Presentation Skills and public speaking

Katie Streten

Content

• A bit about me

• A bit about you

• Planning

• Practice

• Performance

• Conclusion

A bit about me• Strategist in

Imagination/ Digital

• 2 presentation courses

• Since then...– Conference papers – Industry events– Pitches

I hate asking questions once a speaker has finishedhas finished

A bit about you

• Accomplished or new• Presenting your

proposal• But also...

– Asking questions– Answering questions– Interviews– Pitches– Social occasions

Planning

Planning

• Think about your audience – this is about them not you

• Structure – say what you’re going to say,

say it, say what you’ve said

• Write your script out long hand

• Write card notes - Highlight key moments

Planning - Image is everything

• Bullet points

• No more than 5 bullets per slide

• Less is More!

Planning - Image is everything

• Interesting pictures

• Hand-outs

• Flip-charts– Charts– Figures– Key points/questions

• Percentage of all stated facts that are patently false – 83%

Practice

Practice

• Read it to a friend, partner or yourself (repeat ad nauseam)

• Video yourself/get someone to video you

Performance

Performance – A relaxed tone

Before you even start

Breathe deeply

Look at the audience

Smile

Think about the audience – help them to relax!

Performance – A relaxed tone

• Say ‘Hello’

• Introduce yourself

• Jokes – If in doubt use other peoples

Performance – Slow it down

• Speak slowly

• Think “slowly”

Performance – Body language

• Move your arms at waist height

• Stand out in front of any lectern

• Watch for “rocking”

Performance – Don’t look now

Take in the whole room1.Pick 3 spots to the left,

middle and back

2.Place your mate at the back to smile at you!

Conclusion

• Think about your audience – what can you give them?

• Prepare for your audience

• Practice

• Practice, Practice, Practice etc

• Smile and think “slowly”

Dealing with issues

Content

• Nerves

• Making the point clearly

• Vocabulary

• Responding to questions

• Recovering frommistakes

• Conclusion

Nerves• Remember you are

intelligent and well prepared

• The room will be very interested

• Most people there will be sympathetic to your nerves

• Every time you do it, it gets easier!

Making the point clearly• What do you need to

communicate?– How would you explain this

to your grandma?– How would you explain this

to a child?– Can you explain it in 3

points?– Acronyms

• Write it down on cue cards

Making the point clearly

• Practice – in front of your friends, in front of your phone, in front of the mirror

• Visual aids – handouts, graphs, quotes, images

Vocabulary

Use your own vocabulary!

• Makes you understood

• Makes you distinctive

• Makes you confident

Recovering from mistakes

• Acknowledge to the audience that you made a mistake and continue

• Take 3 deep breaths to calm yourself

• Look down at your cards

Responding to questions

• Prepare– what questions would you

ask yourself?– What answers would you

give?• Remain calm – take 3 breaths• What if you

forget/misunderstand? – ask them to repeat the question

• What if you don’t know the answer? – Get back to them

Conclusion

• Remind yourself of your intelligence and creativity

• Be yourself!

• Practice and prepare

Katie Streten

• Twitter.com/watusi• Inoted.wordpress.com• www.slideshare.net/speakingout

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