Oral Presentation

Oral Presentation NOT A LECTURE.

Oral Presentation 5 minutes, with no questions (perhaps afterwards!) Timetable to be decided on Monday 7thNovember Everyone *must* do one, or extreme weakness applies…

Oral Presentation It is not simply being able to talk, but rather, being able to transmit the exact message desired in a way that will be received and understood. Being able to communicate via “presentation” has become a widely sought after skill. From an oral presentation, how much of each should you have? Verbal vs. Visual vs. Vocal?

Oral Presentation - Preparing 1. Objective Do you want to inform your audience, persuade them, train them, or entertain them? What messages do you want your audience to take away with them?

2. Audience Who is your audience? How many people will be attending? What do they need to know? What do they already know? What do they expect? Will they be receptive to your message? 3. Contents Brainstorm your ideas, then decide what is most relevant and appropriate. Make sure that you take enough time to do any research that you need. Be selective – do not try to present too much in your message. Oral Presentation - Preparing

4. Structure Any presentation should consist of an introduction, a body and a conclusion. There should be examples, figures, stories, etc. The use of humour that is in good taste and relevant is also welcome. Again, remember not to try to put in too many figures or too many details. Too much humour is also out of the question. Everything must be balanced since you are planning to deliver a presentation and not give a show of any kind. Your audience should not lose the main idea of your talk. Oral Presentation - Preparing

4. Structure Cont. The structure of your message should be simple, words and sentences short. It is also good to use concrete words because they are easier to understand. No jargon! A high recommendation is to give the audience clear signals as to the direction your presentation is taking. As to visual aids, you should use them only as a support or illustration of what you are delivering. Some visual aids to put across certain points that cannot be explained in words. They are also good to add emphasis to a talk, but they must be simple to understand. Oral Presentation - Preparing

5. Rehearsal Take time to practice your presentation! This will give you a chance to identify any weak points or gaps. You will also be able to make sure that you can pronounce any figures and proper names correctly and confidently. It will also allow you to fine-tune the timing. Oral Presentation - Preparing

Nervousness • Prepare your talk well. You will be less nervous and more confident than if you have not. Yet, you want to be a bit nervous so that you will remain “on your toes.” • Balance! • Do not fall into the trap of speaking too quickly because you are nervous. In fact, speak slower during the first few moments of a talk. Oral Presentation - Presenting

2. Rapport • Rapport is the relationship between you and your audience or the connection, if you wish. • Be friendly and make eye contact with everyone in your audience. If by any chance you are unable to make eye contact, do not look over the tops of everyone’s head. The audience knows you are not looking at them and they do not like to be fooled. • Also, it is critical that you are able to observe their reactions to your message and make any adjustment in your talk. Oral Presentation - Presenting

3. Body language • Remember that the majority of the message is communicated by what the audience can see. • Consequently how you convey your ideas is critically important. Avoid any distracting mannerisms like pacing, rocking back and forth on your feet, etc. Use open-handed natural gestures as open handedness conveys sincerity. Oral Presentation - Presenting

4. Vocal quality • The sound of your voice carries the remainder of the message. • It means you should consider the volume, tone, timbre and tempo of your presentation. • You must be loud enough to be heard by everyone. • The tone of your voice must be consistent with the message. An interesting public speaker or presenter will vary the volume, tone and tempo of the talk to make themselves heard. Oral Presentation - Presenting

5. It’s not what you say… • Whatever happens, never resort to just reading what is on the slide!!!! • A lecture is different from a presentation; you are expected to show the beginning of research/industry expertise – anybody can read, so what you do has to be different. Oral Presentation - Presenting

6. Question Time • Do not be afraid of questions from the audience. • It is civilized practice to ask them. If you have delivered your presentation well, the audience should want more information. • Pay attention to the speaker when he/she is asking the question. That sounds simple, but many presenters look away when someone is asking a question. It is better to listen carefully, perhaps nodding in approval sometimes paraphrasing the question for clarification. Answer the questions shortly and simply. • If you do not know the answer it is better to say so. Oral Presentation - Presenting

Your first slide should contain the title of the presentation, your name, and who you're representing (if anyone). Remember that it's good form to include the name of the organization that is paying for your trip, even if they're not who you're representing. Oral Presentation - Slides

Your second slide should contain the agenda for the remainder of the presentation. This serves two purposes - it not only tells the audience what to expect, but serves as an outline for you as you create the slides. Oral Presentation - Slides

Your third (or fourth, depending on how big the agenda is) should contain some information about you. This sets your credibility with the audience as to your expertise with the subject matter. This slide is only really applicable to further presentations, not for this one! Oral Presentation - Slides

After that, it is up to you to start creating your slides. However, here's a few hints to keep in mind as you go along: • Make the text of the slides big, and the amount of text small. You want everyone to be able to read what is on the slide. • There is no real need to write in full sentences. You will want to make short points, since your talking will fill in the details. Oral Presentation - Slides

3. If you use backgrounds in your slides, make them of light colours. Dark colours will contrast the text when they are printed out as handouts for attendees. • 4. Stick to one topic per slide. You can have multiple slides per topic, just title them "Topic", "Topic (cont'd)", or number them. Oral Presentation - Slides

Oral Presentation