PRESENTATION SKILLS

Course: English I
INTRODUCTION
 When making a presentation, the most important
thing is to know your material. If you do not
know everything about what you are talking
about, it is not likely that the audience will
understand you.
 Keep your audience focused and interested.
Making effective presentations takes practice, but
with a few tips up your sleeve, you are ready to
take on the challenge.
1. USE KEY PHRASES ABOUT YOUR TOPIC

 Use key phrases and include only essential

information.
 Choose only the top three or four points about
your topic and make them consistently
throughout the delivery.
 Simplify and limit the number of words on each
screen. Try not to use more than three bullets per
slide.
 Make your slides easy to follow. Put the title at
the top of the slide where your audience expects
to find it. Phrases should read left to right and top
to bottom. Keep important information near the
top of the slide. Often the bottom portions of
slides.
2. SLIDE LAYOUT IS IMPORTANT
3. AVOID FANCY FONTS

Choose a font that is simple and easy to read such

as Arial, Times New Roman or Verdana. Avoid
script type fonts as they are hard to read on
screen. Use, at most, two different fonts –
perhaps one for headings and another for content.
Keep all fonts large enough (at least 24 pt and
preferably 30 pt) so that people at the back of the
room will be able to easily read what is on the
screen.
4. USE CONTRASTING COLORS FOR TEXT AND BACKGROUND

 Dark text on a light background is best, but avoid white

backgrounds -- tone it down by using beige or another
light color that will be easy on the eyes. Dark
backgrounds are effective to show off company colors or
if you just want to dazzle the crowd. In that case, be sure
to make text a light color for easy reading.
 Patterned or textured backgrounds can reduce readability
of text.
 Keep your color scheme consistent throughout your
presentation.
5. LIMIT THE NUMBER OF SLIDES

Keeping the number of slides to a minimum,

ensures that the presentation will not become too
long and drawn out. It also avoids the problem of
continually changing slides during the
presentation that can be a distraction to your
audience. On average, one slide per minute is
about right.
6. USE PHOTOS, CHARTS AND GRAPHS

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7. AVOID EXCESSIVE USE OF SLIDE TRANSITIONS AND ANIMATIONS

Keep animations consistent in the presentation

and apply the same transition throughout the
presentation.
8. DON’T MEMORIZE:

Every presentation needs two major components

-- life and energy. Recite from memory and your
presentation will be sadly lacking both of these
factors.
9. REHEARSE YOUR PRESENTATION:

Rehearse your presentation out loud,

accompanied by the slide show. Have the person
sit at the back of the room so you can practice
speaking loudly and clearly. Ask your listener for
honest feedback about your presentation skills.
Make changes where necessary and run through
the whole show again. Keep repeating until you
feel comfortable with the process.
10. DO NOT SPEAK TO YOUR SLIDES:

Many presenters watch their presentation rather

than their audience. You made the slides, so you
already know what is on them. Turn to your
audience and make eye contact with them. It will
make it easier for them to hear what you are
saying, and they will find your presentation much
more interesting.
11. HAVE A BACKUP PLAN.

What if your projector dies? Or the computer

crashes? Or the CD drive doesn’t work? So, have
a printed copy of your notes with you, carry a
backup of your presentation on a USB flash drive
or email yourself a copy, or better yet, do both.