Four Types of Presentations
• Impromptu
• Extemporaneous
• Scripted
• Memorized
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© 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin's
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Four Audiences for Oral Presentations
• Colleagues in your organization
• Clients and customers
• Fellow professionals at technical conferences
• The public
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Steps in Preparing an Oral
Presentation
• Assess the speaking situation.
• How much does the audience know?
• Are you attempting to inform or inform and
persuade?
• What are their attitudes towards your topic?
• How much time do you have?
• Prepare an outline or note cards.
• Prepare presentation graphics.
• Rehearse the presentation.
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Five Characteristics of Effective
Graphics
• Visibility
• Legibility
• 18-point font
• 20-point font
• 24-point font
• Stick with sans-serif fonts
• Simplicity
• Clarity
• Correctness
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Four Aspects to Consider in Planning
Your Graphics
• Length of the presentation
• Audience aptitude and experience
• Size and layout of the room
• Equipment
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Basic Media for Oral Presentations
• Computer presentations
• Slide projector
• Overhead projector
• Chalkboard or other hard writing surface
• Objects
• Handouts
• For details see table in text p.579-580
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Delivering an Oral Presentation
is More Challenging than Writing
a Document for Two Reasons:
• Listeners can't go back to listen again to something
they didn't understand.
• Because you are speaking live, you must maintain
your listeners' attention, even if they are hungry or
tired or the room is too hot.
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Use Language to Alert
Your Listeners to:
• Advance organizers
• Summaries
• Transitions
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Three Techniques to Help Make a
Lasting Impression on Your Audience
• Involve the audience.
• Refer to people, not to abstractions.
• Use interesting facts, figures, and quotations.
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Rehearsing an Extemporaneous
Presentation
• First stage – concentrate on content
• Second stage – concentrate on flow and timing
• Third stage – concentrate on style
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In Giving the Oral Presentation:
• Calm your nerves.
• Use your voice effectively.
• Use your body effectively.
Chapter 22. Making Oral Presentations
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Three Facts
about Nervousness
• You are much more aware of your nervousness than
the audience is.
• Nervousness gives you energy and enthusiasm.
• After a few minutes, your nervousness will pass.
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Points to Consider When You Get
Nervous before a Presentation
• Realize that you are prepared.
• Realize that the audience is there to hear you, not to
judge you.
• Realize that your audience is made up of individual
people who happen to be sitting in the same room.
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Strategies for Dealing with
Nervousness before a Presentation
• Walk around.
• Go off by yourself for a few minutes.
• Talk with someone for a few minutes.
• Take several deep breaths, exhaling slowly.
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Inexperienced Speakers
Often Have Problems with Five
Aspects of Vocalizing:
• Volume
• Speed
• Pitch
• Articulation
• Nonfluencies
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Four Guidelines about Physical
Movement
• Maintain eye contact.
• Use natural gestures.
• Don't block the audience's view of the screen.
• Control the audience's attention.
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Guidelines for Presenting to People
from Different Cultures
• Use graphics effectively to reinforce your points for
nonnative speakers.
• Be aware that gestures can have cultural meanings.
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Five Situations When You Respond to
Questions
• You're not sure everyone heard the question.
• You don't understand the question.
• You don't know the answer to the question.
• You get a question that you have already answered in
the presentation.
• A belligerent member of the audience rejects your
response and insists on restating his or her original
point.
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