Keys for Effective Oral Presentation

There is a myth that great speakers are born, not made. This is based on the misconception that somehow certain individuals have the innate ability to stand in front of an audience with no anxiety and give a moving, dynamic speech. The truth is, however, that great speakers generally spend years developing and practicing their art of communication. All great speakers had to learn the basics of organisation, preparation, delivery and dealing with anxiety. In order to do anything well, it takes constant practice and a mastery of the basics. Speaking is no different.

Effective Oral Presentation Skills:

One of the most important presentation techniques you can apply to become a more confident and effective speaker is to reduce anxiety. People vary in their ability to speak confidently in public, but everyone gets nervous and everyone can learn how to improve their presentation skills by applying a few simple techniques. The main points to pay attention to in delivery are the quality of your voice, your rapport with the audience, use of notes and use of visual aids. Voice quality involves attention to volume, speed and fluency, clarity and pronunciation. Avoid filling pauses with "umm", "like" and "you know". Humor can be very effective, but do not tell a joke that might offend someone. The quality of your voice in a presentation will improve dramatically if you are able to practice beforehand in a room similar to the one you will be presenting in. Be sure to speak clearly and distinctly.

As a general rule, expect to cover much less content than you would in a written report. A presentation can easily be ruined if the content is too difficult for the audience to follow or if the structure is too complicated. Make difficult points easier to understand by preparing the listener for them, using plenty of examples and going back over them later. Leave time for questions within the presentation. Give your presentation a simple and logical structure. Include an introduction in which you outline the points you intend to cover and a conclusion in which you go over the main points of your talk. Convince your audience that they have something to gain from listening to you.

Following tips could help reduce your anxiety before your next presentation:

Be prepared: KNOW your subject!!

Prepare and rehearse your talk so that you speak with confidence. Practice, Practice, Practice. Standing up and speaking in private has many benefits. You can hear where you need to work on better wording, you can tell if you are going to be too long, you can see if some of your slides need improving, and you achieve a smoother talk.

Practice your presentation until you feel comfortable. Make sure you can present your information within whatever time limits you will have. Plan the space where you will give your presentation. Set up your equipment beforehand, and arrange chairs if necessary.

Know your audience: What is the purpose of your talk? To inform, persuade, entertain? Some basic questions to ask about an audience are:

Who will I be speaking to?

What do they know about my topic already?

What will they want to know about my topic?

What do I want them to know by the end of my talk?

By basing the content and style of your presentation on your answers to these questions, you can make sure that you are in tune with your audience. What you want to say about your topic may be much less important than what your audience wants to hear about it. Adapt your information to suit both purpose and audience.

Be positive: It’s normal to feel nervous about speaking in front of a group. Stand up straight, but avoid being stiff. Do not shift your weight from side to side. Don’t fold your arms or put hands in pockets; hold a book or pen instead.  Make it clear that you are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about your subject. Smile and be enthusiastic. If you look bored, why shouldn’t your audience be bored too?

Don't just read: Talk to your audience. Use your notes as prompts as needed. Show your audience a diagram or slide with a brief outline of your main points.

Provide examples: Try to make your presentation as concrete and   "down to earth" as possible. Add appropriate anecdotes and humor to drive home a point. Your audience will remember your message if you:
tell a personal story that’s relevant
add a touch of humour
give some surprising statistics
give them interesting things to look at.

Involve them in your talk: Invite them to answer questions.

Use visual aids: Supplement what you say with visual aids such as charts, transparencies, and slides. Make sure that everyone can easily see the visual aids. Don't use visual aids that are so complex that the audience will spend its time trying to read them instead of listening to you. Visual aids are supplements to what you say, not replacements for what you say.

Maintain eye contact: Shift your eye contact around the room so that everyone feels that you are talking to them.

Actively involve your audience: Your presentation is an amalgamation of your communication skills that uses all senses (primarily vision and hearing) and wit to gain attention. Keeping the attention of your audience is not done by content alone! People can only listen so long without their attention wandering. Making your presentation interesting will help you to capture and keep your audience's attention for a while, but you must do more. Build in some simple and quick activities for your audience so that they are actively involved in your presentation. Ask questions that you are confident your audience will be able to answer. Your audience will pay more attention if you occasionally move to another position, or come closer to them to make an important point.  Greet the audience and announce your topic. At the end, thank them for listening.

Use your voice effectively. Vary the tone of your voice and be careful not to talk too quickly. Stop to breathe!

End on a high note. Leave your audience feeling upbeat about what they have just heard.

At the conclusion of a presentation, there is generally a question and answer session that should be prepared for in advance. To prepare for this last hurdle, you should anticipate the questions that you could potentially be asked ahead of time. The more you prepare your answers the better well versed and confident you will be.

One tip you might employ during the question and answer session is to repeat the question being asked. This will give you some additional time to prepare your response. If you don’t know the answer to the question you are being asked, be honest and say that you don’t know but that you will find out. Remember to really listen to the questions, do not interrupt and make sure that you stay focused on the individual asking the question.

One final suggestion: RELAX! Some nervousness is not only expected, it is a force for productivity. Think about how far you have come and that you have something to say that no one else in the room knows. Exert your knowledge & ability with confidence.

“Making a good oral presentation is an art that involves attention to the needs of your audience, careful planning, using appropriate methods and means and attention to delivery.”

From: Amit Girdhar Heda,
Nagpur. M- 7588630891.

(The writer is a Faculty in Management and runs a Job Placement and Training Firm and much of what is published is based on his personal experiences as well as the references he has drawn from various material available.)