Body language is important.
Standing, walking or moving about with appropriate hand gesture or facial
expression is preferred to sitting down or standing still with head down and
reading from a prepared speech. Use audio-visual aids or props for enhancement
if appropriate and necessary. Master the use of presentation software such as
PowerPoint well before your presentation. Do not over-dazzle your audience with
excessive use of animation, sound clips, or gaudy colors which are
inappropriate for your topic. Do not torture your audience by putting a lengthy
document in tiny print on an overhead and reading it out to them.
Speak with conviction as if you really believe in what you are
saying. Persuade your audience effectively. The material you present orally
should have the same ingredients as that which are required for a written
research paper, i.e. a logical progression from INTRODUCTION (Thesis statement)
to BODY (strong supporting arguments, accurate and up-to-date information) to
CONCLUSION (re-state thesis, summary, and logical conclusion).
Do not read from notes for
any extended length of time although it is quite acceptable to glance at your
notes infrequently. Speak loudly and clearly. Sound confident. Do not mumble.
If you made an error, correct it, and continue. No need to make excuses or
apologize profusely.
Maintain sincere eye contact with
your audience. Use the 3-second method, e.g. look straight into the eyes
of a person in the audience for 3 seconds at a time. Have direct eye contact
with a number of people in the audience, and every now and then glance at the
whole audience while speaking. Use your eye contact to make everyone in your
audience feel involved.
Speak to your audience,
listen to their questions, respond to their reactions, adjust and adapt. If
what you have prepared is obviously not getting across to your audience, change
your strategy mid-stream if you are well prepared to do so. Remember that
communication is the key to a successful presentation. If you are short of
time, know what can be safely left out. If you have extra time, know what could
be effectively added. Always be prepared for the unexpected.
Pause. Allow yourself and
your audience a little time to reflect and think. Don't race through your
presentation and leave your audience, as well as yourself, feeling out of
breath.
Add humor whenever
appropriate and possible. Keep audience interested throughout your entire
presentation. Remember that an interesting speech makes time fly, but a boring
speech is always too long to endure even if the presentation time is the same.
When using audio-visual aids to enhance
your presentation, be sure all necessary equipment is set up and in good
working order prior to the presentation. If possible, have an emergency backup
system readily available. Check out the
location ahead of time to ensure seating arrangements for audience, whiteboard,
blackboard, lighting, location of projection screen, sound system, etc. are
suitable for your presentation.
Have handouts ready and give
them out at the appropriate time. Tell audience ahead of time that you will be
giving out an outline of your presentation so that they will not waste time
taking unnecessary notes during your presentation.
Know when to STOP talking.
Use a timer or the microwave oven clock to time your presentation when
preparing it at home. Just as you don't use unnecessary words in your written
paper, you don't bore your audience with repetitious or unnecessary words in
your oral presentation. To end your presentation, summarize your main points in
the same way as you normally do in the CONCLUSION of a written paper. Remember,
however, that there is a difference between spoken words appropriate for the
ear and formally written words intended for reading. Terminate your
presentation with an interesting remark or an appropriate punch line. Leave
your listeners with a positive impression and a sense of completion. Do not
belabor your closing remarks. Thank your audience and sit down.
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