Presentation Skills

What is a Presentation?

We define a presentation as a means of communication that can be

adapted to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group,
addressing a meeting or briefing a team. Effective presentations usually
require careful thought and preparation—although this preparation need
not take very long.

Preparation

When preparing for a presentation, there are a number of stages you are
likely to go through.

Understand the task

Do you know exactly what you have to do? Whether it is a presentation in a
workplace context or an assessment at university, it is essential that you
are clear about your brief and what you are expected to deliver.

Consider the purpose

Why are you giving this presentation? What is the purpose of this
presentation? Is it to educate, inform, persuade, pitch, demonstrate
evidence or knowledge, report on projects? Defining your main aims at an
initial point is useful and will be the first stage in helping you achieve them.

Consider the audience

You need to think about your audience from the outset as it will affect every
aspect of your presentation. Will you be speaking to senior managers,
colleagues, partners, visitors, classmates and tutors? Adapt your talk
according to the audience you expect and remember that the content and
focus should be interesting and relevant to them.

Research the topic

How and where will you obtain information for the presentation? Will your
sources be online, from books or other literature, from colleagues or other
places? Make sure you select and use appropriate sources and reference
accordingly.
Plan and design the structure
How are you going to organise the information you want to communicate?
Decide what content you are going to place in each of the main sections
(introduction, body and conclusion) and in what order.

Plan detailed content

What specific information are you going to put in each section? Divide the
main body into sub-sections and key points as necessary and plan exactly
what details you want to include in each part.

Practise and revise as necessary

What can you do in terms of rehearsing? Practise delivering your talk –
record it, self-evaluate, seek feedback from peers, friends or family
members. Revise the content and/or delivery style and practise again until
you feel confident and ready to deliver your talk. Don’t be afraid to make
modifications as needed to ensure your presentation flows and is easy to
understand.

Important sections

Greet the audience and introduce yourself

Before you start delivering your talk, introduce yourself to the audience and
clarify who you are and your relevant expertise. This does not need to be
long or incredibly detailed, but will help build an immediate relationship
between you and the audience. It gives you the chance to briefly clarify
your expertise and why you are worth listening to. This will help establish
your ethos so the audience will trust you more and think you're credible.

Effective presentations are organised into clear sections that help to

communicate the important points and the main message.

The introduction

A clear and confident introduction can make a good impression. It can also
capture the attention of the audience and give them a good reason to
continue listening. In the introduction you need to explain the subject and
purpose of your presentation whilst gaining the audience's interest and
confidence. It's sometimes helpful to think of your introduction as funnel-
shaped to help filter down your topic:

1. Introduce your general topic

2. Explain your topic area
3. State the issues/challenges in this area you will be exploring
4. State your presentation's purpose - this is the basis of your
presentation so ensure that you provide a statement explaining how
the topic will be treated, for example, "I will argue that…" or maybe
you will "compare", "analyse", "evaluate", "describe" etc.
5. Provide a statement of what you're hoping the outcome of the
presentation will be, for example, "I'm hoping this will be provide you
with..."
6. Show a preview of the organisation of your presentation

The main body

The body of the presentation is where you can share the details of your
main message and any other important points. You can divide it into sub-
sections, each covering a different topic. Depending on the nature of your
presentation, clearly segment the different topics you will be discussing,
and then work your way through them one at a time - it's important for
everything to be organised logically for the audience to fully understand.
There are many different ways to organise your main points, such as, by
priority, theme, chronologically etc.

 Main points should be addressed one by one with supporting

evidence and examples.
 Before moving on to the next point you should provide a mini-
summary.
 Links should be clearly stated between ideas and you must make it
clear when you're moving onto the next point.
 Allow time for people to take relevant notes and stick to the topics
you have prepared beforehand rather than straying too far off topic.

When planning your presentation write a list of main points you want to
make and ask yourself "What I am telling the audience? What should they
understand from this?" refining your answers this way will help you produce
clear messages.

The conclusion
The conclusion sums up important points and repeats the main message.
Be sure to summarise your main points and their implications. This clarifies
the overall purpose of your talk and reinforces your reason for being there.
Follow these steps:

 Signal that it's nearly the end of your presentation, for example, "As
we wrap up/as we wind down the talk…"
 Restate the topic and purpose of your presentation - "In this speech I
wanted to compare…"
 Summarise the main points, including their implications and
conclusions
 Indicate what is next/a call to action/a thought-provoking takeaway
 Move on to the last section

It’s also a good time to thank the audience for listening and to invite
questions. Many presenters prefer to make the Q&A session the key part of
their talk and try to speed through the main body of the presentation. This
is totally fine, but it is still best to focus on delivering some sort of initial
presentation to set the tone and topics for discussion in the Q&A.

Some techniques for Effective Delivery

Using your voice effectively

When trying to get your message across, it’s not just what you say but how
you say it. The intonation and stress in your voice convey different
meanings.

Intonation is the rise and fall of the voice when speaking. Raising or
dropping your vocal pitch expresses different meanings, which can help
you communicate your message more clearly.

Stress is the emphasis on certain syllables, words or sentences to indicate

their importance in a particular section.

Imagine that your friend just told you that they bought a house. How you
respond by using the word ‘really’ has different meaning depending on the
intonation:
  A rising intonation can show surprise
 A falling intonation can show disbelief
 Not changing your intonation at all can sound sarcastic

Pace

An important step in becoming an effective presenter is to make sure that

the speed of your delivery is appropriate.

Your pace will vary, but if you speak too quickly the audience will have
difficulty following your talk, too slowly and they may lose interest.

It’s important to pause at regular points, either to indicate a break in the

natural flow of the talk or after highlighting a significant point. This gives the
audience time to process what you have said.

If speakers are nervous, it’s possible they might speak too slowly in a
hesitant style that has little flow.

Good speakers often group words and phrases together into chunks of
information. When combined with appropriate pauses, this can make things
clearer for the audience.

Aim to keep your speech at a steady pace in your presentations. When

practising, you could try changing the speed so it’s slightly faster – this can
show passion, urgency and excitement. If you want to convey caution,
importance or sadness, try making your pace slightly slower.

Volume

Volume, like pace and intonation, can reveal the mood and mindset of a
presenter.

It is important that your delivery is at an appropriate noise level. Speaking

too loudly might annoy the audience and a low volume will leave the
listeners equally frustrated. Aim to adjust your volume based on the
location of the presentation and the audience.
Some presenters check that the people at the back of the venue can hear
them before they start their talk to ensure that they are talking at the correct
volume for everyone to hear.

Clarity

Whenever you are giving a presentation, it’s essential that the talk has
specific aims and is expressed clearly.

The purpose of a business presentation may be to inform, persuade or

recommend. The success of the outcome will not only be based on the
content and visuals but on the clarity of your delivery.

People speak in a range of local and regional accents and English may not
be your first language. The most important aspect is that the meaning and
main message of your presentation is communicated effectively.

How do you ensure that your delivery is clear?

The guidance below will help improve the overall clarity of the presentation:

 Speak at an appropriate pace and volume

 Check pronunciation of vocabulary in advance – identify important

vocabulary and phrases and make sure you know how to say them
(see activity below)

 Make sure only important points are outlined on the slides – avoid
using too much text

 Stand in an appropriate position (not behind the computer or in front

of the screen) and maintain eye contact with the audience

 Practise – careful preparation and rehearsal will build confidence.

Using of Resources

Hand-outs and Slides

You might need to provide braille or large print copies of slides and
handouts. If this is not possible, send an electronic copy of your materials
in advance. This way, the audience member can use their own screen-
reader to prepare. If this is not possible, make them available for download
after the event.

When making slides there are some good rules for any presentation:

1. Use a plain background and contrasting text.

2. Use a sans serif font, like Arial
3. Align to the left (if you write left to right) and never justify the text
4. Use bullet points with minimal text
5. Do not hyphenate at the end of a line
6. Use pictures, images really help with meaning

For handouts, you should also:

1. Print in size 12 font or above

2. Use large text or bold text to draw attention
3. Do not use large amounts of text in capital letters
4. Do not use italics or underlining (even in hyperlinks)
5. Use short sentences of 15-20 words
6. Keep language simple and explain all technical language
7. Try to put the meaning of a paragraph in the first sentence. See the
section on Spoken Language for examples.

Tips for Making Effective PowerPoint Presentations

 Use the slide master feature to create a consistent and simple design
template. It is fine to vary the content presentation (bulleted list, two-
column text, text and image, etc.), but be consistent with other
elements such as font, colors and background.
 Simplify and limit the number of words on each screen. Use key
phrases and include only essential information.
 Limit punctuation and avoid putting words in all-capital letters. Empty
space on the slide will enhance readability.
 Use contrasting colors for text and background. Light text on a dark
background is best. Patterned backgrounds can reduce readability.
 Overuse of special effects such as animation and sounds may make
your presentation “cutesy” and could negatively affect your credibility.
 Use good-quality images that reinforce and complement your
message. Ensure that your image maintains its impact and resolution
when projected on a larger screen.
 Limit the number of slides. Presenters who constantly “flip” to the next
slide are likely to lose their audience. A good rule of thumb is one
slide per minute.
 Know how to and practice moving forward and backward within your
presentation. Audiences often ask to see a previous screen again.
 If possible, view your slides on the screen you’ll be using for your
presentation. Make sure the slides are readable from the back row
seats. Text and graphic images should be large enough to read but
not so large as to appear “loud.”
 Have a Plan B in the event of technical difficulties. Remember that
transparencies and handouts will not show animation or other special
effects.
 Practice with someone who has never seen your presentation. Ask
them for honest feedback about colors, content and any effects or
graphic images you’ve included.
 Do not read from your slides. The content of your slides is for the
audience, not for the presenter.
 Do not speak to your slides. Many presenters face their presentation
onscreen rather than their audience.
 Do not apologize for anything in your presentation. If you believe
something will be hard to read or understand, don’t use it.
Tips for Effective PowerPoint Presentations
Fonts
 Select a single sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica. Avoid serif
fonts such as Times New Roman or Palatino because these fonts are
sometimes more difficult to read.
 Use no font size smaller than 24 point.
 Use the same font for all your headlines.
 Select a font for body copy and another for headlines.
 Use bold and different sizes of those fonts for captions and subheadings.
 Add a fourth font for page numbers or as a secondary body font for
sidebars.
 Don’t use more than four fonts in any one publication.
 Clearly label each screen. Use a larger font (35-45 points) or different
color for the title.
 Use larger fonts to indicate importance.
 Use different colors, sizes and styles (e.g., bold) for impact.
 Avoid italicized fonts as these are difficult to read quickly.
 Avoid long sentences.
 Avoid abbreviations and acronyms.
 Limit punctuation marks.
 No more than 6-8 words per line
 For bullet points, use the 6 x 6 Rule. One thought per line with no more
than 6 words per line and no more than 6 lines per slide
 Use dark text on light background or light text on dark background.
However, dark backgrounds sometimes make it difficult for some people
to read the text.
 Do not use all caps except for titles.
 Put repeating elements (like page numbers) in the same location on each
page of a multi-page document.
 To test the font, stand six feet from the monitor and see if you can read
the slide.
Design and Graphical Images
 Use design templates.
 Standardize position, colors, and styles.
 Include only necessary information.
 Limit the information to essentials.
 Content should be self-evident
 Use colors that contrast and compliment.
 Too may slides can lose your audience.
 Keep the background consistent and subtle.
 Limit the number of transitions used. It is often better to use only one so
the audience knows what to expect.
 Use a single style of dingbat for bullets throughout the page.
 Use the same graphical rule at the top of all pages in a multi-page
document.
 Use one or two large images rather than several small images.
 Prioritize images instead of a barrage of images for competing attention.
 Make images all the same size.
 Use the same border.
 Arrange images vertically or horizontally.
 Use only enough text when using charts or graphical images to explain
the chart or graph and clearly label the image.
 Keep the design clean and uncluttered. Leave empty space around the
text and graphical images.
 Use quality clipart and use it sparingly. A graphical image should relate to
and enhance the topic of the slide.
 Try to use the same style graphical image throughout the presentation
(e.g., cartoon, photographs)
 Limit the number of graphical images on each slide.
 Repetition of an image reinforces the message. Tie the number of copies
of an image to the numbers in your text.
 Resize, recolor, reverse to turn one image into many. Use duplicates of
varying sizes, colors, and orientations to multiply the usefulness of a
single clip art image.
 Make a single image stand out with dramatic contrast. Use color to make
a dramatic change to a single copy of your clip art.
 Check all images on a projection screen before the actual presentation.
 Avoid flashy images and noisy animation effects unless it relates directly
to the slide.
Color
 Limit the number of colors on a single screen.
 Bright colors make small objects and thin lines stand out. However, some
vibrant colors are difficult to read when projected.
 Use no more than four colors on one chart.
 Check all colors on a projection screen before the actual presentation.
Colors may project differently than what appears on the monitor.
General Presentation
 Plan carefully.
 Do your research.
 Know your audience.
 Time your presentation.
 Speak comfortably and clearly.
 Check the spelling and grammar.
 Do not read the presentation. Practice the presentation so you can speak
from bullet points. The text should be a cue for the presenter rather than
a message for the viewer.
 Give a brief overview at the start. Then present the information. Finally
review important points.
 It is often more effective to have bulleted points appear one at a time so
the audience listens to the presenter rather than reading the screen.
 Use a wireless mouse or pick up the wired mouse so you can move
around as you speak.
 If sound effects are used, wait until the sound has finished to speak.
 If the content is complex, print the slides so the audience can take notes.
 Do not turn your back on the audience. Try to position the monitor so you
can speak from it.

Visual Aids

Visual aids are an important part of presentations. Images really help to

show your meaning. Use graphs and data carefully and highlight your key
information in a different high-contrast colour. They can also take the form
of a handout, either of your slides, or a summary of your presentation, the
use of a flip chart, or even something interesting that you have brought
along to show your audience and make a point.This will help your audience
see what you are talking about, even if your pointer is shaking with nerves!
If you are going to talk about a nebula, show a picture. It will act like a
shortcut for your audience because they won’t need to remember what the
picture looks like. If visual aids are used well they will enhance a
presentation by adding impact and strengthening audience involvement.
They can also be a helpful to reminder to you of what you wanted to say.

Consider using props, especially if you are talking about an unusual item
from your work. Can the audience handle the item afterwards? It will really
help them to engage with your talk and you as a person. Lining props up on
the table in front of you will help you to remember the order of ideas. It also
helps to keep your audience interested in what is coming next.

Reading: A verbal presentation should focus on interactive speaking and

listening, not reading by the speaker or the audience. The demands of
spoken and written language differ significantly. Spoken language is
shorter, less formal and more direct. Reading text ruins a presentation. A
related point has to do with handouts for the audience. One of your goals
as a presenter is to capture and hold the audience’s attention. If you
distribute materials before your presentation, your audience will be reading
the handouts rather than listening to you. Often, parts of an effective
presentation depend on creating suspense to engage the audience. If the
audience can read everything you’re going to say, that element is lost.

Questions

Always allow time for questions at the end. This allows you to clear mix-ups
and explore ideas. Invite audience members to come and speak to you
directly or to email questions. They may be too nervous to ask in public.

Considering your audience

Who is your audience and how will this affect your presentation?

Your audience will influence the content and delivery of your presentation.
You may have to speak to senior executives, colleagues or partners in a
professional context. Perhaps you’ll be giving a presentation to a
prospective employer or presenting to classmates and tutors on a business
degree course.
Whatever the context, you must carefully consider the topic you are
presenting, the language you’re using, the level of assumed knowledge the
audience will have and the formality of the situation. It’s important to adapt
the content and focus of your presentation according to your audience.

Interaction with the audience

There are so many ways for a presenter to interact with their audience and
we will look at lots in more detail throughout the course. My advice about
interacting with your audience is yes, do it - but be prepared for what
response you might get back.

Asking questions - this is a great way to find out what your audience
know to help you pitch but also to get them involved. However, it can
backfire. If you ask a lot of questions of your audience they can feel like
they are under attack, especially if it is early on in the presentation. Try to
be sparing and use questions when you need to enforce a particular point
or move on to another linked topic.

It is also important to be careful with questions when presenting to children.

If you work with children they can sometimes ask questions that aren’t
really questions, more of statements. As a presenter I would recommend
taking these in a positive light. That child has connected with you and
wants to share, that is great, they just need to know when is the right time
to do that. If it then appears to them that you are not interested in the
answers they are giving they can become despondent and switch off.

Being asked questions - it is highly likely that someone will have

questions mid-way through your presentation. It is completely up to you
whether you choose to answer them as you go along or at the end - this is
your presentation and you know how much time you have to play with.
Generally speaking I have found it is best to keep questions to the end in
case you answer them as you go along. Also, interruptions like questions
can completely throw your train of thought so to keep things moving and
smooth, save questions for the end.

Unwanted responses
These can come in many forms from teenagers joking around and giving
irrelevant answers to your audience not understanding what you want from
them and therefore not giving the answer you want. If you want to include
questions, be prepared for the fact that you may not get the response you
want and think about how you might deal with that.

Look at the points that came up and think about how they relate to your
current presenting style. Remember not to only focus on the negatives
here, if there are things you do that are already great - make sure you give
yourself a pat on the back for those too.

What IS the answer?

You have finished your presentation and now it is time for questions but
you get one you don’t know the answer to. What now?

This can be really tough and honestly makes even the most experienced of
presenters a little nervous.

Never panic

Firstly, we don’t panic when someone asks something really complicated…

well we try not to at least. We usually respond with ‘wow, what a great
question’, children and adults alike love to be told they have asked such a
great question.

Be accurate

A key point for us is to never guess an answer or make it up just so we

have something to say because the potential effect of giving out incorrect
information is very damaging. We often ask the children if they know the
answer to the question they are asking us. This might sound strange but
sometimes they do and they are asking us to spark conversation about that
topic and tell us what they have learned. If they don’t know the answer and
neither do we then we both need to do a little research to find out the
answer and that is exactly what we always suggest. There is nothing
embarrassing about not knowing the answer to something in science - after
all, science has progressed through the ages because people have asked
questions about the world around them, not in spite of it.
It is OK not to know

We are comfortable for people to see we don’t always have the answers
and that learning is not something restricted to school but an enjoyable
lifelong activity that we take part in as astronomers too. When students see
that adults don’t have all the answers it leaves aspects of science as a
tempting mystery; a mystery that could spark their interest to go on and
develop a career helping to solve it if they choose to.

It is a catastrophe

Worrying about what could go wrong can be exhausting and drain energy
you could use for presenting. Often, even if it does happen the outcome
won’t be anywhere as near as bad as you think.

Lets face our presenting fears, just for a moment and catastrophize so we
can think about how we would deal with the worst possible situation. Then,
we will move on.

What to do when things go wrong

People love seeing you struggling and hopefully coping. Relax, go with the
flow and do what you can. If the tech fail kills a demo or section of the
show, apologise and move on. Also make a plan for what you will do.
I would say, always have a plan B that you can revert to quickly!
The most important thing is remain calm, keep focused and stay in control.
Work the with materials and resources that you can and communicate well
with those around, using humour, warmth and empathy to engage and help
people understand.
Don’t panic. We are all humans and we all know how challenging public
speaking is. I’d be honest and light hearted about it and try to pick
something up on your subject and just start talking, maybe a funny story or
your favorite anecdote. This will calm you down if it’s a subject you know
and love and you will find your flow again.

Dealing with nerves

Even the best speakers get nervous before a presentation – it’s
natural. The key is how to channel that nervous energy, tension and
adrenaline in a positive and productive way.

 Prepare: make sure you have planned and fully prepared your talk in
advance

 Practise: rehearsing your talk is vital

 Arrive early: familiarise yourself with the venue, check technology

and any notes/cue cards that you are using

 Stay hydrated: drink some water and avoid caffeine

 Relax: use strategies such as breathing exercises, closing your eyes

and counting to ten, and having a positive mental attitude by telling
yourself that it will be a successful talk

 Focus: centre your thoughts for a few seconds by having a quiet

moment

 Smile: aim to start your talk in a confident and positive way

Spoken language

Think carefully about what you want to say. Ideas which are simple to you,
might be difficult for others. Make sure you use simple language and clearly
explain any specialist terms. If you are using slides, put each specialist
term on a new slide.

Practise your talk. Remember to speak clearly and slowly enough to help
understanding, but not so slow everyone falls asleep! Taking a short pause
can be helpful to mark the sections of your talk and give your audience a
chance to think about what you have said.

Watch your audience as you speak. This will help you to work out if they
understand what you are talking about. If you think you have “lost” your
audience, don’t be afraid to pause and explain more clearly.
Make sure you face the audience and don’t walk around when you are
talking. This helps anyone who reads lips. Staying still can be a real
challenge, but you don’t need to turn into a statue either. Try to speak
naturally while facing the front! Take time to practise if you need to. Does
the venue have a microphone and hearing loop? You can often hire these if
needed.

Body language

Body language is the communication of feelings, emotions, attitudes and

thoughts through body movements, gestures, posture and position. It
describes the non-verbal signals we make.

In a presentation, examples of body language include:

 Eye contact with the audience (or lack of it)

 Body posture and movements
 Hand and arm movements (gestures)

Body language, gestures and eye contact are effective ways to engage
your audience. Your awareness and ability to manage your body language
is an important factor in a successful business presentation.

Evaluate your performance using the checklist below:

• Have you addressed the task fully?

• Is your delivery clear and at an appropriate pace/volume?

• Will it interest/engage the audience?

• Is the language used appropriate and accurate?

• Is your body language evident?

Reference
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Dolan, R., 2017. Effective presentation skills. FEMS Microbiology Letters,
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Mandel, S., 2009. Presentation skills. [Rochester, N.Y.]: Axzo Press.
Rowley, J., 2012. Six steps to successful academic conference
presentation. The Marketing Review, 12(4), pp.435-448.