Learning and TeachingEnhancement Unit

Speaking professionally...Oral Presentation SkillsAdam Warrena.j.warren@soton.ac.uk02380 594486

Aims and Objectives

• why are you are making a presentation?

• what do you want to achieve?• what message do you want the

audience to take away?• what will they will gain from

listening?set yourself a written list of three goals

Advance publicity

• info for conference programme:– title of talk - make it sound attractive– summary - what are you going to talk about?– objectives - what will people get out of it?– structure - how many people? how will it run?– what resources/equipment will you need?

• objective is to attract an audience– most conferences run parallel sessions

The Audience

• to hold their attention, you need to know:

– who you are talking to

– their level of prior knowledge

– roughly how many people will be there

• how can you grab their attention?

• how can you interact with them?

Gaining attention

• make the audience listen to you from the very beginning of your talk

– plan the start carefully

• relate your talk to familiar concepts using:

– examples

– anecdotes

– analogies

Interaction

• involve your audience to help them learn and remember more

– be sensitive to atmosphere

– use analogies and anecdotes

– get them to do something

– ask them direct questions

– ask for questions

Selecting material

• what to choose, what to leave out?

– always more material than time available

– a limit to how much the audience can absorb

• select relevant material which:

– the audience understands and find interesting

– can be explained by a variety of means such as examples, statistics, graphs and analogies

The structure of your talk

• organise your material into:

– the introduction

– the main body

– the summary or conclusion

creating OHP slides can help you do this

The introduction

• introduce yourself

• describe (briefly!) what you are going to talk about and its context

• briefly outline the structure of the talk

don’t spend more than 2 minutes on this

The body of your talk

• cover what the audience

– needs to know

– wants to know

• divide material into ‘bite-sized’ chunks

• provide a logical sequence

• use examples and visual aids

The summary

• what message do you want the audience to take away?

– summarise main points

– ask for and deal with questions

– conclude on a high note

• let the audience know you have finished

Prepare yourself

• preparation time will reap benefits in the moments before and during your presentation - think about the following:

– coping with nerves

– using prompts and visual aids

– how you will stand and talk

Coping with nerves

• being nervous is natural - it’s a good sign and shows the adrenaline is flowing

• make nerves work for you not against you:

– rationalise about why you are nervous

– take a few deep breaths to calm yourself

– rehearse well, time your presentation and know your opening lines by heart

Don’t panic!

• if you do ‘dry up’, lose track of what you are saying or have a technical problem:– pause - have a drink of water– regain your composure– backtrack if necessary– start when you are readyif you can’t fix technical problems quickly,

revert to your contingency plan

Prompts

• don’t read from a script - it is lifeless and boring to listen to

• use prompts to keep you on track

– use thin card so they don’t rustle

– use a large font, so you can read them from a distance

– highlight the main points

Using visual aids

• are they relevant and easy to read?

– clear and concise text

– clear colours and good contrast

– use diagrams

– show charts and graphs rather than data

• practise your talk with the visual aids– mark in your notes when they are to be

used

Stand and deliver

• if you have a choice, make sure:

– the audience can see you clearly

– you are not surrounded by distractions

• windows with bright sunshine, passing traffic

– you are not disturbed by external noises

– all equipment and controls are to hand– there is somewhere to put your notes

Speaking

• speak clearly - don’t rush• project your voice - speak to be heard at

the back of the venue• have a glass of water available• introduce unfamiliar jargon and

acronyms• keep track of the time• relax! talk to your audience, not at them

Posture

• your gestures, body language and facial expressions should help support what you are saying and help you project a confident image.

– stand up straight; a sloppy posture invites a negative reaction from the audience

– move around, but don’t sway or pace

Do’s and don’ts

– look at the audience, scanning rather than focusing on one person

– talk to the audience, not to the floor, ceiling, flip-chart, whiteboard or your notes

– use your hands to emphasise a point, but don’t wave them around

– don’t put your hands in pockets or grip the podium

Check out the venue

• if possible, visit the venue beforehand

• be aware of any danger zones such as wires and steps

• find out what equipment is present

– will you need to organise other resources?

• will you need to rearrange the furniture?

– if so, allow plenty of time before your talk

Test the equipment

• make sure you know how it works– room lighting?– power sockets for computers and

projectors?

• have a contingency plan in case of technical problems– OHP slides in case of computer problems– handouts which could be photocopied at

the last moment

Final preparations

• rehearse your presentation out loud(in front of others, if possible)

• pay attention to timing - cut material if you are going to take too long

• plan your timetable around your presentation to make sure you arrive in plenty of time

• allow time for delays and hitches

Resources

• this presentation and other useful links are on the Web at:http://www.lateu.soton.ac.uk/events/workshops/OPS/OPSdetails.aspx