Presentation skills

Giving Effective Presentations Presentations should influence people. Presentations should be prepared very well. Effective presentations depend on a number of criteria. The most important of which are presented next:

Influencing feelings and attitudes Body lang. 53 % Info 7% Voice 40% Body language accounts for 53% of the success of your presentation. The clarity of your voice accounts for 40% of the success of your presentation. What you actually say accounts for 7% of the success of your presentation.

Presentation Skills Include : Non Verbal Skills Verbal Skills Techniques Speech Structure

I. Nonverbal skills

1. Appearance Be formal & decent. Focus on the message not the outfit.

2. Posture Stand straight. Appear confident. Be relaxed. No hands in pockets.

Gestures Use Gestures. They increase the audience understanding. Make your movements meaningful. Avoid exaggeration.

4. Eye contact Address all the audience. Maintain eye contact with everybody. Don’t stare at others more than 5 seconds.

5. Facial Expressions Facial expressions are important because they: Mirror emotions. Set tone and mood. Make the audience feel comfortable. Example: A speaker without any expression on his / her face makes the audience worried and unwilling to participate in any conversation.

II. verbal skills

1. Voice Vary the pitch.  Don’t always speak in low voice, so it becomes boring, nor in high voice, so it becomes disturbing. Stress important words. Vary the pace.  Speak neither too fast nor too slow. Don’t lose clarity.  Don’t speak in such a low voice that no body can hear you.

2. Waffling Waffling is speaking in an unclear way. Avoid using too many non words: um, er, uh, ….., etc. Avoid using too many connectors: and, but, so…etc. Avoid using too many nonworking words: ok, well, you know.

III. Techniques

1. Audience Involvement Use Names. Invite Participation. Ask Questions.

2. Humor Tell amusing stories Avoid long jokes Make humor deliver the message.

3. Visual Aids  Use your visual aids effectively. Show pictures, movies, interviews or charts that are related to your topics  Choose the most convenient aid for you presentation.

Tips for PowerPoint presentations You should have at most 6 lines per page and 6 words per line. Too many words distract the attention of the audience. Make each point that you discuss appear separately. Don’t write long paragraphs on the slides. Use key phrases. Be consistent in using the font, colors, and background.

Tips for PowerPoint presentations Use pictures that are relevant to your topic. Use contrasting colors for text and background. Don’t overuse the effects and the slide transitions. Observe your time. Prepare a presentation that fits the time you are allowed. Limit the number of your slides. One slide per minute.

IV. Speech

1. Introduction Announce your topic. Give a starting statement. Ask a provocative question. Tell a story, quotation, joke, etc.

2. Body Define the major points. Organize your ideas. Provide as much evidence as you can.

3. Conclusion Conclude your ideas. Leave an impression. State clearly what you want the audience to take with them.

Answer the audience’s Questions

Thank Your Audience

List of suggested readings: speaking.com/starting/menu.phphttp:// speaking.com/starting/menu.php ion_skills.htmhttp:// ion_skills.htm ng_effective_powerp.htmhttp://kinesiology.boisestate.edu/kines442/tips_for_maki ng_effective_powerp.htm ns-Tips.ppthttp:// ns-Tips.ppt

Good Luck