Presentation is a very common method of communication especially in the corporate world. On different levels, people get to make presentations and so the need to be able to do it right is a very important one. It offers the opportunity to utilise the written and verbal form of communication- slides to be presented serve as a guide to the verbal communication. There are different situations like pitches, meetings, trainings , joint team meetings etc.
Delivering good presentations is not a skill for leaders alone but for everyone as it is important to effectively pass the information in the slide or document to your audience in a very simple and understandable way (effective communication is said to occur when there is a shared meaning which means that the sender and the receiver both understood the intent of the message in clear terms).
For a good slide presentation:
- Know your audience – This helps the presenter to tailor his message and pick the most appropriate technique. It helps you to know the terms to use, the contents of the presentation, how best to illustrate your point etc.
- Know your purpose – A presenter should define the goals and objectives he/she is trying to achieve with the presentation before proceeding to make a slide. He should be aware of the problem statement and the intended resolution steps. This helps to give a detailed yet clear direction to follow during the process of creating the slides.
- Structure the body of your presentation- Focus on the key points you are trying to make, make them visible easy to identify. Organising your thoughts help through this step as it helps to put structure and hierarchy around your thoughts. You should have supporting messages that give context to/ align with the main point. Avoid using too many long words, do not give too many facts, use questions to emphasize key points and be seen to engage the audience
- Plan your beginning: This is really important because it captures the attention of the audience and might determine how involved they are throughout the presentation. A strong start is recommended. It should be interesting and impactful, should have the outlined objectives, should be seen to address the problem or the reason for the presentation.
- Plan your ending: The presenter must plan to leave the audience with a proper understanding of the message passed across with the slide. Questions should be entertained, there should be a summary of facts , and the presentation should not end abruptly.
- Use of visuals- visuals that support the purpose of the presentation and key points should be used. They serve as supporting evidence for the benefit of the audience to visualise the information and explain ideas contained in the slide. This is particularly used for presenting data. It should be use to make only one point per time and not displayed for too long to avoid distraction.
- Anticipate questions – Pay attention to those asking, listen patiently, take time to plan your answer and keep it simple.
- Practice your presentation- One must appear confident and positive and this comes with preparation. Take time to read your slides many times over and practice your language, gestures, timing to avoid looking unserious and unprepared. It helps you identify / correct mistakes and gives room for improvement.
The tips above need to be practiced/ adhered to as often as we can. They help us build strong presentations.
