Module 2
Oral Presentation Skills
Learner Workbook
Project no – 2012-1-GB2-LEO05-08201
This project is co-financed by the European Commission.
This publication is of exclusive author’s responsibility. The European Commission
is not responsible for the use of the information disseminated in it.
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At the end of this module you will know:
Learning Outcomes
Achieved
2.1 How to prepare for your
presentation.
2.2 How to structure your
presentation.
2.3 What content you will need to
prepare.
2.4 How to conclude your
presentation.
2.5 How to manage your body
language.
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Date
Project no – 2012-1-GB2-LEO05-08201
Introduction
Presentations skills and public speaking skills are very useful in many aspects of work
and life. Effective presentations and public speaking skills are important in business,
sales and selling, training, teaching, lecturing and generally entertaining an audience.
Developing the confidence and capability to give good presentations, and to stand up in
front of an audience and speak well, are also extremely helpful competencies for selfdevelopment too. Presentations and public speaking skills are not limited to certain
special people - anyone can give a good presentation, or perform public speaking to a
professional and impressive standard. Like most things, it simply takes a little preparation
and practice.
The formats and purposes of presentations can be very different, for example: oral
(spoken), multimedia (using various media - visuals, audio, etc), PowerPoint
presentations, short impromptu presentations, long planned presentations, educational or
training sessions, lectures, and simply giving a talk on a subject to a group
You are not alone if the thought of speaking in public scares you. Giving a presentation is
worrying for many people. Presenting or speaking to an audience regularly tops the list in
surveys of people's top fears - more than heights, flying or dying.
Put another way, to quote the popular saying which features in many presentations about
giving presentations and public speaking:
"Most people would prefer to be lying in the casket rather than giving the eulogy."
Good preparation is the key to confidence, which is the key to you being relaxed, and this
settles the nerves.
Good preparation and rehearsal will reduce your nerves by 75%, increase the likelihood
of avoiding errors to 95%. (Source: Fred Pryor Organisation, a significant provider of
seminars and open presentation events.)
And so this is the most important rule for effective presentations and public speaking:
Prepare, which means plan it, and practise it.
Then you'll be in control, and confident. Your audience will see this and respond
accordingly, which in turn will help build your confidence, and dare we imagine, you
might even start to enjoy yourself too.
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2.1 Preparation and planning
Preparation Checklist
This is a checklist of the essential elements to consider in preparing and planning a
presentation. Use it yourself by filling in the boxes on the right under “My presentation”.
Questions to ask
Examples
My presentation
yourself
1. What is the aim?
 To
highlight
my
opinion?
 To
adopt
my
recommendations?
 To give me a job?
 To
evidence
skills
my
or
experience?
2. What is my title?
 Key findings from
report
 My
employment
presentation
 Demonstrating
relevant skills
3. Who am I speaking
to?
 What
are
the
to
the
benefits
audience
of
my
presentation?
 Are these people
the
decision
makers?
 What do they know
of the subject?
 How
does
change
this
my
approach?
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 What
sort
of
questions will they
ask me? What are
the answers?
 What aspects will
they be interested
in?
4. What are the main
points I want to make?
5. What do I want the
audience to do after
listening
to
my
presentation?
 1, 2, 3; first,
second, third; point
a, point b, point c
 To agree with my
opinion?
 To
accept
my
findings?
 To give me a job?
 To
my
acknowledge
skills
experience?
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Other questions to consider:
Question
Who is the audience?
Your response (if applicable)
How many people will there be?
Where will it take place?
How big is the room?
What equipment is there in the room?
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What equipment do I need?
Does the equipment work?
Are you going to need a flipchart or
whiteboard?
Have you got markers and / or a pen?
Do you need a projector or a screen?
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Where are you going to put your notes
/papers?
Do you need an adapter or extension lead?
Can the information be seen?
Can you present the information and not
get in the way?
Do you need a pointer?
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Will you need to dim the lights or draw the
curtains?
Are you going to need handouts or any
other documents? How many? Do they
present a good image of you and your
presentation?
When is your presentation?
What time of day is it? What day is it? Will the audience be more or less receptive when
listening?
How long is your presentation?
In relation to what the audience knows or time constraints, what can I eliminate if
necessary?
Other
Am I dressed appropriately? Shoes polished? Are my hands and fingernails clean?
Experienced presenters are able to improvise and adapt to changing conditions but you
may have only one chance to present your information, so be prepared.
Even a well-prepared presentation can fail if you are not in full control of your
environment. If at all possible, visit the venue beforehand to explore the physical layout
and the audio-visual equipment. Visualise yourself presenting there, ask such questions
as:
 what problems might arise in this space (e.g. where do people come in and go
out)?
 where’s the best place to stand so that everyone will be able to see and hear?
is all the equipment that you need in place?
 where are the light switches and volume controls?
 do the lights operate at different settings (i.e. will you be plunged into complete
darkness and unable to read your notes when trying to show slides)?
 how might you make best use of the environment to create an impact?
If you can’t visit the venue, try to request a floor plan or ask for a list of technical
specifications to help you prepare.
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2.2 The structure of a presentation
A good oral presentation is well structured; this makes it easier for the listener to follow.
Basically there are 3 sections to a typical presentation: the introduction, body and
conclusion (or beginning, the middle and the end). We are going to look at each section
in turn and present the language needed to express both the structure and the content.
The introduction or beginning
The beginning of a presentation is the most important part. It is when you establish a link
with the audience and when you have its attention.
Get the audience's attention and signal the beginning
 Let's begin.
 Can we start?
 Shall we start?
It is not unusual for the presenter to begin with a joke, an anecdote, a statement made to
surprise or provoke in order to gain the audience's attention, to make people want to
listen, to feel relaxed and even to introduce the subject. This may or may not be
appropriate in the context of your presentation, so know your audience!
A good technique is to try to get your audience involved in your presentation either by
asking direct or rhetorical questions. Ask for a show of hands for example, in response to
a question or, present information in such a way that the audience can identify with it.
You can give an anecdote, unusual or surprising facts, or an illustration from real life.
Greet audience.
It is important to greet the audience by saying something like:
 Hello ladies and gentlemen.
 Good morning members of the panel.
 Good afternoon to our guests
 Good evening members of the board
 Fellow colleagues Mr. Chairman/Chairwoman
 Thank you for your kind introduction
Introduce yourself
Do this not only to give important information so people can identify you but also to
establish your authority on the subject and to allow the audience to see your point of view
on the subject





Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce myself.
Good morning everyone, I'd like to start by introducing myself.
My name is...
I am a student at...
I am X. Y or Z. From...
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Give the presentation title and introduce topic
What exactly are you going to speak about?





I plan to speak about...
Today I'm going to talk about...
The topic of my presentation is...
The theme of my talk is...
I've been asked to give you an overview of...
Why are you going to speak about it?
 I have chosen to speak about this because...
 I was asked to speak about this because...
Have you set any limits on the scope of your talk? What won't you speak about?
It may be very useful to eliminate certain areas before you start so as to avoid confusion
or variation from your main task.
Have you estimated the time it will take?
It is useful to give the listeners some idea of how long you will speak so as to maintain
their attention better.
 I will not speak about...
 I have limited my speech to
 My talk will last about 15 minutes
At some point you should ask a question or somehow try to establish the attitude and
knowledge of the audience. How do they feel about the subject? You will then have to
modify the contents, as you never know exactly what to expect.
 Have you ever heard of...?
 You may already know…
 I feel sure that some of you…
Give your objectives (purpose, aim, goals)
The main purpose of a presentation is to have the audience understand and remember a
certain amount of information.





What I would like to do today is to explain to illustrate...
to give you the essential background information on...
to outline...
to have a look at...
If there is one thing I'd like to get across to you today it is that…
Once you have established your specific objectives you may go on to plan your content.
Announce your outline.
You want to keep the outline simple so 2 or 3 main points are usually enough.
Concerning grammar the headings of the outline should be of the same grammatical
form.
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




I have divided my presentation into 4 parts.
In the first part I give a few basic definitions.
In the next section I will explain
In part three, I am going to show...
In the last part I would like/want to give a practical example...
Questions and comments from the audience
You should also let the audience know at some point in the introduction when and
whether they may ask questions.




I'd ask you to save your questions for the end.
There will be plenty of time at the end of my speech for a discussion.
You may interrupt me at any moment to ask questions or make comments.
Please stop me if you don't understand anything I say but could you keep any
specific questions until after I've finished.
Make a transition between the introduction and the body.
 Now let us turn to point one.
 Let us now move on to the second part, which is, as I said earlier….
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Use the space below to write a draft of you presentations introduction
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2.3 The middle or the body
Content
What information should you give in your presentation? All your information should
support your purpose. In most cases you will have to limit the content, as time is usually
precious!
Keeping the audience's attention
The beginning and the end presentation are what listeners will remember best. Think of
ways you can keep the audience's attention throughout the rest of the presentation.
Signposting where you are
Just as when you are driving along a road that you don't know very well, you depend on
signs to guide you, you need to guide the listener by using expressions to tell him/her
where you are going. That is to say, first announce what you are going to say and then
say what you want to say. This is very like verbal punctuation. Indicate when you have
finished one point and then go on to the next one.
Experienced presenters will also clearly pause, change their stance and the pitch of their
voice as they move from one part of a presentation to another.
Listing information
Vary your language whenever possible and avoid reading directly.




There are three things we have to consider: one, two, and three.
A, B, C.
Now let us look at the first aspect which is...
First of all…
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Use the space below to write a draft of you presentations body
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2.4 The end or conclusion
The end of a presentation should never come as a surprise to an audience; it needs
special consideration.
Content
The end or the conclusion of your presentation should include four parts: a brief reminder
of what you tried to show in your presentation and how you tried to do so, a short
conclusion, thanks to the audience for listening, and an invitation to ask questions, make
comments or open a discussion.
At the end you should briefly summarize your presentation in a few lines to make sure
the audience has retained the main points. Alternatives are: to state the point of the
speech; give the essential message to retain; list the main points and what you want the
audience to remember.
Then you should give some kind of conclusion. That is to say you should give a message
that logically comes out of the ideas developed in your presentation. This could be a
commentary, the lessons learned, some recommendations, or the next steps.
Thirdly, thank the audience for being there.
Finally, ask for questions and comments or invite a discussion.
Naturally you need to signpost the end of your talk.
 I'd like to summarize/sum up
 At this stage I would like to run through/over the main points...
 So, as we have seen today....
 As I have tried to explain this morning....
Or there may be recommendations or proposals that you wish to make;
 As a result I suggest that…
 In the light of what we have seen today I suggest that...
 My first proposal is...
Above all when you conclude do not do it abruptly or as if surprised to get to the end of
your presentation.
 In conclusion I would like to say that...
 My final comments concern...
 I would like to finish by reminding everyone that...
And finally you may well have to deal with questions.
 I'd be happy to answer any questions....
 If there are any questions please feel free to ask.
 Thank you very much for your attention and if there are any suggestions or
comments.
Dealing with difficult questions
 Make sure you understand the question.
 Ask a question to see if you understand
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 Repeat the question in your own words to check that you have understood. if not,
ask the questioner to repeat
In answering:
 Delay the answer (ask for time and/or repeat the question)
 Just a minute please. What is a...?
 How can I put it?
 I'm glad you asked that question.
 That's a good question/point/remark.
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Use the space below to write a draft of you presentations conclusion
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2.5 Summary and body language
To give a successful presentation and at the same time a good image of yourself or your
firm, careful preparation and organization are required. You need to take into
consideration who you are speaking to, when, where, and why, as all of these details will
have an impact on your structure and content. A well-structured speech with a step-bystep approach is one that is easy to follow. Besides structure, it is also necessary to be
relatively repetitive. A good 'rule' is announce what you are going to say, say it and
finally, say what you've said.
Be careful with the figures. Pronunciation and presentation are important, practice
beforehand! This is equally important for the key words of your presentation.
In addition to careful preparation - good structure and vocabulary – and organisation, a
message passes in other ways. According to experts 55% of the message is non-verbal.
Using images (visuals); body language and voice are extremely important.
Body Language
What is body language?
Eye contact, facial expressions, posture, movements, gestures.
Why is it useful?
It is a natural part of communication:
 to clarify meaning; it is very visual
 to vent nervousness
 to maintain interest
 to emphasize and regulate
Below are just a few examples of both positive and negative body language:
Positive body language
 eye contact to keep audiences' attention
 facial expressions should be natural and friendly. Don't forget to smile.
 posture – stand straight but relaxed (do not slouch or lean)
 movement - to indicate a change of focus, keep the audience's attention
 gesture
· up and down head motion or other movements to indicate importance
· pen or pointer to indicate a part, a place (on a visual presentation).
Negative body language
 loss of eye contact: looking at notes, looking at screen, at the board, at the floor
 don't stare, or look blankly into people's eyes
 swaying back and forth like a pendulum
 back turned to the audience
 nervous ticks
 hands in pockets
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Non Verbal Gestures: What Do They Tell Us?
Many of the gestures we use are habits; some are objectionable ones which need to be
modified. Match the following items.
GESTURE
Letter
you
think
ANSWERS TO CHOOSE FROM
1. Leg swung over chair
a. Doubt
2. Sitting backwards on a chair
3. Hands behind your back
b. Need of more information,
anxiety
c. Bored
4. Locked ankles
d. Comfort, unconcern
5. Rubbing palms
e. Sure of oneself
6. Thumbs in belt
f. Confidence, pride
7. Unconscious throat clearing
g. Unsure or lying
8. Hands together pointing toward
ceiling
9. One hand above the other on your
lap
10. Sitting with one leg under yourself
h. Admonishment
11. Covering the mouth while speaking
k. Expectation
12. Wiggling a foot
l. Holding back
13. Putting objects in your mouth, such
as pencils
14. Rubbing eye or ear
m. Feeling superior
15. Conscious throat clearing
o. Unconcerned
16. No eye contact
p. Opening up
17. Feet pointing toward door
q. Unwilling
18. Rubbing nose
r. Ready for action
19. Touching ear
s. Agreement
20. Hand to throat
t. Determined, angry
21. Clenched hands
u. Reprimand
22. Clenched fist
v. Anxious
23. Pointing finger
w. Need reassurance
24. Sitting on the edge of a chair
x. Doubtful
25. Moving forward of a chair
y. Rejecting what is being said
26. Arms crossed tightly across chest
z. Ready to leave
27. Unbuttoning of coat, uncrossing of
arms and legs
28. Playing with your hair or jewelry
aa. Sexual preening
i. Apprehension
j. Everything under control
n. Dominance
ab. Concealing something
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Letter of
Correct
Answer