Presentation Skills Structure & Technique Presentation Skills - - PDF document

Presentation Skills Structure & Technique

Presentation Skills 1

Presentation Skills 2

PREPARING FOR A PRESENTATION

• 1. Set objective. Write it down in one sentence.

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 Is your objective measurable?  How will you measure it? Write down :

• why are you speaking?
• what do you hope to achieve?
• what reaction do you want to provide in your audience?

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• 2. Research Your Audience

Why are they there?

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How Many?

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What do they know already?

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What do they need to know

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What is their likely reaction/attitude?

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What do they expect of you?

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• 3. Gather Material

 Research. Many sources available. Books, memos, instruction books, other people, other presenters, Training Office!  Brain storm your ideas.  Use mind maps.

• What will be in your intro?

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• What will be in your middle?

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• How will you conclude?

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• What questions might you be asked?

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• 4. Structure Your Material

 Plan an easy to follow structure  Create logical links between key ideas  Write appropriate notes in boxes provided, or, invent your own

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WRITING TIPS

 Choose a theme to link your messages. This will give your talk cohesiveness.  Change the pace to keep interest high e.g. short sentences will up the tempo of your talk.  Repitition will help the audience remember your presentation.  Use surprises to arouse interest.  Humour is a good way to keep interest. Avoid

• patronising or talking down to your audience
• anything of questionable taste – bad language, smutty joke
• ver complex words – keep it simple
• jargon

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THE INTRODUCTION TO YOUR PRESENTATIONS

a) Welcoming Courtesies Simply thanking people for giving up time and hoping they will think it is well spent. b) Self-Identification Your name and job, your background (if relevant) and any details of colleagues who are with you. c) The Intention What you are proposing to explain, suggest or demonstrate at this presentation. This has to be angled towards the benefits they can expect from your

• presentation. Everything should be presented in terms of their interest, not

yours. Example “What I am going to tell you” should be: “What I thought you would like to know.” d) The Route Map This is where you let them know the following: 1) How long the presentation will last; 2) Will it all be in this room or will be moving to other parts of the building; 3) Any special features: i) A film; ii) A demonstration iii) A model to see; etc. 4) Will there be a break for tea/coffee. e) The Rules of the Road This particularly refers to the handling of questions and it is necessary to tell them because they cannot possibly know otherwise. Questions can be taken in one of three ways: 1) People to interrupt if they have a question; 2) Wait until the end of the section; or 3) Wait until the end of the presentation.

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THE MAIN BODY OF THE PRESENTATION

The main body of all presentations have the same structure – SITUATION, COMPLICATION, and RECOMMENDATION. It may well come embroidered in all sorts of ways, but if you abandon it and resort to a string of unstructured and incorrect assertions you will not hold your audience’s attention for long. Having done your preparation thoroughly you will now find that everything you have to say will fit into one of the three sections: a) Situation; b) Complication; and c) Recommendation. a) Situation Your audience will be like the horses at the start of a race, scattered all over the place and facing in different directions. Your job is to bring them up to the starting line and make sure they all go off in the same direction, just like the starter of a race. Whatever the purpose of your presentation it is essential that everyone should start with the same knowledge, and important that you should demonstrate to them all that you know about the situation and the background. This part of the presentation, levelling of knowledge, may need a lengthy analysis or only a couple of sentences, but some statement of the present situation has to be made and agreed upon. Ask questions of your audience about the present situation and past history, it may help to angle the rest of your presentation more precisely to their needs, and a bit of two-way communication in the early stages is a valuable icebreaker. b) Complication This is where you introduce the need for change by showing why the present situation cannot continue or why it would be unwise to continue it. e.g Demand is shifting, technology is changing, staff are leaving, delays are lengthening, competitors are gaining, costs are rising, profits are falling, buildings are leaking, whatever the reason there must be some significant change or danger to worry or opportunity or you would not be making the presentation. This is the stage where you dig the hole in which you will plant your recommendation.

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c) Recommendation The recommendation will form the bulk of your presentation and is the one part you were least likely to omit. It may include: 1) Evaluating alternatives; 2) Describing services; 3) Meeting objections; or 4) Quoting examples, etc. The above are generally thought of as “a presentation,” but the success of the presentation will depend on how well you have prepared the audience in the SITUATION and COMPLICATION sections which are both all too easy to omit. Often “ evaluation alternatives” is important enough to deserve a section of its

• wn. You may decide that your recommendation should be a choice of

alternatives rather than a “take it or leave it” proposal. d) Paragraphing Although a small part of structuring, paragraphing is important and is an easy thing to do, but is also an easy thing to forget to do. The problem is that you know where you have got to and where you are going, the audience does not and cannot see your notes or glance forward as in a book to see what is coming. It is therefore important to provide them with the equivalent of a paragraph. It only needs a summary sentence to round off a section and a statement or question to introduce the next. Example: “Right. So we have seen that the condensation problem is getting to a crisis. So what can be done? Well, there are 3 practical options open to us. I’ll describe them briefly first and then discuss the in turn. Option on is …..” Good paragraphing is a great help to retention. Your audience are getting two things: 1) The information; and 2) An inbuilt filing system.

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SUMMARY OR CONCLUSION

The ending of a presentation is like the opening, important, and should not be left to

• chance. You should have planned and rehearsed ending which may be improved

whilst speaking. It does not have to be long or complicated, but must be worked out before your presentation. When working at your ending you must go back to the original objective. It is this

• bjective that dictates the ending, which normally includes:

a) A summary of the outstanding facts and arguments with a review of key visual aids; b) A recommendation of a course of action; c) A proposal for the next step, if the recommendation is accepted, with target dates; d) A description of the supporting literature (if any) which you are now distributing; e) Thank you’s; and f) An invitation for questions.

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PERSUASION TACTICS

Persuade audiences by appealing to their desire for:

• Self preservation
• ‘adopt my scheme and your job will be safe’
• Pride in possessions
• ‘my scheme will increase income by 10%’
• A sense of power
• ‘Your influence will increase in this way’
• A good name with posterity
• ‘You will be remembered for making this

decision’

• Convention
• ‘This will make you like everyone else’
• Sentiment
• ‘And you will be providing for the OAP’s’

RECOMMENDATION TECHNIQUES

 Stress positive aspects of chosen option.  Stress positive aspects of chosen option in contrast to the tailings of all other

• ptions.

 Discuss poor options as early as possible in the presentation.  Set up a contest between your favourite option and the nearest contender. Prove your option is best.  Prepare fully – know everything about your option. Be ready to answer difficult

• questions. What are your audience’s feelings?

 End your presentation on a high. Summarise your option and point the way forward.

DEFENSIVE TECHNIQUES

 Accentuate the positive  Acknowledge weaknesses  Point the way forward  Don’t allow yourself to be backed into a corner  Remain calm and in control when under pressure  Be assertive. Stand up for rights.

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Questions

If presenting to a large audience it may be advisable not to have a question session due to the diversity and interests of the audience. Handle questions individually after the presentation. When confronted with a small group (say max 20) you will need a question session where some of the questions will be a genuine request for further information, but

• thers may well be disguised. The main ones to watch for are:

a) The concealed objection When presented with this type of question don’t become defensive, make it

• bjective and put it into perspective and outline the compensating benefits.

b) The test question The questioner will be placing you under pressure to check your knowledge and

• experience. The answer is not to try and bluff your way out or excuse your
• ignorance. If you don’t know, say so, but promise to find out and come back to
• him. Keep your promise it is also an excuse to meet him again.

c) The display question The questioner’s opportunity to show his knowledge to his colleagues. Nothing will make him happier than telling him what a clever fella he is, e.g. “Of course you’re right. I didn’t mention it because it’s very technical and as you’ll know it doesn’t affect the performance.” d) The challenge question This is when you are setting yourself up as knowing more about something than a member of your audience. If this does happen retreat immediately and with respect, give the questioner full territorial rights, and perhaps consult his

• wisdom. “I’m sorry I was talking about the City in general, not this estate, which

you obviously know more about than I do. What have the problems been in this area?” e) The defensive question This question usually happens when you are making a proposition which involves a loss for one or more of your audience. When this does happen, question the questioner and try to get him talking more, if you still have difficulty dealing with the point factually try to throw it back to the rest of the audience.

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With a difficult question you should first quell any emotional response and then explore the question, ask the questioner to elaborate or refine it. You can then make a choice from the following options: a) Answer the question; b) Admit ignorance and promise to find out; c) Defer it to be dealt with at length later; Refer it to an expert (if you brought one); d) Throw it back to the questioner; e) Throw it back to a member of the audience; or f) Put it up for general discussion. At the conclusion of your presentation the thing you will need is reassurance and, if possible, praise. You should try to review the presentation after about a week, when the emotions have settled down with a colleague who attended the presentation. This will give you the opportunity to discuss things that worked and those that did not. The guidelines outlined in the 3 papers, PREPARATION, STRUCTURE AND TECHNIQUE have been written to provide guidance only. They will only point you in the right direction, there is no substitute for explanation.

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Voice

a) Mumbling Better to be too loud than too quiet. b) Gabbling Much rarer and easily corrected once you’re aware. c) Voice Dropping The most common fault of amateur speakers is to drop the voice at the end of

• sentences. This makes it tedious for the audience who can get the impression

that the talk has finished, but then the next sentence it starts up again. It is not natural for most people to keep the pitch and volume constant during a

• sentence. It is therefore necessary to practise and is vital to the presenter.

d) Verbal Mannerisms (Catch Phrases) “The point is…..” “If you know what I mean…..” “You know.” These phrases, although harmless by themselves, used too often they can distract your audience. e) Physical Mannerisms Like catch phrases, physical mannerisms are only worth worrying about if they are a real distraction. It is possible to do more harm than good by pointing out a persons unconscious mannerism. f) Hesitancy Excessive pauses, usually filled with “….er…..” almost always a sign of insufficient rehearsal.

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CONFIDENCE BUILDING

Explore and list on flip the group’s negative self belief about making presentations Choose a typical one and build on flip as follows. Build on flip. e.g. “I get too nervous to make presentations” 1. Begin with negative self belief. e.g. “ I cannot do presentations because I get too nervous.” 2. I expect my nerves will show – my voice will shake and I will look silly. 3. Consequence of such expectations is that I will be nervous, my voice will shake and I’ll look silly. 4. I don’t want to ever make a presentation again, because of my nerves. Negative self-belief Lack of self confidence Negative expectations Self limiting behaviour

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CONFIDENCE BUILDING

Vicious circle which can be broken by having positive self-belief. 1. “I can do presentations and control my nerves.” 2. “My nerves won’t show and even if they do I can control them.” 3. “I’ll do a good job, my voice won’t shake, and I’ll look good in front of my audience.” 4. “I can’t wait to make another presentation, because I’m good at them!” Positive self-belief Loads of self-confidence Positive expectations Self fulfilling behaviour

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CREDIBLE NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

First Brain - Appeal to the first brain Eye Factor - Must issue constant eye messages

• Look at people less than 10 seconds but at least for

3 seconds

• Be aware of shifting your eyes too rapidly
• Look at your audience

Enthusiasm

• Avoid monotones
• Express emotions
• Avoid jargon
• Eliminate nonsense noise

Dress and Appearance – 10% hair, 90% clothing. Keep it appropriate to self and environment Energy Factor - Keep an upright posture

• Move around, motion is visual

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Smile Factor

• smile whenever possible and appropriate
• smile when talking - even on the phone
• smile when nervous - you'll feel less

nervous Gestures

• Use natural and confident gestures
• Avoid stiffness or awkwardness
• Be aware of cultural differences

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Usually male. His hand fiddles in his pocket, making a constant racket What are you hiding? THE FIDDLER THE FIG LEAF If I don’t keep pulling my trousers up, they’ll fall down. THE FLY In your group, identify and represent as above, your ‘favourite’ types of presenters THE HAIRDRESSER BENNY HILL THE DANCER Pull, tug, and curl. A new hairstyle by the end of the session Is it undone? I’ll better check again

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SUMMARY OF EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION

a) Preparation 1) Know the facts – the facts your audience will want as well as the ones you want. 2) Find out about the people, including their past experiences, present situation and future needs. 3) Always have notes, with key phrases as well as subject headings. 4) Write out the introduction and memorise it. 5) Rehearse, and rehearse, and rehearse. b) Structure 1) Preface

• opening courtesies, the purpose of the

presentation, its duration and shape, and the ‘rules

• f the road’.

2) Position

• a brief outline of the present situation.

3) Problem

• a description of the audience’s need which can be

met by accepting your proposal. 4) Possibilities

• a look at the principle alternatives your audience

will want to consider. 5) Proposal

• the recommended course of action.

6) Postscript

• summary of proposal. The next step. Description
• f supporting documents. Thanks. Invitation to

ask questions. c) Technique 1) Convert statistics, proposals into charts or graphs wherever possible. 2) Relegate detail to supporting documents. 3) Use short words and short sentences. 4) Choose the active verb rather than the passive and the concrete noun rather than the abstract. 5) Avoid or explain jargon. 6) Signpost and paragraph the presentation. 7) Never mumble or gabble. 8) Look at the audience – all of them. 9) Keep your voice up at the end of the sentences.