Elevating Your Oral Presentation Skills for Professional Success

Oral Presentation Skills “ Public speaking skills have risen to the top of nearly every company’s wish list of executive attributes.”

Table of Contents • I. Introduction and Format • II. Four Main Phases:A. Planning B. Writing C. Completing D. Delivering

A presentationis an opportunity or a live mode of sharing information, ideas or views with a select audience. • Informal—formal; prepared—impromptu • to boss, employees, customers, or colleagues

The audience sits through the whole presentation without interrupting the presenter. • It is only at the end that the audience asks questions during the question-answer session.

Fear of speaking before a group is almost as great as the fear of dying. • Butterflies in our tummies just thinking about it • Powerful push propelling us to a peak performance

1. Planning • Reduce your fears by focusing the following areas: • Decide your purpose. • Get to know your listeners. • Analyse the circumstances around your talk. • Study the location of the presentation.

i. Decide Your Purpose • To inform, or persuade or entertain? • Do you want to sell a health care program to clients? • Are you going to persuade management to increase the marketing budget? • Have a clear idea of where you are going.

ii. Get to know Your Audience • Listeners’ interests, needs, hopes, fears • Demographics--- age, gender, education, occupation, cultural identity, religious affiliations • Barrier: you know and understand the audience.

iii. Analyse the Circumstances • Level of language, style, time length • Circumstance and occasion --- sales presentation, speech at wedding, informational speech, etc. • Persuasive, political, passionate or joyful

iv. Study the Location • Room size, seating arrangement, set-up, acoustics • Technical arrangements, e.g. microphones, power points, computer use, audio-visuals, lighting, etc. • Air-conditioning (moderate temperature)

comfortable/uncomfortable chairs • moving people in/out • Stand by generator • Distance you will cover to reach there

B. Writing/Organization • Brainstorm the Topic • Get the Hard Information • Write a Draft

1. Brainstorm the Topic • Write down as many things as you can about the topic that come into your head---quotes, anecdotes, facts, examples, anything. • Do not worry about organizing it; do it later. • Just get your brain working.

2. Get the Hard Information • Back up your ideas, read up and research • Interesting statistics? Unusual facts? • Something that will keep audience interested

3. Write a Draft • Speech experts recommend the following effective plan: • Step 1: Tell the audience what you are going to say. • Step 2: Say it. • Step 3: Tell them what you have just said.

In other words, the first draft should contain three basic elements: • Introduction 10% Time • Body/Discussion 80% Time • Closing/Conclusion 10% Time

Introduction • PAL: Porch, Aim, Layout (Agenda) • Porch: Capture listeners’ attention with the opening. • Much like a newspaper headline, hit the audience between the eyes with a catchy headline. • Some other techniques to win attention are: promise, eye contact, gimmicks/samples, question, demo

Aim: State clearly and concisely what you intend to talk about. ‘Today, I’m going to show you….’ • Connect with your audience describing your position, knowledge or experience. • Layout: Preview your main points.

Body/Discussion • Biggest Problem: failure to focus on principal points • Include a limited number of main points. • Too many details obscure the main message.

Remember, listeners have no pages to leaf back through. • Use patterns: chronology of a problem, pro/con, problem/solution, best/worst case

Conclusion • Listeners remember the closing more. • Strive to achieve two goals: • Summarize the main themes. • Go out on a high note. Finish with a bang.

Skilled speakers alert the audience that they are finishing, e.g. • As I end this presentation, …. • It’s time for me to stop.

3. Completing • Form a rapportwith the audience by using: • Visual aids • Imagery • Verbal signposts • Body language strategically.

Visual Aids • 85 percent of all our knowledge visually • Multimedia and transparencies • Whiteboard, charts, video clips, models, slides, handouts

Imagery • Enliven your presentation with: • Analogies, metaphors, similes, personal anecdotes • Worst-and-best-case scenarios

Verbal Signposts • Use verbal signposts to keep listeners on track by Previewing: • Next segment of my talk presents three reasons for.. • Let’s consider the causes of ….

Summarizing: Let me review with you the major problems I’ve just discussed…. • You see, then, that the most significant factors are….

SwitchingDirections: • So far we’ve talked solely about… • Now let’s move to…. • First, second, next, moreover, conversely, etc.

4. Delivering Nonverbal Messages: Look terrific. • Animate your body. • Punctuate your words. • Vary your facial expressions. • Get out from behind the podium.

4. Delivering • Methods: • Memorization • Reading • Impromptu • Beyond the rough draft/notes

The best plan is a ‘notes’ method. • Talk from note cards or an outline containing key sentences and major ideas.

If you think you can, you can! • If you think you can’t, you can’t!

Conquer stage fright with the following techniques: • Breathe deeply. • Know your topic. • Use positive self-talk.

Ignore stumbles. • Handle the questions effectively. • Feel gratified when you finish.

To Sum Up • Before : • Prepare thoroughly. • Rehearse repeatedly. • Time yourself.

Request a lectern • Check the room. • Practisestress reduction.

During • Begin with a pause. • Use memory. • Maintain eye contact. • Control your voice.

Put the brakes on. • Move naturally. • Summarize main points. • Avoid digressions.

After • Encourage and repeat questions. • Keep control. • End with a summary and appreciation.

Elevating Your Oral Presentation Skills for Professional Success