ORAL

PRESENTATION
PREPARING FOR ORAL
PRESENTATION
Prepare your material carefully and logically. Tell a story.
 1.
 The story should have your Introduction and Method. It becomes more
interesting to the listener if this section is "story like" rather than "textbook
like".
 2. Practice your talk.
 Practicing the talk is the best way to get acquainted with the content and get
the pacing of the talk right. There is no excuse for this lack of preparation.
Even better, practice in front of a small audience
 3. Make notes for yourself.
 But do not write everything you will say. Just the key points. Don’t worry
about pausing once in a while to think. You may use your notes if necessary
 4. Know your audience.
 Assume your audience as experts in your topic.
PREPARING FOR ORAL
PRESENTATION
 5. Anticipate Questions.
 Write possible questions your evaluators might ask. Be ready for them.

 6. If you will be using Skype, Google Meet, or Zoom, test it in the room where
you’ll be speaking the day or two before your presentation to ensure it works
as you need it to.
 Check for a good internet connection. If presenting face to face, check the venue and its
available facilities and equipment so you can make necessary adjustments, if needed.
 7. Make sure you have backup files of your presentation.
 8. Try not to be anxious after all of the training/practice.
 Bear in mind, you know the role best. Each of your audience has been chosen for
their area of expertise, but you are the expert when it comes to your work.
DELIVERING THE ORAL
PRESENTATION
 1. Dress up
 2. Follow a good public speaking practice.
 Speak loudly and clearly enough.

 3. Don't bring too many ideas inside.

 Strong speakers would have and stick to the material with one or two central points
 Finally, presume that most of the audience may know very little about the topic and need a
simple explanation of what you're doing, not just information.
 4. Avoid equations.
 If there is really a need to show an equation - simplify it and talk to it very briefly

 5. Have only a few conclusion points.

 People can't remember more than a couple of things from a talk especially if they are
hearing many talks/presentations at one meeting/session.
DELIVERING THE ORAL
PRESENTATION
 6. Talk to the audience, not to the screen.
 Maintain eye contact with the audience so they will not lose interest. Let people look at the
viewgraph for a few moments - they usually can't concentrate on the material and listen to
you at the same time.
 Speak loudly and slowly. Pick out a few people in the audience and pointedly talk to them
as though you were explaining something to them. If presenting face to face, do not stay on
one corner of the stage/platform.
 7. Avoid making distracting sounds.
 Try to avoid "Ummm" or "Ahhh" between sentences.

 8. Use humor if possible.

 A joke or two in your presentation spices things up and relaxes the audience.

 9. Be enthusiastic during the presentation. Keep your momentum from

beginning to the end of your presentation.
RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS
AFTER THE ORAL
PRESENTATION
1. First, repeat the question.
 This gives you time to think, and the rest of the audience
may not have heard the question. Also if you heard the
question incorrectly, it presents an opportunity for
clarification. Make your answer brief.
2. If you don't know the answer then say "I don't know, I
will have to look into that."
 Don't try to invent an answer on the fly. Be honest and
humble. You are only human and you can't have thought of
everything.
3. If the questioner disagrees with you and it looks like
there will be an argument then defuse the situation.
 A good moderator will usually intervene for you, but if not
then you will have to handle this yourself. e.g. "We clearly
don't agree on this point, let's go on to other questions and
you and I can talk about this later."
4. Never insult the questioner.
 He/she may have friends, and you never need more
enemies.
ENDING YOUR ORAL
PRESENTATION
 Think carefully about your final words and how you will
finish your presentation. You have to end strong.
 Say Thank you - It is always a good idea to acknowledge
people who helped you improved your proposal.
 Make sure all the recommendations, suggestions, and
comments are well-noted for the improvement of your
research proposal.
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING