. Continuous eye
contact or staring.
Holding your head up high, with your chin up. Constantly rubbing
an eye, nose or ear.
Using your hands to emphasise and reinforce
your points.
Continuously clearing your throat.
Varying your gestures. Clenching your hands or pointing.
Nodding your head and smiling to emphasise
what you are saying.
Crossing your arms or legs.
Making proper eye contact. Shuffling your feet and swaying.
5) Tone of voice
It is important to vary the volume, speed and intonation of your
voice. If you are talking naturally, this
shouldnt really be an issue. Problems occur when presenters
memorise their presentation or read
from a script. Both of these approaches cause unnatural speech
patterns and make the audience
feel alienated because they are not being involved. If you
memorise or use a script, there is no way
to adapt your presentation to the needs of your audience.
Remember, a presentation is like a
conversation where most of the talking is done by one person.
You would never recite a memorised
speech to your friends, would you? When doing a presentation,
you should think of it as a
conversation with your friends and this will help you to present
in a relaxed and successful manner.
6) Handling questions
This is always difficult, but it is important to be prepared.
Look through your presentation, identify the
key messages and think of questions that could be asked about
each point. Remember if you get
questions you cant answer, be honest and admit that you dont
know. Tell your audience you will
investigate the question and get back to them with an answer.
Another option might be to ask
experts in the audience for the answer.
7) Visual aids
Visual aids are an essential part of any presentation, but they
are very easy to get wrong. If you are
using PowerPoint, be careful that the slides dont compete with
you for theaudiences attention.
Use one font throughout.
Dont put too much text on the slides.
Dont use clashing colour schemes such as green text on a red
background.
Dont use too many animations or sound effects.
Keep the information simple and easy to follow.
If you use a graph, highlight the information that is relevant.
Dont show everything.
Give handouts at the end, or as appropriate during the
presentation, not at the beginning.
(Adapted from ELAS 2008, Academic Skills Sheets, Brunel
University, London)
