Prepare a presentation: Readings
Contents
What’s the difference between public speaking and a
presentation?
2
Types of presentations
2
1.
Plan and document presentation approach and intended
outcomes
3
2.
Choose presentation strategies, format and delivery
methods that match the characteristics of the target audience,
location, resources and personnel needed
8
3.
Select presentation aids, materials and techniques that suit
the format and purpose of the presentation, and will enhance
audience understanding of key concepts and central ideas
13
4.
Brief others involved in the presentation on their
roles/responsibilities within the presentation
16
5.
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Select techniques to evaluate presentation effectiveness
There is no such thing as a ‘natural born speaker’. It’s a well-known fact
that most people get nervous at the very thought of speaking in front of an
audience. Take this opportunity to ‘harness those nerves’ - develop your
skills, practise new techniques and grow in confidence. Learn how to
present with passion and pazzaz!
Let’s start with the fundamentals...
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What’s the difference between public
speaking and a presentation?
Generally, a public speech is a telling activity. It can be used for many
purposes such as to entertain or motivate, or maybe to inform an
audience. The length of a speech is usually short, for example 30 minutes
(although sometimes it can seem much longer). A speech requires very
little input from the audience.
A presentation tells, demonstrates and actively involves the audience. It
can be used for many purposes such as promoting goods and services,
motivating or training people, informing or educating an audience. The
length of a presentation can be short or can be for hours. A presentation
requires input from the audience.
Presenting information and public speaking are required in many
situations. It may be presenting to a board of directors, giving a sales
presentation, speaking to a committee, a group of peers or colleagues, to
existing or prospective customers or to other people for many other
reasons.
Types of presentations
There are many types of presentations but some of the most common are:
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An impromptu speech where you have little or no time to prepare
and possibly no ‘props’
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A prepared speech where you have learnt your topic in a structured
manner and use prompts such as cue cards or a written plan to
present your material
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Manuscript speech which is written and delivered ‘word for word’.
Every word that is spoken must be accurate and specific.
•
A memorised speech where you have learnt your topic ‘off by heart’
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Team briefing where you bring the rest of the team up to date on
important points
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Facilitating an audience where you lead a group or team of people.
The facilitator takes the key role in a group so that the group
accomplishes its goals and tasks
•
Speaking on television or radio
Presentations; who needs them?
Any organisation, or person, that wants to make an impact on others! That
means you, and the organisation in which you are involved. Effective public
speaking skills are very useful, not only in employment, but also in many
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other areas of life. Organisations need to project a professional image to
internal and external customers and other interested parties. Individuals
need to project confidence when speaking to an audience.
The ‘P’ factor
Have you heard the saying ‘Location, Location, Location’? Many experts
quote this as being the most important factor when buying real estate.
What do you think is the most important factor of a successful
presentation? ‘Preparation, Preparation, Preparation’ comes to mind. But
is it enough?
Although preparation is critical to the success of a presentation, there are a
number of other equally important phases involved.
Essential ingredients of an effective presentation are:
•
Plan – find out basic information and research the content. Develop
an action plan.
•
Purpose – establish the intention of the presentation. What’s it for?
•
Prepare – organise resources and helpers, and develop a plan or
prompts to guide the session
•
Practise – your tone of voice, body language, knowledge of content,
and use of strategies
•
Perform – relax and enjoy presenting; take your audience with you
on this unique journey
•
Perfect – use evaluation techniques to improve your next
presentation.
1. Plan and document presentation
approach and intended outcomes
Don’t let ‘Murphy’s Law’ ruin your presentation. Attention to detail is
critical when planning and preparing a presentation.
In the planning phase, there are many things to consider such as:
•
WHEN is the presentation? Is there enough time to prepare all
necessary resources? Do you need other people to assist in the preparation
or during the presentation? Are you free at this time to conduct the
presentation – check your diary before you commit!
•
WHERE is the venue? Can you get there in time and is it easy to get
to? Is the venue adequate? Is the layout, lighting, power and seating
appropriate and conducive to presentations?
•
WHY is the presentation being held? Is the purpose clear to you and
to the organiser/s? Do you have the expertise to conduct this presentation
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in terms of content or do you need to research the content? What are the
possible consequences if your presentation is not effective? Is there a
replacement presenter in case of an emergency?
•
WHO is attending? What is the background of the audience? Are
there any participants who have special needs such as people with
disabilities, or cultural needs? Does the audience choose to be at the
presentation or have they been coerced into attending? What is the
existing level of knowledge of your audience in relation to the presentation
content?
•
HOW should the presentation be conducted? Is it to be a workshop
or a lecture? Or do you need to consider other methods which are more
cost or time effective. How will you use your voice and your body language
to convey the real message? How can you engage your audience mood?
How can you stay ‘on track’?
•
WHAT resources are available? Is the equipment in working order
such as microphones, overhead projectors, computers, smartscreens or
whiteboards. Who will test the equipment and when? Will you need back
up resources in case of unforeseen problems?
•
OTHER important items to consider such as, is it your responsibility
to conduct the hazard risk assessment of the venue? Are there safety
issues that you will have to manage? Another point to consider perhaps, is
there a dress code?
A Preliminary Planning Checklist
Design an action plan or use a simple checklist such as shown below, to
help you plan for a presentation. Use this guide in the preliminary planning
phase.
A more detailed session plan should be developed for the next phases ie
preparing session notes.
Checklist
You must be confident that everything will work on the day.
That means you should check all details yourself, including equipment.
WHEN
WHERE
WHY
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WHO
HOW
WHAT
OTHER
Audience characteristics
Finding information about the audience is a good starting point when
preparing a presentation. Some things to consider are:
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age of audience members
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occupation of audience members
•
their cultural and language background
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educational background or general knowledge
•
gender of the audience
•
language, literacy and numeracy needs
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physical ability
•
previous experience with the topic
•
what information are they looking for in particular?
•
What could the attitude of the audience be to this topic? Is it
controversial or mundane perhaps?
•
How much does the audience need to know about this topic?
•
Are there particular issues you must not address?
Your aim is to capture audience interest and keep it. You can do this more
effectively if you are familiar with the audiences’ needs in the first place.
Will they react positively to your delivery or are there hidden agendas or
sensitivities of which you should be aware?
You must be careful however, to not generalise or make assumptions
about the audience.
Your preliminary analysis of the audience may influence your choice of
topic, your presentation style, the purpose and other aspects of the
presentation such as encouraging the audience to be actively involved.
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The Venue
You should also investigate the venue and clarify the environment in which
you will be presenting.
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Is the presentation indoors or outdoors?
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What is the size and shape of the venue?
•
What type of seating is available and how will it be arranged?
•
What types of audio-visual equipment and aids are available for
use?
•
Are there safety issues to manage?
Knowing the venue will help in your preparation. For example, if people are
seated close to you, strategies that encourage audience participation may
be the most appropriate. If people are seated at a distance however, you
may need alternative strategies. If people are seated around tables such as
at a dinner function, some audience members may be preoccupied and less
attention will be focussed on you. It’s a good idea to think about seating
arrangements early in the preparation phase.
Establish the purpose
‘Cheshire-Puss’ said Alice in Wonderland, ‘would you tell me please,
which way I ought to go from here’?
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.
‘I don’t much care where…,’ said Alice.
‘Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.
‘…so long as I get somewhere,’ Alice added as an explanation.
‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long enough’.
Don’t be like Alice in Wonderland and wander aimlessly through your
presentation. You should know where you want to go before you start
your journey. Ask yourself, “What do I want to achieve from this
presentation? What do the participants want to achieve? What does the
organiser want to achieve?”
Firstly, you need to identify a general aim. For example, is the presentation
to:
Inform
Motivate or inspire
Educate or train
Negotiate or debate
Sell or stimulate interest
Entertain
Persuade or convince
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Compel or ‘drive’
Give a report
Promote yourself
To help you to determine the purpose of the presentation, ask yourself
these questions:
•
What do you want your audience to do? For example, do you want
them to endorse or buy a product, support a cause, accept a
solution, participate in an activity or use a service?
•
What do you want your audience to feel? For example, do you want
to excite, motivate or inspire them, soothe, calm or reassure
them or shock them into action?
•
What do you want your audience to think? Do you want the
audience to accept the content of your presentation or do you
want to challenge them into critical thinking? Do you want
passive or active engagement?
Determine the objectives
Now you need to think about objectives. Objectives are determined
according to the purpose of the presentation.
A presentation can have more than one objective and each objective
should contain a performance (action). Objectives should be concise.
Objectives should be:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant and
Timely
Research the topic
If you are unfamiliar with the topic or if you need to refresh your
knowledge about a topic, you will need to conduct research. Some
common avenues of research are listed below:
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Professional associations
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Hobby or interest organisations
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Colleagues, managers, peers and friends
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The internet (make sure the site is credible)
•
Newspapers
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Journals (professional journals often contain current thinking)
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Colleagues and managers
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Original research such as surveys, questionnaires, experiments,
testing (if qualified to do so)
•
Books and textbooks
Remember to note down the sources of your information, including full
reference details of the information that you find. This enables you to
easily cite your references in written reports or directly to interested
people. One technique is to progressively write separate pieces of
information on separate pieces of paper or on to cards (referenced). You
then display the cards and sort into a preferred order for the presentation.
For assistance, seek the assistance of a librarian who will simplify the
process of referencing.
2. Choose presentation strategies,
format and delivery methods that
match the characteristics of the target
audience, location, resources and
personnel needed
Who would you rather be listening to?
Have you heard the old adage ‘Fail to prepare, prepare to fail’?
Having established the general aim and specific objectives, it’s now time to
build the presentation.
For this a written plan is essential. Plans range from simple to complex.
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Prepare presentation notes and guides
You can design a written plan or you can use an existing model. The plan
can be a script, cue cards, keywords, a mind map, brief notes, or perhaps a
simple or complex session plan. The notes or guides or plan depends on
the purpose of the presentation and its complexities.
Whatever its ‘shape’, it should provide guidance and timeframes so that
you manage to cover all aspects of the presentation in the time allotted.
Here are some ideas to help you get started:
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Brainstorm ideas and get them down on paper. You have much to
offer; don’t ignore your creativity and your experiences. We’ve
all been captivated at some time by a presentation. How did
they get our interest and keep it?
•
Look for interesting ‘attention grabbers’, humorous items or other
appropriate attention grabber. Write them in your ‘treasure’
file.
•
Select a structure that is appropriate to your purpose (eg. key
words, chronological, problem solving, topical,
theory/practical). But don’t try to keep a logical order just yet.
Your plan is still evolving.
•
Start thinking about an introduction, body and conclusion. Each of
these sections requires special attention and will be explored in
detail a little later on. Once again, don’t try to keep to an order
just yet. Just keep the ideas flowing at this stage.
•
Think about appropriate activities, strategies, resources and timing.
Write down your ideas, including some questions and possible
answers about the topic.
•
Remember that you may need to include courtesy (housekeeping)
information such as location of amenities, emergency
procedures and so on.
•
Do you need to address special guests in a particular manner?
Check out potential protocols to follow and who’s who?.
•
Jot down avenues for researching your topic more thoroughly. You
don’t need to keep this in any particular order just yet, but you
do need to remember where you source information from.
Record your sources of research in an appropriate manner as
you find it. Check with an expert such as a librarian or a topic
specialist, for help on researching techniques.
Cue cards
Cue cards help you to remember all the points you want to make and the
order in which you want to make them. Cue cards are also useful if you
need to explain technical matters or remember specific terminology or
formulae.
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Cue cards should be small enough to be held in the palm of your hand. In
fact many people call them palm cards. Cue cards are often more suitable
than pages of notes because the presenter has more eye contact with the
audience when speaking.

When you use cue cards, you glance at the points noted on the
current card and then talk about them. Do not read them! You will
have no problem knowing where you are up to because as soon as
you have looked at one cue card you put it at the back of the pack
and the next one is ready for you.

It is important to number the cards so that if they get out of order
you can easily re-sort them.

Practise using cue cards – you’ll soon feel comfortable with them.
Brief notes
You can also write very brief notes – points with key words only, and any
figures or quotes that you have to get exact – on paper. Keep your notes
brief – key words only, so you can avoid the temptation to read from them,
and also so that it is easy to see at a glance where you’re up to.

Type notes clearly, double spaced.

Only use the top half of the page so that you don’t have to look
down too far to read them.
Detailed notes
Notes and cue cards help you to concentrate on the task at hand, rather
than worry that you will forget what you want to say.
If you need to have every word exactly right such as presenting statistics or
quotations, you should use detailed notes. In this case you should also
consider using overhead display such as PowerPoint or ‘flash’
presentations’.
When preparing your detailed notes you should:

type the notes in large letters (but not all capitals as this can be very
hard to read)

use double spacing and

type only on the top half of each sheet of paper. This will stop you
from dropping your head down too far and ‘talking into your chest’.
A big problem with detailed notes is that it is too easy to simply read from
them. This will ‘flatten’ your delivery and the audience will be looking at
the top of your head. You should maintain eye contact when speaking to an
audience. Watching someone reading from notes is usually very boring.
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Session plans
A session plan will provide guidance. It can be simple or complex. The plan
will provide structure for the presentation however it should enable you to
be flexible as well. You do not need to stick rigidly to the plan. Rather, use
it to guide you smoothly through your presentation.
An effective presentation will have an introduction, a body and a
conclusion. All three phases should be linked to ensure a smooth transition
from one to the other. In a nutshell, the format of a presentation involves:
‘Tell the audience what you’re going to tell them’: this is the introduction
stage, then
‘Tell them’. This is the body of the presentation. And lastly
‘Tell them what you just told them’. This of course, is the conclusion.
Simple but true. Every presentation should follow a structure such as this
although all will differ in delivery strategies and methods as well as
complexity.
Complex presentations will have detailed introductions, well-structured
and logical ‘chunk’s’ of information that form the body and finally a
detailed conclusion that links back to the introduction and the body.
You should design your own presentation session plan. Examples of simple
and complex session plans are shown for your interest.
FEATURES OF A SIMPLE PRESENTATION PLAN
WELCOME
Welcome the audience
Follow protocol such introducing special guests
Introduce yourself and your colleagues or assistants
HOUSEKEEPING
Explain and complete ‘housekeeping’ duties
INTRODUCTION
Start with an attention grabber
Use an ice-breaker
Clearly state the purpose
Set the pace
BODY
Organise the content in a logical sequence
Arrange content into about 5 core ‘chunks’ of material
Devise key words for each ‘chunk’
Set a timeframe
Design a mini-speech for each key word
Outline strategies to demonstrate
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Outline strategies to reinforce
Outline strategies to actively involve participants
CONCLUSION
Relate back to the purpose
Refresh key points
Motivate participants
Thank you and Farewell
FEATURES OF A DETAILED PRESENTATION PLAN
WELCOME
Welcome the audience
Follow protocol such as introducing special guests
Introduce yourself and your colleagues or assistants
HOUSEKKEEPING
Explain and complete ‘housekeeping’ duties
INTRODUCTION
Interest: Grab their interest/attention
Need: Establish a need/desire to know more
Topic: Be clear about the topic/s
Relevant: Make it relevant
Objective: Clarify the objective/s
BODY
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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‘Package in chunks’
flow logically from simple to complex
encourage active participation by all
activities at regular intervals eg 20 minutes
allow for practise
encourage positive feedback
provide motivation
show timeframe
pose “thought-full” questions and possible
solutions
appeal to the senses eg audio/visual, smell,
touch, feel
assess/evaluate required outcomes
encourage confidence to transfer skills
CONCLUSION
Relate back to objectives
Involve all participants
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Verify participants understanding
Explain the key points
Terminate the session with a definite ending
Introduce the next session’s topic
Never be rushed
Give feedback
3. Select presentation aids, materials
and techniques that suit the format and
purpose of the presentation, and will
enhance audience understanding of
key concepts and central ideas
‘I hear and I forget
I see and I remember
I do and I understand’
(Confucius 450BC)
Have you ever wondered why people say ‘I see what you mean’, when
you’ve only been talking to them!
How can you make your talk relevant and interesting to everyone? Select
visual aids, anecdotes (short interesting and relevant stories), practical
activities and other techniques, strategies and aids that will help you to
meet audience expectations. Aim to appeal to all the senses of your
audience for maximum impact. This not only adds variety to the
presentation but also helps meet the preferred individual learning styles of
your audience.
Strategies and techniques
When designing your presentation plan, consider which strategies will be
the most appropriate to achieve the purpose of the session. Consider also,
which strategies will be the most appropriate for this audience in this
venue. For example:
•
case studies
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•
demonstrations
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audience discussion
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small group and/or pair work (buzz groups)
•
oral presentations
•
‘thought-full’ questions
•
simulations
•
role-plays and
•
can you think of other strategies that might be appropriate?
To further enhance a presentation you can use techniques such as:
•
use of animation in slideshows
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comparative advertising
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live action
•
music
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incorporating ‘signature’ elements such as:
o
slogans
o
logotypes
o
packaging
•
sound effects
•
use of a guest speaker
•
use of black and white
•
use of colour
•
use of humour
Presentation aids and materials
Numerous aids can be used in a presentation. Some of the more common
aids include:






computer simulations and presentations including PowerPoint
slideshows and ‘flash’ shows
diagrams, charts and posters
models
paper-based materials such as audience ‘handouts’, ‘butchers paper’
video and audio recordings
whiteboard or ‘smartboards’
Visual aids are an effective way to focus audience attention on specific
content and to reinforce a verbal message. Visual aids help people to
understand. Visual aids stimulate interest and illustrate concepts that
might otherwise be too difficult to comprehend.
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Visual aids provide a ‘visual dimension’ that greatly enhances any oral
presentation. They provide an opportunity for different kinds of graphical
imagery such as cartoons, charts, photographs, pictures, diagrams and flow
charts to enhance a presentation. Visual aids also act as a ‘prompt’ for the
presenter. They keep the speaker ‘on track’ with the key points of the
presentation.
Perhaps most important visual aids move the audience focus from the
presenter to the information they are presenting.
The most common form of visual support material is PowerPoint
slideshows that are displayed on overhead projectors, or on computer
screens. Other visual aids include whiteboard, Smart Boards or ‘flipboard’
sketches, models, maps, charts, videos or DVDs.
To be effective, visual aids must be well designed and used appropriately
by the presenter.
Audience handouts are another popular and effective visual aid that can be
of great use throughout a presentation. Handouts can be a list of main
points with blank space for audience to write their own notes or a list of
the main points only. Alternatively, they may be a copy of the speaker’s full
notes or perhaps additional notes or readings that supplement the
presentation.
It’s very important that visual aids are just that – aids to the presentation
only. They should be used to support the presentation not distract the
audience. The presenter should introduce visual aids at appropriate times
and design the aids in the most appropriate format in order to enhance
their presentation.
It is also important you don’t fall into the trap of using these aids simply to
show how clever you are. This becomes very obvious and the presenter will
generally lose credibility rather than gain it.
Whatever aids and material and techniques that you select – they must be
prepared well in advance of the session. You should never leave the
preparation of aids to the last minute as inevitably, something will go
wrong. Another tip – always have a contingency plan.
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4. Brief others involved in the
presentation on their
roles/responsibilities within the
presentation
Presentations require a coordinated approach. Support staff other people
may play an integral role in both preparing for and delivering a
presentation.
Support personnel can help in administration matters such as coordinating
the pre and post logistics of :
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•
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•
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•
•
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confirm the location and clear directions how to get to the venue
inspect the venue for suitability or find an alternative venue if
necessary
check the layout, lighting, power and seating of the venue
check that all equipment works and have a ‘backup’ plan in case the
equipment fails
undertake a safety hazard risk assessment of the venue and its
content and make arrangement to manage any identified risks
arrange refreshments
produce name tags and other resources such as handouts or
pamphlets
confirm attendance with audience members before the event
sending out announcements
make arrangements to cater for audience members who have special
needs
learn how to use new pieces of equipment where necessary
clarify if the organisation has policies or procedures to follow such
as signing in
clarify details of any special guests and correct protocols to follow
and
take notes and following up on agreements
Support staff will often still have to confer and confirm these issues with
the presenter.
Support staff may be instrumental in other areas also such as assisting in:
•
•
•
researching the topic
preparing all visual aids in a timely manner
taking part in the presentation, for example, working the slideshow
or other equipment
In addition to support staff, colleagues or peers may be co-presenting.
Effective teamwork is critical to ensure that the presentation runs
according to plan and is not disjointed. Co-presenters must meet and agree
on each aspect of the presentation.
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Audience members may also play vital roles. For example, if the audience is
required to participate in role plays or simulated scenarios, the presenter
must brief all parties sufficiently so they can fulfil their role as required.
Effective teamwork between yourself and the other people involved in the
presentation will alleviate much of the stress and anxiety that sometimes
confronts a presenter.
5. Select techniques to evaluate
presentation effectiveness
To become a more effective presenter, it is wise to continually assess your
current skills.
There are a number of different techniques that can help you do this, for
example, you can:
•
Ask a colleague or a friend to rate your performance. There are
many checklists that can be downloaded from the internet or
found in books and which can be adapted to suit your needs.
•
Ask the audience to complete a formal written evaluation at the end
of a presentation
•
Discuss your performance with colleagues, supervisor or critical
friends after a presentation
•
Reflect on your own performance by recording your strengths,
weaknesses and how to improve for next time.
•
Practice your presentation skills to an invisible or ‘test’ audience and
critically evaluate what works, what doesn’t work and ways to
improve for the ‘real thing’. Use a ‘self-assessment checklist’ to
keep you focused.
•
Have your actual presentation videoed and then critically review it.
•
Always adopt the attitude that you want to improve
Regularly debriefing and evaluating your presentation strategies is an
important factor in improving the overall presentation.
A number of evaluation worksheets are available from a range of sources
including the internet or books. You can adapt templates and ideas to suit
your own purposes. Toastmaster and Toastmistress associations are
another avenue to pursue. These organisations offer practical and
enjoyable ways to develop presentation skills. Taking a self-evaluative
approach will give you the opportunity to enhance your professional and
personal development, and you’re sure to have some unexpected fun too.
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You might find it useful to keep a ‘treasure’ file of what worked well and a
‘get better soon’ file for areas in areas that you want to improve.
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