General guidelines ii
Content
01 What makes a good presentation?
02 We all hate doing it so why bother?
03 Preparing a presentation
04 Delivery and body language
05 Handouts
06 Discussion and questions
07 Tools to aid delivery
- 01 What makes a good presentation?
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A good presentation is one that is well-prepared, clearly delivered, audible and engaging, accompanied where appropriate by useful and legible handouts and competent use of supporting material/equipment (e.g. overheads, etc).
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- 02 We all hate doing it so why bother?
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The culture of learning and the importance of presentation skills
- Presentations are an accepted and usual part of most degree schemes, particularly in arts-related subjects, whether this is at the level of leading a seminar or presenting a paper, or even taking part in a debate.
Effective presentation as a transitional skill
- Very few of us get through our working lives without the need for presentation skills at some point, e.g. in interviews, team meetings, meetings with clients, making proposals, etc.
- Develop them early and you will benefit from them in multiple settings throughout your lives.
The myth of the critical audience
- Few people actively welcome the prospect of giving presentations, though some come to enjoy them with practice.
- Most of us experience nervousness and some anxiety.
- This is normal. Your audience is therefore generally on your side, especially at university level in the seminar setting.
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- 03 Preparing a presentation
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Preparation is everything
- If you know your subject, if you're well-rehearsed and you're familiar with any equipment you're using, you will feel 100% more confident from the outset.
Your notes
- Should act as prompts.
- Don't write an essay or a speech, or you will have no option but to read it from beginning to end.
- If it reassures you to write out what you want to say in full, do so under headings and subheadings that act as clear reminders at a glance.
- Become familiar with your notes and know where each section falls on a page.
Timing a presentation
- If you have guidelines on length, stick to them (running over will not win you extra points - in an interview situation it may well count against you).
- If you have no guidelines, make sure you allow time for discussion/questions, etc.
Rehearsal
- Audio-taping: record your presentation and play it back to yourself. This will help you memorise it, slow down your speech, and keep to any time limits.
- Rehearse with a friend - try a dry run. Get them to time you. Ask them for feedback on your delivery, pace, etc.
Equipment
- Think about what materials/aids you want to use, check their availability well in advance, book them if necessary, check how they work and if they work!
On the day
- Get there in good time, particularly if there is equipment to set up or check, or photocopying to be done.
- Being rushed at the last minute is bad news for nerves.
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- 04 Delivery and body language
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Voice projection
- Speak up and out towards your audience.
- If you need to refer to your notes, check them, look up and continue speaking.
Posture
- Preferably stand - it sets you apart from your audience both visually (from their perspective), and conceptually (from yours).
- Standing contributes to the sense of 'performance', with a clear beginning and end.
Eye contact
- Look up and out towards your audience.
- Make eye contact – intermittently at least – with audience members.
- Find a friendly face in the audience (someone who looks interested and not puzzled!) and use them for reassurance.
Pace
- Speak slowly!
- The pace of delivery should be considerably slower than in your usual conversational speech (it might feel odd to you, but it won't sound too slow to your audience).
Use of prepared notes
DO
- Keep them to hand (in hand or on a table, etc.)
- Freely refer to them, if you need to
DON’T
- Hold them high up in front of you, blocking yourself from your audience
- Read aloud from them for any length of time
Tips to overcome nerves
- Movement is calming and keeps your body relaxed - shift your weight, walk a little if you can (but avoid manic pacing!).
- Avoid holding your notes if your hands shake – it exaggerates the tremors!
- If shaking legs are a problem, try leaning 'casually' against a table edge or back of a chair, etc. This way you can sit on your hands too!
- The art of distraction: the use of overheads/videos, etc., directs your audience's attention away from you - you become merely the voice-over; it also allows you to look away from your audience for a while - all handy if you're nervous.
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- 05 Handouts
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Are not
- A verbatim account of your presentation
- Presented essay-style
- Lengthy
But are rather
- A synopsis of your main points
- Presented in note form
- Concise, clear, with appropriate headers and sub-headers
- Preferably typed
Issues to consider
Timing
- Given out in advance, handouts may be useful tools for distracting your audience if you are nervous (!) BUT.
- Equally, they distract attention from the content of your presentation, etc.
Note-taking
- Handouts mean there is less need for your audience to take notes (which again might otherwise prevent them fully absorbing your presentation).
- You may therefore want to let your audience know in advance that a handout will be available at the end.
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- 06 Discussion and questions
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- It is the expectation of most presentations that there will be an opportunity for discussion and questions at some point.
- Often this is at the conclusion of the presentation, hence the importance of timing to allow for this.
- But, you, the speaker, may have the discretion to invite questions during the presentation. It is for you to guide your audience on this at the outset.
- Questions can be daunting! It’s difficult to rehearse for them.
- But, they also encourage spontaneity and can bring out the best in your presentation skills if you are comfortable with your subject.
- STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH TRICKY QUESTIONS:
There are ways of playing for time! Don’t be afraid to….
Ask for a question to be repeated or rephrased
Say that you’ll come back to a particular question at a later point
Acknowledge a ‘good question’
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- 07 Tools to aid delivery
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Handouts (see above)
Overhead projectors, TV/video, computer projection
- Be sure they’re available
- Be sure they work
- Be sure you know how they work!
Transparencies
- Prepare in advance as you would a handout
- Keep them brief – headings and main points only, facts and figures, etc.
- Either type first, then photocopy, or if you hand-write them, make sure they're legible and in large enough print
If you would like more advice on giving effective presentations, read Dr Theresa Crowley’s guidelines on giving good presentations, which takes you through the whole presentation process, from planning to presenting.
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Authored by Rowena Macaulay, Department of Sociology
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