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HOW TO BECOME A GOOD PRESENTER
Useful Tips and Notes of Encouragement for First-Time Presenters
If you are presenting for the first time and are concerned about your language proficiency, it is easy
to become overly-worried about your presentation. Although it is natural (and good!) to have some
measure of anxiety, you must not allow it to cripple your presentation. An excellent, must-visit site
during your preparation is: http://tls.utsc.utoronto.ca/instruction/presentation/default.htm. In addition,
here is some friendly advice for the 3 stages involved in a presentation:
1. Preparation Stage
2. Presentation Stage
3. Post-presentation Stage
Preparation Stage
1. Research your topic well (as you would when writing an essay) so that you can speak
authoritatively and persuasively. If reading texts are a challenge to you, you can use a very
versatile, user-friendly interactive software (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)
that has been installed in the Academic Learning Commons Lab (B221). Using your cursor,
you can just point your cursor at a word that you don’t understand, hit the Control key
and the meaning of the word and its uses will automatically pop up on the screen for
you. (NOTE: In order to use this software effectively, you need to open your document
using Microsoft Word or Internet Explorer).
2. Organize your points in the most effective order that is appropriate for the topic that you are
presenting. This is similar to preparing for a written assignment. However, one important
difference is that your written preparation for your presentation should NOT be in complete
sentences. You should prepare a few note cards where your points are presented in outline
form or in the form of a mind-map. If you write in complete sentences, and in a paragraph
form, you might succumb to the temptation to memorize what you have prepared. That
would be disastrous for your presentation!
3. Practise in order to ensure that you are able to elaborate on the outline notes on your
Presentation Worksheet or mind-map that you have made. DO NOT MEMORIZE paragraph
after paragraph of written texts. If you do so, you will not be able to communicate your
points well during your presentation. Practise to ensure that you can present within time
limit. Also, if possible, get your family members or some trusted friends to be your audience
and give you frank, CONSTRUCTIVE feedback on your practice sessions. If possible,
record yourself on video or use a tape recorder.
4. A very important secret for great presentation: MENTAL PREPARATION. In the days
leading up to your presentation, visualize yourself making a successful presentation. In
your mind’s eye, see your attentive audience nodding their heads in agreement with your
points and their clapping enthusiastically in appreciation of your presentation. Feel good
about yourself.
Presentation Stage
1. Dress well for your presentation. Feel confident. If you have items to show your audience,
lay them out in a systematic manner so that you can reach them easily without having to
rummage in your bag or rifle through your binder while trying to present.
2. Warm up your audience and the room with a wide and confident SMILE. Stand upright,
at your full height, to give yourself the psychological advantage of height. Look at your
© Dr. Elaine Khoo, 2004. The Writing Centre, University of Toronto at Scarborough. See terms and conditions for
use at http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~ctl/twc/terms.htm
audience, not as a sea of intimidating faces, but as friendly individuals who are interested in
your topic and WANT TO HEAR YOUR INTERESTING TALK (Note: they are looking
forward to seeing you succeed, not fail!)
3. Maintain maximum eye contact with your audience. DO NOT HAVE YOUR BACK TO
THEM AT ANY POINT! When you are referring to a chart or a projected PowerPoint slide,
just do a half-turn, point/click at the chart/slide and turn back to face your audience.
4. Glance only briefly at your notes and continue talking to your audience. Refer to your
notes only when absolutely necessary. Remember, even if you don’t use the exact sentence
you had planned, or have forgotten part of your presentation, your audience should not
know! If you have forgotten something, don’t panic. Just carry on using other words in order
to present your information smoothly.
5. Speak loudly and clearly so that the audience in the last row can hear you. Even if you
feel a little nervous, you will find that by speaking loudly and clearly, you will regain your
confidence after the first minute or so. Anyway, it is good and natural to feel slightly
nervous—all presenters (including experienced ones) do because they care for their
audience.
6. Engage your audience immediately, both through your body language as well as by what
you present. Some useful ways of engaging your audience during your introduction are:
share a short, interesting (BUT RELEVANT) anecdote; a short but tasteful joke; state the
importance of the topic from their perspective; pose a question (but the danger is that you
might be caught in a discussion before you even begin your presentation).
7. HAVE A FEW CENTRAL POINTS THAT YOU SUPPORT WELL. DON’T PRESENT TOO
MUCH MATERIAL. Pace yourself so that you don’t end up rushing towards the end.
8. Remember, you DON’T have to be perfect. Relax and use humour where appropriate.
Conclude by reiterating your important points. Thank your audience for their attention.
9. Look forward to answering questions at the end of your presentation. Questions show that
your audience found your presentation interesting. No questions might mean that you
have not communicated well. Though questions might seem scary to novice presenters,
there are some easy ways of handling them: (a) Repeat and clarify the question in order to
give you time to think and respond in the most appropriate way; (b) If you don’t know an
answer, be honest and say,”I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that question at this time,
but I will look into that.”; (c) If the questioner is challenging your position and it appears that
there will be an argument that you don’t want to engage in, you can say, “That is an
interesting perspective to take/ That is an interesting point of view.” Anyway, a good
moderator would usually intervene at this point; (d) Always be gracious; never insult the
questioner.
Post-Presentation Stage
Your presentation does not end the moment you get back to your seat. Remember to reflect on
your presentation to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Build on your strengths and
work to overcome your weaknesses. Solicit feedback from your professor/TA/coursemates.
Use the review form at
http://tls.utsc.utoronto.ca/instruction/presentation/pres_images&docs/student_version_pres_eval
_form_sample.pdf and ask those questions of yourself.
GOOD LUCK! YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY TO BECOMING A BETTER PRESENTER!
© Dr. Elaine Khoo, 2004. The Writing Centre, University of Toronto at Scarborough. See terms and conditions for
use at http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~ctl/twc/terms.htm

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HOW TO BECOME A GOOD PRESENTER

Useful Tips and Notes of Encouragement for First-Time Presenters

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