Every student, especially those pursuing professional courses, must develop presentation skills
but all of them must learn. How to give an effective presentation. In a wider term, you can
say that it is a speech, and it can be given anywhere, maybe an Office, Class, Workshop,
Seminar, webinar, etc.
But for an effective presentation, you have to make step-by-step planning and preparation.
The audience who has come to listen to you at your presentation should be satisfied. In
this article, you will get to know how an effective presentation is given.
Main Elements of Presentation
In general terms, you can say that a presentation is a way to communicate your thoughts
and share your views. Now I am going to discuss the following elements of the
Presentation.
Context
The main thing for the presentation is that you have to finalize a Topic. Now you have to
collect information on that topic. Now you have to know where and on which occasion you
are going to do a presentation. You have to be mentally prepared for it. Doing a
presentation in a small room with a few audience is easy but when it is in a large hall, it
seems different.
You have to see that, you are familiar with the place and audience. You visit early at the
venue of the presentation so that you can familiarize yourself with the place and setting of
the stage. The audience group also matters. There should be some audience to cheer you
and for that, you have to build rapport with them. You have to see what types of equipment are
available there and what you are going to use.
Presenter
The main task of the Presenter is to communicate with the audience. You have to interact
with them while doing the presentation otherwise they may lose interest. You have to
keep tracking their moods.
Audience
The audience is the end-user. Whatever the presentation is organized, the audience
feedback will tell you that it was a success or a flop show. It is better to have a
targeted audience so that they may be from the same professional background or
have some bent of mind towards that topic. The audience's knowledge also
matters, how they perceive the presentation and understand it.
Message
The information which is delivered to the audience at the presentation. The message
conveyed to the audience is not just words but through body language also. The audience's
expectation also matters when they perceive the message. You have to check, whether
you performed up to their expectation.
Reaction
The success of your presentation depends on how you interact and communicate your
message to the audience. If people have lots of expectations from you and you do not
meet their expectations then somewhere the reaction of the audience will not be positive.
Method
How you will do a presentation. Will it be Offline or Online? These days most of the
presentation is done online. These presentations are recorded also and kept on YouTube
for viewers.
Tips for an effective presentation
Dress Professionally
If you are going to give a presentation, and then you have to look like a professional.
Your clothes should reflect it. Appearance speaks louder than voice. So your appearance
matters too much here. If you want to attract an audience you have to look at a
The presenter is different from others. The dress also boosts confidence so you will seek
their attention.
Show your Passion for that Presentation
The first thing is that be relaxed and try to connect with the audience. You show that you
have a passion for that subject. Your confidence is reflected through your body language.
Don't be nervous and keep calm. Let the audience know how this presentation is going to
benefit you. They should realize the importance of that presentation. Show
enthusiasm while giving a presentation.
Focus on Audience Requirements
When you are going to do a presentation, try to understand the audience's needs and what
they want to know. While doing a presentation stick to your topic. Don't deviate from the
main topic. Check what response you are getting and according to it, you do the
presentation.
If they are clapping and cheering then you should understand that they are happy the
way you are presenting. Keep the momentum in that direction. You see whether the
audience is following you are not. Make it simple for them to understand. Make the
session interactive and see, how the audience responds.
Focus on the Main Topic of the Presentation
You have to be well prepared and so concentrate on your main topic. Initially, you have to
explain why you chose this topic and why it is important for them. The audience has to
know the scope and benefits of participating in that presentation. Some presenters
advertise before the due date of the presentation with some key points. What you are going
to gain and lose if not participate. So at the time of presentation, you repeat that thing
and then focus on your main topic.
Body Language
It is very much necessary as everyone notices you. Every action is being watched. You
have to keep smiling and make eye contact with your audience. These things are
necessary to make a good rapport with the audience. They get connected to you and so
your presentation. It helps you keep calm. It is not so easy to give a presentation in
front of unknown people, but when you talk with people, you will gradually feel relaxed.
Body Language sends signals to your audience about your mental attitude. So you have
to be alert so that the right message is sent through your body language. You should
avoid crossed arms, hands in your pockets, and holding your hands behind.
Studies on body language state that 50% of communication is non-verbal. While
Presentation, how you stand, your facial expressions, and the way you use your hands and
eye contact, matter a lot. Non-verbal communication is the one that reflects real
views rather than words.
So think about your body language. How you want to be seen while doing the
presentation. What message do you want to send to your audience? These things matter a lot
so you need rehearsal and practice before actually going for a presentation.
Be Confident
The beginning is very important. This is the time to make or break. If you keep yourself
under control everything will gradually be fine and your performance will be appreciated.
So the first thing is to go on stage and wish every dignitary and participant. Have a light
conversation with them. Then these things will give positive signals to your mind. The
confidence will reflect during your presentation.
Importance of 10-20-30- Rules for Presentation
This is a great tip from Mr. Guy Kawasaki of Apple Company. He suggests the presenters
regarding slideshows.
It should contain no more than 10 MS PPT Slides.
The Presentation should last no more than 20 minutes
You should use a font size of no less than 30 point
The First Slides should be about you, your contact, and topic details. Then the
Introduction, Definition, and other things about the topic are followed. The last slide
should be saying thanks to the audience for listening to you.
There should not be too much information in a single slide. The points should be there
with bullets. The presenter is going to describe it so each slide should be
explained maximum of two minutes. Then only going to finish in twenty minutes. As far
as my experiences say you will get 10 to 15 minutes for a presentation there is less
time as the number of participants increases.
Tell Stories in place of Examples
As you know human beings respond to our stories. During the presentation, you have to
explain something. For example, when I was presenting the Use of WhatsApp in Libraries,
I told how I had made a WhatsApp group of my library and how my college colleagues responded.
I also told how my other friend librarians made the group and how they are using it. So the
main thing I wanted to tell you is that you have to talk about some interesting things
related to that presentation topic. This will help you get the audience's attention.
These interactions will keep them engaged and thus they will not feel a dull presentation.
Role of Your Voice
The Role of your voice has a great impact on your presentation. The first thing is that
whatever you are saying should be clear. The Clarity of your voice is very important.
The second thing is the speed should not be very fast. Some people talk very fast. So
listeners will not be able to follow it.
so speak slowly with clarity. The third thing is that some people's volume is very low and some
have a high pitch. So both have to control their volume so that the audience can follow them.
The fourth thing is that you should pause in between presentations before important points.
This will give you attention.
Fifth Thing is that you should choose the words which you can pronounce easily. Some
people for getting a good impression use those words that they can't pronounce easily
and get stuck to those words. The sixth important tip is always to use a shorter sentence,
as it is easy to understand and you can explain also it in different words.
So your voice reflects your hesitation and confidence level. The Body Language gets
changed according to your voice. I will say your voice says lots of things about your
personality.
Be Calm and Relax
This is the mantra that everybody follows it. The first thing is that you have to sleep early
before the day of the presentation. This sleep is very important in keeping your body and
mind in a relaxed position. If you have to give a presentation outstation then make
planning so that you reach one day before your presentation. You go and see the
arrangements and get familiar with it.
If you are not healthy then the nervousness can be heightened. Avoid any stimulants (
Alcohol, Coffee, Tea) before presentations. Some things will make you drowsy and some
will keep you awake the whole night. So get proper sleep and be in a good state of mental
health. Do some exercise which will help you in releasing stress.
Be Relaxed. Do Meditation and practice deep breathing. Do Rehearsal for your
presentation in front of your family or friends. If nobody is there then do it in front of the
mirror.
Things to do when you are Nervous
If you feel nervous before the presentation, then do the following things mentioned below.
Practice Deep Breathing - If you take deep breathing, your brain will get oxygen and you
will feel relaxed. So the irregular voice gets better.
Drink Water-Adrenalin, a hormone released when you are nervous, makes your mouth
dry. So drink a glass of water before the presentation and in the midst of the presentation
.
Chewing Gum- This Chewing gum also helps you to be relaxed before the presentation.
But don't chew in between presentations.
Dealing with Question Answer Session
Some Presenters dread to take the question as they have an excuse that they have to
attend another program. But most of them take questions happily and few have limited
question options. But you don't avoid questions. You try your best to explain. Keep
yourself in place of the audience and think that you have sent a question in the chatbox
or raised your hand, and your question is not taken, you will feel neglected.
So you have to master the skills of answering questions. Never be rude to the audience
and show that you got upset due to that question. Never lose your temper or argument with
the audience. These things will create a negative image.
Listen carefully and answer it. Try to repeat the question so that everybody will hear that
question and then answer it. You have to take lots of questions so answer briefly. Some
presenters take a lot of time to explain one question and then leave another question
due to a shortage of time.
Don't pretend that you know everything. If any question is asked and by the way you
don't know, then just refer any other expert who is in that panel of experts or say that
you email me, I will let you know after the presentation.
Don't try to give the wrong answer as it will tarnish your image. Nobody knows how
much-qualified people are sitting in the audience.
Get Feedback
After the presentation, the Feedback Form is sent through registered emails or in between
the presentation in the chatbox. So whatever the audience has written you should not
take it negatively rather think that you have the opportunity to improve yourself.
If the feedback is very impressive give yourself a treat and enjoy it. This will boost your
confidence. This treat will make you special and think that this is a reward as your
achievement is recognized by the audience.
Conclusion
So I have tried to explain How to give an effective presentation. You will get to know the
techniques and tips useful while preparing the presentation. It is part of Professional life.
One should take part in programs and give a presentation, as it will help you in your
professional career.
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