TIPS ON MAKING PRESENTATIONS
Always keep in mind that the objective of any presentation is to convey information and impressions to some individual or group. The success of a presentation depends on both its content and its form. Here are some general tips.
Dress: Always dress appropriately for the situation and the impression you want to give. You might want to appear casual, relaxed, formal, authoritative, striking, or whatever. In any case you should give thought to what is most appropriate to the situation and your objectives. The way you look sets the mood and stage for the presentation before you say the first word.
Stage: Plan in advance how you are going to set up the furniture and equipment for your presentation and, if it is a group presentation, where all the participants are going to sit or stand. Before you begin, everything should be in place. Any equipment should be ready to use by simply turning on a switch or some minimal amount of set up. Come early enough to set up or, if this is not possible, plan in advance what needs to be done then do it quickly and efficiently. The audience may be watching and waiting and you don’t want to look confused or harried.
Demeanor: As mentioned above, whether you want to appear casual or formal is a matter of choice and should always be appropriate to the situation. Regardless of the style, you should appear confident and in control. There’s a big difference between relaxed and sloppy, between casual and careless.
Body language: Be cognizant of how you stand and physically present yourself. Don’t be slovenly! Be free in using gestures that you would use in normal conversation but don’t be too repetitive, and don’t force yourself to use gestures that you aren’t comfortable with. In most situations it is appropriate to smile, especially at the beginning and end.
Speech: Speak clearly and loudly enough to be heard by everyone in the room. Don’t rush! If you talk too fast the audience will have trouble following what you are saying and lose interest. Also, your speed may be interpreted as a sign of nervousness. Practice your presentation in advance and edit it, if necessary, to fit within the allotted time. Some people tend to speed up when they feel nervous or under pressure. Don’t let it happen.
Notes: NEVER, NEVER, NEVER READ A SPEECH!!! Nor should the speech be (or sound) memorized “word-for-word”. There is nothing wrong with having notes, but the less you refer to them the better. Ideally, your notes should be main points in some easy-to-read format and you should only need to glance at them. Whatever you use for notes should look neat from the audience. Cards are preferable to sheets of paper. Never use pages torn from a spiral notebook.
Eye contact: Your eye contact with the audience should move around the room to include everyone present. Avoid focusing repeatedly on any one person, especially the one you are trying most to impress (i.e. the teacher or your boss).
Circulating materials: Avoid circulating materials in the audience during the presentation. It interrupts everyone’s concentration and is disruptive. Instead, use a visual aid (e.g. overhead transparency, presentation software) so everyone will be looking at and listening to the same thing at the same time.
Using visuals: Whenever you have a long list of items or a lot of numbers, it is imperative to use a visual aid. People cannot process many pieces of information without some visual help. In general, charts and graphs are more effective than numbers. Visual aids are sometimes necessary to depict relationships (i.e. models). The visual must be synchronized with what you are talking about. In general, it is not a good idea to let the audience look ahead at what you are going to say next.
You should keep them focused on what you are saying as you are speaking. If you are using electronic slides (such as PowerPoint) you can bring the visual onto the screen when the time is exactly right. If you are using overhead transparencies you might want to keep the upcoming points covered until you are ready to speak about them. If your visual is something that you want the audience to read (i.e. complete sentences) you should either read it aloud (verbatim) or be quiet while the audience reads it. Don’t be saying one thing while the audience is reading something else.
Group presentations: When there are two or more speakers each speaker must turn the presentation over to the next by introducing him/her by name (e.g. “Now our Media Director, Sue Smith, will tell you about our media plan.”)
The ending: At the end of the presentation don’t let it die! The final impression is at least as important as the first one, and probably more lasting. You should be gracious in thanking the audience for allowing you to speak or for their attention. Think about what is appropriate. You might invite questions, or tell them how they can find out more about the subject, or give them an address or web site or a contact person. Always plan in advance exactly how you are going to end.
Professionalism: Being professional involves incorporating all of these tips, but keep in mind that professionalism is an attitude. Take what you are doing seriously!
Prepared for the School of Business Administration by Jerome Witt