Effective Oral Presentation Skills

There is a myth that great speakers are born, not made. This is based on the misconception that some people somehow have the innate ability to stand in front of an audience with no anxiety and give a moving speech dynamics. The truth is, however, major speakers who generally spend years in development and practice of their art of communication. All the major speakers had to learn the basics of organization, preparation, delivery and treatment of anxiety. To do so, it takes constant practice and mastery of basic concepts. Speaking is no different. One of the most important techniques you can apply to become a safer and more effective speaker is to reduce anxiety. If implemented, the following tips may help reduce your anxiety before your next presentation:

Ø Organize – Concentrate on your presentation.

Ø View – Mentally rehearse a perfect presentation with questions and answers.

Ø Practice – stand out loud, with visual aids. Obtain the views of others.

Ø Breathe – Sit or stand erect, not relaxed. Breathe deeply several times.

Ø Objective relaxing!

Ø The release of tension – Try isometric exercises. Tighten and loosen your muscles. Start with your toes and ending with his fists.

Ø Move – Flex your muscles – no lock! Use a wireless microphone.

Ø eye contact with the audience – think of one. Connect with the audience and do it yourself person. Use the information and energy they get from their audience.

Planning your presentation is another component of becoming an effective speaker and presenter. There are essentially two steps to be followed by delivery of a presentation: 1) the development of its objectives and 2) to analyze your audience. In preparation, they must identify the values, needs and constraints of participants and the level of knowledge of the audience. For example, do not use slang, jargon, acronyms, technical terms or without explanation. It should also be determined in advance “what will work and what will not work.” In other words, what will you have the most favorable reaction. To know in advance these issues must be put into the shoes of the people who heard his presentation. The next step to improving their oral presentation skills effective is the organization of their thoughts. There are a number of steps to this process:

Step # 1 Brainstorm main ideas. Use index cards or post notes, and only use one idea per card.

Step # 2 State of the sub points. Ideally there should be among the sub-2-5 points in his presentation. Be specific using explanations, data and evidence to substantiate their points.

Step # 3 State of the benefits. Specifically, the rule of profit before and after the body of your presentation.

Step 4 Develop brochures. The documents should reinforce important points, a summary of the action and include supporting data.

Step 5 Develop visual aids (PowerPoint slides, charts and graphs). Visual aids should be used to focus the attention of his audience, reinforce the verbal message and to stimulate interest. Note that the effectiveness of the presentations are focused on people, not focusing on the media. Too many presentations are based on the media to carry the message. While the media can help, is their interaction and relationship with the audience makes the difference between an effective or ineffective.

Step # 6 The main idea of preview / review sentence (ie, tell them what we will tell you, tell you that, then tell them what you told them).

Step # 7 Development of the introduction. Getting the audience to focus on you, provide background information and introduce yourself – who you are and why you’re qualified.

Step 8 Develop a conclusion. His conclusion must be persuasive as a “call to action.” Explain specifically what to do, when and how.

The delivery of your presentation is another key to a successful presentation. An effective presentation should be delivered in the following sequence:

• Introduction

• Preview ruling

• Main ideas and Sub Ideas

• Benefits

• Review of prayers

• Conclusion

To find your public confidence and persuasive, we must consider how to physically deliver your items to your audience. Here are some tips to help you achieve a level of confidence in the delivery of your presentation:

Ø Posture – Stand up straight but not rigid. Do not change the weight from side to side.

Ø Motion – Keep at least 4-8 yards from the front row – no rhythm!

Ø Gestures – Your presentation should be a lively conversation. Avoid keeping your hands on your hips or in pockets, crossing arms or wringing their hands.

Ø Eye Contact – Do not look at the back of the room or over their heads. Maintain good eye contact to build rapport, trust and confidence.

Ø Use your voice – Avoid being monotonous which is generally caused by anxiety. Also avoid talking too fast. When people are nervous at times in their journey of words. Be aware of your volume. Make sure everyone can hear you.

After a presentation, there is generally a question and answer session to be prepared in advance. To prepare for this final hurdle, it must anticipate the questions that might be asked ahead of time. The key is to prepare for the worst and rehearse their answers. The more you prepare your answers and be more confident. One suggestion that could be used during the question and answer session is to repeat the question being asked. This will give you some more time to prepare its response. In general, we believe that five times faster than you talk! Whatever you do, it is important that you maintain your style. If you do not know the answer to the question being asked, be honest and say that you do not know, but who are outside. Remember, to really listen to the questions, and be sure not to interrupt that focused on the person asking the question. Finally, do not forget to thank your audience for all their excellent questions.

If you employ these techniques, you are on your way to becoming a more effective speaker and successful delivery of the presentations. For information on workshops on how you or your team can give more effective presentations, please contact us.