Presentation skills

Speaking in public can be a major source of stress, and yet most people find when they start they actually find themselves enjoying the experience and the ability to present is a great way to raise your profile and show your talents to a wider audience.

This module will help you to –

• Structure your presentation
• Use visual aids effectively
• Prepare properly and build your confidence
• Adopt good habits for successful presentation

Have a clear beginning middle and end....

Perhaps the most frequently delivered advice is to ensure your presentation has a beginning, a middle and an end. Or "say what you're going to say, say it and then say it again"

The beginning-Say what you're going to say...

Start with a confident introduction that gives your name and the purpose of the presentation. Talk through what you will cover in the session with clear objectives. You can manage your audience to some extent by deciding whether you want to invite questions throughout the session or ask them to save their questions until the end.

The middle-Say it...

This represents the main content of the session and needs to be delivered with clarity. It should follow the order indicated in your introduction and you should also make it clear when you have finished with one subject and you're moving on to another.

The end-Say what you've said...

This is your chance to remind your delegates of the key points and to leave a final impression of confidence. It is disappointing when people end a presentation in an uncertain and downbeat way. You need to convey confidence that the presentation has covered everything it needed to, but leave the opportunity for questions.

E.g.-So just to remind ourselves of the key points; sales increased by 5%, mystery shopping scores soared and our conversion rates doubled. That's the end of the presentation but I'd welcome your questions"

Tips for confidence

Confidence certainly makes a presentation more persuasive, but nerves are also useful as they give you an energy and focus that can make you very compelling. If we can harness our nervous energy and convey confidence we will increase the success of our presentations. Preparation breeds confidence.

• Reduce your notes to key bullet points on postcards
• Practice anything technical
• Get to the room early to prepare any flipcharts etc
• Prepare mentally. Spend five minutes quietly sitting and mentally seeing you doing a great job. What your mind can clearly sees your body can deliver. Try it and enjoy the results.