Effective

Presentations Skills
GREAT SPEAKERS AREN’T
BORN, “THEY ARE TRAINED.”

Presenting is a Skill…
Developed through experience
and training.
#1 FEAR

Feared More Than Death!

THE FACTS: Shaky hands, blushing

cheeks, memory loss, nausea, and
knocking knees

NORMAL!
CAUSES OF THE ANXIETY

Fear of the Unknown OR Loss of Control

Fight or Flight Mode

No Backup Plan

No Enthusiasm For Subject

Focus of Attention
DEFINITION

❑ Presentation
“Something set forth to an audience for the
attention of the mind “

❑ Effective
“…producing a desired result”
WHY GIVE A PRESENTATION?

Three Main Purposes

1. Inform

2. Persuade

3. Educate
HOW TO DO

Planning
Preparation
Practice
Performance
Questions
PLANNING
1. Determine Purpose
▪ Who are you talking to?

▪ Why are you talking to them?

▪ How long have you got?

▪ What type of presentation are you going to

deliver?
PLANNING
2. Assess Your Audience

“Success depends on your ability to

reach your audience.”
▪ Size

▪ Demographics

▪ Knowledge Level

▪ Motivation
PLANNING
3. Plan Space
▪ Number of Seats
▪ Seating Arrangement
▪ Audio/Visual Equipment
▪ Distracters
4. What Day and Time?
▪ Any Day!
▪ Morning / Evening
BUILD RAPPORT

❑ Relation marked by harmony or affinity

Audience remembers who trust you and feel

that you care

❑ Start Before You Begin

▪ Mingle; Learn Names
▪ Opportunity to reinforce or correct
audience assessment
▪ Good First Impression
❑ People Listen To People They Like
CREATING EFFECTIVE VISUAL
AIDS
VISUAL AIDS
▪ Enhance Understanding
▪ Add Variety

▪ Support Claims

▪ Lasting Impact

Used Poorly…… A Distraction……

Ineffective Presentation
Visual Aids - Examples
■ PowerPoint Slides

■ Overhead Trans

■ Graphs / Charts

■ Pictures

■ Films / Video

■ Flip Charts

■ Sketches
BE VISIBLE ON SLIDES

❑ Titles should be 34-42 pt. font size

❑ Text should be 24-28 pt. font size

❑ Use color wisely

▪ Contrasting colors Inappropriate

❑ Avoid Text
OVER TEXTED SLIDE
The slide full of text is not appropriate and

it creates boredom and feel the ordinance

that the speaker is not well prepared and

also distract them from speaker by reading

the slide. So, please avoid paragraphs

writing on slides.
PRESENTING YOUR SLIDES

▪ Use Images & Graphics

▪ Minimise text & numbers

▪ Dark text on light background

▪ Avoid distracting backgrounds

▪ Mixture upper and lower case

PRESENTING YOUR SLIDES

▪ Use colour to highlight text

▪ Keep figures simple

▪ Thick lines and large symbols

▪ Check spellings
PRESENTING YOUR SLIDES

Use animation effects

with effectively
appropriate Quickl
Color y

Purposefull
y
COMPLETING THE OPENING
❑ First few moments.

❑ Selection of words-make it interesting.

❑ Clearly Defining Topic

❑ If Informative…

▪ Clear parameters for content within time

COMPLETING THE OPENING
❑ If Persuasive…
▪ Highlight the significance

▪ What’s the problem

▪ What’s the solution

PERFORMANCE

Use short simple sentences

Avoid jargon & abbrev.
Avoid distracting mannerisms
Relax, be enthusiastic
Make eye contact
Keep an eye on the time remaining
PERFORMANCE
Explain figures, and point to important
aspects

Give a clear and concise summary,

then stop.

Don’t go overtime. Ever.

PRACTICE

Practice, practice, practice

Get feedback, and use it.

Be ruthless - delete unnecessary information

QUESTIONS

Anticipate likely questions and

prepare extra slides with the answers
 QUESTIONS

Paraphrase questions

1. So that other people hear the question

2. To check you understand the questions
3. To get time while you think about an
answer
QUESTIONS

If you don’t know the answer, say so.

Offer to find out.

Ask the audience.
Like most things,
the best way to learn is to do.
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
Non-Verbal Communication (Body language)
Be aware that you are dealing with PEOPLE
❑ (P)OSTURE & GESTURES
❖ How do you use hand gestures? Stance?

❑ (E)YE CONTACT
❖ How’s your “Light-house”?

❑ (O)RIENTATION
❖ How do you position yourself?
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
(CONT…)
❑ (P)RESENTATION
❖ How do you deliver your message?

❑ (L)OOKS
❖ Are your looks, appearance, dress important?

❑ (E)XPRESSIONS OF EMOTION
❖ Are you using facial expressions to express
emotion?
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
(CONT…)
Para-Verbal Communication (How we say)

❑ Tone
(A quality of the voice that expresses the
speaker’s feelings or thoughts)
❑ Pitch
(A quality of a sound that governed by the rate of
vibrations producing it; the degree of highness
or lowness of a tone)
❑ Pace
(The speed in which somebody speaks)
COMMON PROBLEMS

❑ Verbal fillers
❖ “Um”, “uh”, “like”

❖ Any unrelated word or phrase

❑ Hands in pockets

❑ Fidgeting

❑ Failure to be audience-centered
5 PRESENTATION TIPS

1. Smile

2. Breathe

3. Water

4. Notes

5. Finish On Or Under Time

 PRESENTATION TIPS
FOR EFFECTIVE MEETINGS
1. Be Prepare

2. State Purpose Clearly

3. Keep it Simple

4. Make it Relatable

5. Limit Number of Slides

6. Get Feedback

7. Stick to Your Allocated Time

8. Summarize
 CONCLUDING YOUR
PRESENTATION
❑ Inform audience that you’re about to close

❑ Summarize main points

❑ Something to remember or call-to-action

❑ Answer questions
 Rule #1

❑ Look Smart
❑ Dress Well
 Rule #2

Use Examples
Make It Memorable
 Rule #3

Be enthusiastic
 Rule #4

Do not apologize
 DO NOT APOLOGIZE

❑ “I didn’t have time to prepare this talk

properly”
❑ “My computer broke down, so I don’t have
the results I expected”
❑ “I don’t have time to tell you about this”

❑ “I don’t feel qualified to address this audience”

 Rule #5

Stage Fright Is Normal

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
❑ Deep breathing during previous talk

❑ Script your first few and last few sentences

precisely

❑ Move around a lot, use large gestures, wave

your arms,

❑ Go to the restroom first

 Rule #6

Be Seen and Heard

BE SEEN AND HEARD
❑ Point at the screen, not at the overhead

projector

❑ Speak to someone at the back of the

room, even if you have a microphone on

❑ Make eye contact;

❑ Watch audience for questions…

 Rule #7

Questions are good

 Rule #8

Know your Presentation

Sequence
Rule #9

Never ever
run over time
 Rule #10

Prepare for emergencies

home work
Rule #11

Be yourself
FINISHING
❑ Audiences get restive and essentially stop
listening when your time is up.
Continuing is very counter productive
❑ Simply truncate and conclude

❑ Do not say “would you like me to go on?”

(it’s hard to say “no thanks”)
❑ Say “Thank You!”
 Bad Points Correction

Couldn’t understand his Speak slowly and clearly

language

He was far too loud Moderate voice

Lost his place in Have notes in order

presentation

Check equipment before

The equipment didn’t work
when he started

Don’t show anger

He got angry with people etc.
THINGS NOT TO DO

❑ Use jargon
❑ Overwhelm with detail
❑ Go over time
❑ Use text that can’t be read
❑ Stand in the way of your visuals
❑ Distract (e.g., Gestures)
❑ Say: Ummmmm, ahhhhhh
❑ Stare at one point
❑ Slouch
THERE IS HOPE

The general standard is

so low that you don’t
have to be outstanding
to stand out
Watch other people’s talks intelligently,
and pick up ideas for what to do and what
to avoid.
 HOW TO BECOME AN AUTHENTIC
SPEAKER
BY: NICK MORGAN
Unauthentic speaker
Mismatch between spoken message and body
language
Traditional coaching

Audience innate ability to read body language

What is the solution ?

 HOW TO BECOME AN AUTHENTIC
SPEAKER
BY: NICK MORGAN
“Rehearsing” Authenticity
Be open to your audience

Connecting to your audience

Be passionate about your topic

“Listening” to your audience

Effective Listening
Skills
HEARING VS LISTENING
Hearing – Physical process, natural, passive

Listening – Physical as well

as mental process, active,
learned process, a skill

Listening is hard.
You must choose to participate in the process of
listening.
HOW TO IMPROVE LISTENING
SKILL?
Listening is an art rather an act.

It requires to adopt it as a choice.

Realize the fact that listening is a gift.

 VALUE OF LISTENING
✶ Listening to others is an elegant art.

✶ Listening carefully improves competence

and

performance.
 VALUE OF LISTENING
✶ Poor listening could be disastrous.

✶ Listening is an active / positive activity

rather than a passive or negative activity.

 VALUE OF LISTENING

Good listening can:

✶ eliminate imaginary grievances

✶ improve social relations

✶ reflects courtesy and good manners.

HOW TO IMPROVE LISTENING SKILL?
(CONT…)
Cuban proverb;

“Listening looks easy, but it’s not

simple. Every head is a world.”
HOW TO IMPROVE LISTENING SKILL?
(CONT…)
So, to improve listening also required daily
practice as requires to excel in any skill.

Literature guides us three important

practices to improve listening skill:
HOW TO IMPROVE LISTENING SKILL?
(CONT…)
Practices to improve listening skill:

Cultivating Silence
Slowing Down to reflect

Becoming Present
HOW TO IMPROVE LISTENING SKILL?
(CONT…)
Cultivating Silence
There is no listening without silence.
Silence is also one of the learnt behavior.
So, getting comfortable with silence is a
practice
HOW TO IMPROVE LISTENING SKILL?
(CONT…)
Slowing Down to Reflect
Reflective listening means listening to
yourself.
HOW TO IMPROVE LISTENING SKILL?
(CONT…)
Becoming Present
Deep listening occurs at the heart level.
It is present when one feels most
connected to another person or to a
group of people.
HOW TO IMPROVE LISTENING SKILL?
(CONT…)
So, we have to daily practice:
1. Silence: Spend at least one minute each
day in silence.
2. Reflection: Take a deep breath before
you respond, listen to your soul first.
3. Presence: be mindful of each moment,
pay attention – be with the person you
are with.
THANK YOU

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