PRESENTATION SKILLS

What is Presentation :

 A presentation is a live mode of sharing information

with select number of audience. It is oral
communication with a person shares a factual
information with particular audience

 We can do presentation as an oral activity using visual

electronic aids to discuss new ideas and information
with specific audience in an impressive and convincing
manner
What is Presentation :

 A presentation is a live mode of sharing information

with select number of audience. It is oral
communication with a person shares a factual
information with particular audience

 We can do presentation as an oral activity using visual

electronic aids to discuss new ideas and information
with specific audience in an impressive and convincing
manner
Types of Presentations:

Providing Information. This format encompasses

anything from a team meeting that gives updates on a
project or upcoming event to a demonstration that
shows product functions.
Teaching a Skill. Your company just installed a new
system or implemented a new process that requires
people to learn how to use the new tool and apply the
process.
Reporting Progress. As you integrate the new system into
your daily routine, your boss wants to know how it’s
working. You might schedule a divisional meeting or
group off-site to share the progress.
Selling a Product or Service. A briefing like this might
include a recap of the product or service, next steps and
action items, or a discussion of needs and improvements
before the product is ready to sell.
Making a Decision. It’s time for the annual holiday party
and ideas are being tossed around the office. When giving
your input on the location, make sure to share the must-
haves and nice-to-haves for the event. When it’s time for
the final decision, you can see how your idea stacks up to
the other options.
Solving a Problem. This could be in a panel setting or
other meeting where the problem is identified, the facts
of the problem are presented and a list of causes is
generated. From here, you lay out the ideal outcome,
present solutions and discuss your recommendation.
Why use presentations in business?
Professionals use presentations for four basic purposes:
To inform
Informative presentations are common in the corporate world,
typically to inform listeners about a specific event, project or to give
the audience basic information. For instance, a stockbroker might
use an informative presentation to tell clients about projected
changes in the stock market.

To instruct
Instructional presentations exist to give those in the audience
specific directions or orders, possibly in teaching audience
members new skills or presenting key information. This type of
presentation may run longer than other types, depending on how
complex the subject is. An instructional presentation from a
building contractor, for instance, might detail all the steps needed
to plan construction, install water and electrical systems and more.
To persuade
Persuasive presentations are those in which the speaker
works to convince members of the audience to accept a
proposal or the speaker is trying to make a sale. For
example, a city councilperson may use a persuasive
speech to urge the rest of the council to allot more tax
money for a new park.

To aid decision making

Professionals may use decision-making presentations
when their company needs to settle on specific policies or
to make choices about the company’s organizational
structure. These types of presentations are interactive
because the presenter introduces an idea or set of ideas
that the entire group in attendance will need to work on.
Types of presentation styles
In general, there are six presentations styles:
Coach
Connector
Freeform
Instructor
Storytelling
Visual

Coach
Coach-style presentations work best for presenters who are enthusiastic
about the topic they are speaking about. To make this work for you, you will
need to find a balance between speaking and getting reactions and
feedback from the audience. You will also need to speak and share
information at an appropriate pace.
The coach-style presentation is popular among motivational speakers. You
might need to rely on coach-style presentations if you are at a conference
or in any situation where you need to assuage the fears of your audience.
Sometimes, salespersons or sales representatives use this style.
Connector

The connector-style presentation is one in which the speaker highlights

what they have in common with the audience. Listeners feel that the
speaker is “one of them” and are thus more receptive to the presenter’s
message.

This type of presentation might also include a freeform question and

answer session. Listeners may feel comfortable participating because the
speaker typically uses gestures when they speak, which can encourage
audience members to participate in the discussion.

To use this style effectively, you should be organized and pay close attention
to detail, but be comfortable on stage and in the audience. For example,
you might need to use this style if you are a community outreach specialist.
You will need to talk to leaders of the community to promote awareness of
your organization and to convince members of the community to take part
in a particular action.
Freeform

Freeform presenters generally know what they want to say without a

great deal of planning, rules or structure. If you would like to try this
style, consider keeping yourself to two or three key points, use some
humor, and share some stories with your audience. However, if you
need a few reminders of what to say, feel free to have a few
flashcards on hand, but make sure that the information on those
cards is concise.

The freeform style might work best for you if you are a sales
representative in informal situations. If you have a thorough
knowledge of what your company does and you have your talking
points memorized, you may not need to take too many notes since
you have practice speaking about your product.
Instructor

The instructor style may be best for people who need to convey a
complex message to persuade the audience to consider or adopt a
certain viewpoint. To use this style effectively, consider using figures
of speech, metaphors and visual aids to help the audience
conceptualize what you are talking about. Also, find a way to balance
focusing on the subject matter and your audience.

This approach could be ideal if you are an educator, since teachers

essentially give daily presentations to their class. During your
presentations, you would break down detailed topics to inform your
audience.
Storytelling
The storytelling style is a great way for speakers to connect with their
audiences. This style works best when you provide anecdotes that align
with your main points and if you can use words that elicit emotion for the
listener.
If you work in a communications field, the storytelling style might work
best for you. An example of the storytelling style at work is radio-
announcing, especially sports announcing. Many sports announcers not
only talk about the basics of the sport they are covering, but they often
use anecdotes from their past to relate to current developments.

Visual
Speakers who use this style tend to use large and colorful slides with small
quantities of text. This is a great style for speakers who believe slides
should only compliment their speech or who have a short time to prepare
and present. For example, if you are an ecologist giving a presentation to a
city planning commission, you could have slides of local wildlife and/or
graphs that depict the environmental impact of the new town hall.
Purpose: Why are you speaking? What do you want audience members to
know, think, believe, or do as a result of your presentation?
People: Who is your audience? How do the characteristics, skills, opinions,
and behaviors of your audience affect your purpose?
Place: Why are you speaking to this group now and in this place? How can
you plan and adapt to the logistics of this place. How can you use visual
aids to help you achieve your purpose?
Preparation: Where and how can you find good ideas and information for
your presentation? How much and what kind of supporting materials do
you need?
Planning: Is there a natural order to the ideas and information you will
use? What are the most effective ways to organize your presentation in
order to adapt it to the purpose, people, place, etc?
Personality: How do you become associated with your message in a
positive way? What can you do to demonstrate your competence,
charisma, and character to the audience?
Performance: What form of delivery is best suited to the purpose of your
presentation? What delivery techniques will make your presentation more
effective? How should you practice?
Following are the steps include in preparing
effective presentation:
Plan

Prepare

Practice

Present
Why give a presentation?

The main purpose of presentation is to:

 Inform
 Inspire
 Instruct
 Entertain
 Persuade
 Educate
 Motivate
• Planning usually include following
questions:

• Who is your audience?

• Why are they there?
• What is your goal?
• How long will it be?
• Where will it take place?
Who is your audience?
 For your presentation skills to serve you well, you need to know
who you are talking to. This dictates the approach and language
to use.

 Speeches to executives differ greatly from speeches meant for

consumers. This, therefore, informs the design of the speech. In
particular, you need to know:

 Who are my Audience ?

 What is their size ?
 Why they are there ?
 What are their demographics (age, gender, literacy or social
status) ?
 What attitude they have towards your message ?
 Types of audiences

The uninformed audience — those present know little about the

topic you are presenting. You need to inform them so that they
understand it.

The hostile audience — this is an audience that either does not

like you or your message. You should talk with a friendly tone and
emphasize on common grounds. Even more, answer to objections
with facts and logic.

The apathetic audience —Is indifferent or doesn’t care to get

involved. You will need to study this audience carefully to
determine the source of the indifference and how you can
excite them.
The mixed audience — this is an audience having the informed
and the uninformed. When dealing this audience, be careful with
facts and reach out to their emotion.

The favourable audience — these are people who support you or

your attitude and beliefs. However, do not take them for granted.
Reinforce their existing attitudes and make them more grounded
with facts.

In fact, treat seek information about an audience before and

during the presentation as one of the presentation skills you
need
Different personalities
Analytical
Scrupulous about preparation before and after meetings Arrives on time, keeps
to time and prevents drift Takes very detailed minutes and listens intently
Reflects on discussion, makes considered contributions

Driver
Drives decision making and ensures time is not wasted Cuts across distractions
and leads meetings well Manages difficult people assertively Ensures the action
plan is implemented

Amiable
Builds rapport easily and connects people together Remembers coffee, cake
and connects people together Averts conflict, when it threatens Supports the
team and leader fully

Expressive
Entertains, engages when in the limelight Challenges old way of thinking
Generates creative ideas and opens new possibilities Tells the truth, brings on
debate, breaks through niceties
Planning
Why give a presentation?

The main purpose of presentation is to:

• Inform
• Inspire
• Instruct
• Entertain
• Persuade
• Educate
• Motivate
• Preparing and delivering the first business
presentation in our life can be daunting.

• We may find it difficult to decide what we want to

say and how to say it, or perhaps the thought of
speaking before an audience scares us.

• It is true that some people are naturally talented at

public speaking.

• However, with some helpful guidance, anyone can

prepare and deliver a successful Presentation that
will be remembered for all the right reasons.
• When preparing a presentation, the first instinct may be to
sit down with a pen and paper and charge ahead into the
first line of the speech.

• The contents of our speech, and how we deliver it, are based
on five important factors:
• Occasion
• Audience
• Purpose
• Thesis
• Material
OCCASION
Occasion refers to the factors such as the facilities available
for our presentation, time, and context of our presentation.

Facilities include the venue or locale along with the projection

equipment, lighting, seating, ventilation, etc. Every location
has its unique physical environment.

Time refers to both the time of the day of presentation and the
duration of the talk.
• Straightforward and factual presentations may work well
during the morning hours, but in case of an after-dinner
speech, we may need to adapt our remarks to the occasion.

• Remembering the fact that most professional presentations

are brief, we should present the important points in the first
few minutes.
Context refers to the events surrounding our presentation.
When we are presenting in a team,

• for example, we need to consider the team members. They

might have left a positive or negative impression in the
minds of the audience and, hence, we would need to adapt
ourselves to the existing situation just before presenting our
part.

Thesis Statement is very important in a presentation because

it spells out the subject and establishes its impact among the
audience. It is also the central idea of a presentation.
Begin to formulate your thesis statement as soon as you select
your topic and decide on your purpose.

Then allow yourself enough time to explore and develop your

ideas. Shown below are the steps to arrive at your thesis
statement:

Topic: Choosing a reputed university for higher education

Topic area: Advantages of a reputed university
General purpose: To inform
Specific purpose: I wish to tell my audience about the benefits
they will reap by choosing a reputed university
Thesis statement: Choosing a reputed university for higher
education has five significant advantages.
Material
Once we complete formulating our thesis, we need to develop
the information that elaborates it. Collecting material requires
some research.

PREPARE
Following points must keep in mind while preparing:
• Structure
• Prompt
• Visual aids
• Voice
• Appearance
• Style
• Questions
STRUCTURE
• Structuring or organizing the material clearly is vital for an
effective presentation. A well organized presentation can
make our messages more comprehensible, create the
desired effect on our audience, and boost our image as a
speaker.

• On the other hand, rambling or taking too long to get to the

point, including irrelevant material in the speech, omitting
necessary information, or messing up the ideas can lead to
a chaotic structure.

• Even experienced speakers get into trouble if their material

is not organized appropriately and end up confusing their
audience.
• The key to all these problems is to organize our ideas into a
well-known pattern.
• First, we need to tell our audience what we want to tell them;
then, we should tell them the ideas; and finally, we should
repeat what we have already said.

• Introduction should grab attention, introduce topic, contain

a strategy for establishing credibility, preview the speech,
establish rules for questions, and have a smooth transition
• to the main text.
• Main body should contain all the main points and supporting
material; the entire matter should be organized into a
logical sequence.
• Conclusion should contain signal, highlight/summary,
closing statement/re-emphasis, a vote of thanks, and
invitation to questions.
COMPONENTS OF INTRODUCTION
COMPONENTS OF INTRODUCTION
COMPONENTS OF INTRODUCTION
MAIN BODY
The main body, the discussion, or the text part follows the
introduction and supports the aim or specific purpose of a
presentation.
• Depending on the topic, and the introduction part, One can
choose from any of the following patterns to organize the
main body of a presentation.
• Chronological
• Spatial / Directional
• Categorical / Topical
• Cause and effect
• Problem–solution
• Climatic
MODES OF DELIVERY
There are four modes of delivery that can be used for making
presentations:

• Extemporaneous
• Manuscript
• Impromptu
• Memorization
Extemporaneous mode
Extemporaneous presentation is by far the most popular and
effective method when carefully prepared. When speaking
extempore we must prepare the notes beforehand and
rehearse our presentation.
Advantages
 Natural
 Can pay attention to audience feedback
 Body can get into communication process
 Most believable

Disadvantages
 Might forget something
 May not be fluent
 But can dynamize your audience
Manuscript mode
In Manuscript presentation, material is written out and the
Presenter is supposed to read it out aloud verbatim. The
Presenter is not supposed to memorize the speech and then
recollect it. It is there in front of us to read. But, he / she
should be wise enough not to attempt to read a speech until he/
she has become a proficient reader.

Advantages
 Unlikely to make mistake in content
 Security blanket which gives confidence

Disadvantages
 Might lose touch with audience
 Can lose place
 Lose animation
 Unnatural
Impromptu mode
The impromptu mode, as the word suggests, is what we use
when we have to deliver an informal speech without
preparation. Be as brief as possible during your impromptu
presentations.
Advantages
 Natural
 Can pay attention to audience feedback
 Body can get into communication process
 Can look witty and intelligent
Disadvantages
 Dead space - vocal pauses
 Fill with “uhs” and “like”
 Can lose train of thought
 Mistakes can cause lose of confidence
Memorization mode
This method of presentation is very difficult for most of us. Usually
the Presenter memorizes only the main parts and are in the habit of
writing key words on cards to help him out through the actual
presentation.
This type of delivery stands somewhere between extemporaneous and
manuscript presentation. Speech is written out beforehand, then
committed to memory, and finally
delivered from memory.
Advantages
 No notes
 Can plan gestures, facial expressions, movement
 Easily use props
Disadvantages
 Can make you nervous
 Can lose place
 Puts the words in charge
 Spend too much energy remembering