Tips for Effective Presentation
Preparing your presentation
- Learn about your audience’s learning needs, expectations and demographics
- The content must reflect the flow of slides – a logical "story" with headings
- Feel in tune with your presentation and it will flow smoother
- Rewrite or revise a presentation you have received from another presenter
Effective power point presentation
- Review the content and style. Prepare, prepare
- Do not exceed 6 lines of content on a slide
- Use graphics, pictures, YouTube video, to emphasis your point
- Use font Arial and/or Helvetica, size point 20 to 22 for content, 38 to 44 for titles
- Utilize contrast (e.g. light background and dark words or vice versa)
- Avoid busy slides and animation as it distracts the audience
- Be aware colors on slide may not always appear same on large screen
- There are 5 mental senses by which knowledge can be acquired; hearing, sight, touch, taste and smell. Increase knowledge retention by stimulating the senses
Arrive ahead of scheduled time
- Be sure you know how to get to training location and the room number
- Arrive a minimum of 15 minutes early
- Bring your presentation in a USB to avoid last minute errors
- Go to the presentation room and be familiar with the room
- Place your laptop to the right, centre or left of table, your preferred stance when addressing the audience (you can read from the laptop and summarize the contents to the audience)
- Set up the LCD projector and laptop, set your first slide on the screen
- Check if flip chart and markers are within easy access
- Test the remote and/or sound system
- Check that handouts and evaluation are readily available
- Go through your notes, rehearse on the opening and closing paragraphs
- Relax and take a walk
Audio/video equipment
- Bring your own laptop/LCD projector or confirm in advance with host agency on A/V requirements
How to Present Successfully
- Be yourself, be present
- Dress comfortably and professionally
- This is a live presentation, use gestures to communicate to your audience
- Gestures help convey your passion for the topic
- Vary the tone and volume of your voice, avoid speaking in a monotone voice to hold your audience’s attention
- Use metaphors and analogies, they are vital to communication
- Build in ‘Q and A’ time of a minimum 15 minutes or more if time allows
- Be prepared to address unexpected situations, comments, etc.
At beginning of presentation
- Introduce yourself, the topic and thank the organizer
- Have participants identify themselves if size of audience is manageable
- Introduce content of the day, mention the breaks, check for special needs
- If you are nervous, stand next to something solid and/or hold a resource
- Go slow to allow audience to assimilate the information, smile, maintain eye contact
Co-presenting
- Discuss and arrange ahead who starts first and /or second
- Do not stand in front of audience and speak to each other during the presentation
- If not presenting, sit quietly out of sight or show interest in your co-presenter
- Engage the audience with eye contact
Centering your view
- Do not stand with your back to the audience and read from the screen
- Face your audience while you summarize points from the laptop screen
- Avoid reading slides verbatim unless you are reviewing statistics, a quotation or something that must be 100% accurate
Tips for nervousness
- It is natural to be nervous in front of an audience
- The extra boost of adrenalin can result in stiffness or shallow breath
- But the extra adrenalin will keep your mind sharp to engage the audience
- Go to the washroom if you need to, continue breathing
- Breathe - take slow deep breaths to your stomach, breath fully and exhale
- Move around and lift up some resources, hand out the presentation and smile
Keeping your audience awake
- Engage your audience; with questions, differing points of view, challenge, consult, praise, draw upon the expertise in the audience, be interactive
- Stimulate the audiences with critical thinking and jokes as appropriate
- Monitor the reactions to gauge how you are doing and next steps
Can’t please everyone
- In any presentation, it will be impossible to please everyone
- Do not take criticism personally or you will lose your focus at the presentation
- Solicit feedback via evaluation forms
- Note questions, disagreements and comments on a side bar on a flip chart
- Discuss questions and comments if time permits
- Always thank the audience for attending and provide business cards or contact information for follow up requests and/or questions
Final thought: Every presentation experience will add to your effectiveness as a presenter.
