Successful Presentation Skills
Most business transactions involve some degree of presentation skill whether it be reporting back to a departmental meeting, guiding a new colleague through the basic office procedures, or giving the members of the board an overview of a new product. But regardless of what or where you have to present, follow this easy six-step process and create a presentation that wows:
| • | Decide what you want to achieve |
| • | Decide what form your presentation should take |
| • | Prepare a script |
| • | Design and prepare your visual aids and handouts |
| • | Rehearse |
| • | Do it! |
If you stick to these basic guidelines and put in the necessary time and effort, you’ll learn how to deliver successful, informative and enjoyable presentations.
Confidence matters…
Lots of people begin their presentations badly due to feelings of isolation, of being ‘on the spot’. Find some friendly faces and maintain eye contact throughout the presentation – this will help to boost your overall confidence.
Another tremendous confidence builder is preparation. Prepare as fully as possible, with a tightly edited script, sufficient visual aids and plenty of rehearsal time. This will give you a sense of being in control.
In addition, try to have a realistic appreciation of your current strengths. Decide what kind of presentation you are capable of delivering - you’ll feel more confident because you’re not trying to over-stretch yourself.
Knowing your audience…
To stage a good presentation, it is vital that you know your audience and their basic characteristics:
| • | Who will be attending and what is their level of seniority? |
| • | Is their initial attitude likely to be positive or negative? |
| • | How intelligent and well informed are they? |
| • | What will they be expecting from you? |
| • | How can you present your material to encourage a positive response? |
Every time you accurately gauge one of these factors, and tailor your presentation accordingly, your communication will be that much more effective.
The sweet KISS of success…
For the thousands of presentations that go on too long, only one or two will be too short – this gives us a clue to the next secret of producing good presentations:
KISS
In its polite form, this stands for Keep It Short and Simple.
| • | In 20 minutes, you only have time for two major points |
| • | In 30 minutes you might make three major points |
| • | In 40-45 minutes you might be able to cover four major points, but three points and a longer time for questions would be a better alternative |
Most experienced and talented TV presenters stick to making three points in half an hour - this is surely a lesson for anyone planning a presentation.
Creating a structure…
Having assembled your ideas, the next step is to give them some structure - one very effective way to do this is to write each of the main points on a separate note - then shuffle them around until you have a coherent sequence.
Make sure you’ve introduced the subject clearly, the presentation follows a logical pattern, each sub-topic is clarified and the information is broken into ‘digestible chunks’ suiting the knowledge level of the audience. Your conclusions should show how everything fits together.
Scripts, notes or cue cards…?
Some people really can produce a speech at the drop of a hat, but most of us need some form of script.
A full script can be a great confidence builder as there is no danger of leaving something out. However there is the danger that a written script will sound unnatural to the audience.
Another option is to prepare notes with main headings and sub headings – this allows you to appear more spontaneous. The main drawback is having to remember (or memorise) the things you want to say for each heading.
If you choose to use cue cards, which are much smaller than A4 sheets of paper, you will need to work with key words and phrases. This means that you have freedom to move around – but again, you’ll be relying on your memory.
Try each of the above styles – full script, notes, or cue cards – and see which works best for you.
Selecting and using visual aids…
Why use visual aids?
Surveys show that as little as 10% of a purely verbal presentation will be remembered 3 days later but as much as 66% of a mixed verbal/visual presentation will be recalled. In short, for a truly powerful and memorable presentation you will need to include some form of visual aid.
Chalkboards and whiteboards are cheap but both rely on good handwriting and are only really suitable for small, informal groups.
Flipcharts can be awkward but are cheap and can be used to great effect with groups of up to 30 people, to record lists of ideas or display ‘spur of the moment’ information.
The main advantages of an overhead projector are its ease of use and the option of switching between various display styles. The main complication can be ensuring that everyone can see the whole screen.
Slide projection and computer-based displays both add an air of professionalism to the presentation and are suited to large audiences but can be costly.
Make sure your chosen visual aid matches your needs and those of your audience.
Question and answer sessions…
You may want to accept questions from your audience to create a positive interaction between them and yourself, to clear up any misunderstandings immediately and to gauge their level of understanding.
One simple and very effective way of allowing questions while still keeping the presentation on track goes like this:
“I’ll take any questions that call for clarification at any time during the presentation, but any questions which require additional information or which relate to anything not directly covered in the presentation will be dealt with at the end of the session.”
This approach assures the audience that you will cover all questions before the event is over, and also gives you the option of answering a question or putting it on hold.
To sum it up…
When preparing your presentation, make sure you:
| • | Know your audience |
| • | Keep your presentation simple |
| • | Keep to the point |
| • | Have confidence in yourself and your message |
If you look forward to treating each new presentation as another opportunity to develop your skills, then presenting can become one of the most rewarding aspects of business life.
About the author
Andrew Bradbury is a qualified social psychologist with over 20 years’ experience of designing and delivering training courses in both technical and ‘soft’ skills. He is the author of Successful Presentation Skills and Develop Your NLP Skills, published by Kogan Page
