There is nothing worse than sitting through a boring, poorly structured presentation. To avoid this, follow a few principles listed below:
- Know as much as possible about your subject. Make sure the presentation conveys memorable messages, but do not overwhelm the audience. Effective and compelling presentations convey a limited number of key messages.
- Use terminology that is appropriate for the audience. Explain complex ideas and illustrate with stories, if appropriate.
- Make sure you understand what the target group requires and their level of knowledge. Be clear about what you are going to talk about. Are you trying to persuade donors to fund a project? Giving a status report about IFAD’s work to partners and government agencies? Each calls for a different style and content. Focus on what will persuade your audience.
Engaging with the audience
Giving a presentation is like being an actor. You are engaging with the audience, and you want them to be engaged with you. Here are some tips:
In writing the text:
Structure your presentation so it has a:
When you are asked a question, move towards the person who asked it. Repeat the question and when appropriate rephrase it for the audience.
Have handouts ready and give them out at the end of the presentation. If you distribute the handout before, the audience will start reading it and will not listen to you. Tell the audience ahead of time that you will give them handouts so they do not have to waste time taking unnecessary notes while you speak.
Plan to present for your allotted time – if you talk longer people may begin to lose patience. Rehearse the presentation in front of an audience or a mirror – but do not over-rehearse, and do not memorize the presentation, or it will sound stale and mechanical. Time yourself while rehearsing to make sure you are within your allotted time.
Anticipate questions you may be asked and prepare responses.
Inspect the location to ensure that seating arrangements and equipment (whiteboard, blackboard, lighting, projection screen, sound system) are suitable. If you are using audio-visual aids, test the equipment in advance to make sure everything is set up and working.
Put your watch on the podium so you can keep an eye on the time.
- Avoid putting too many modifiers before the noun; the listener cannot keep track of them. For instance, ‘The team was responsible for designing the capacity development programme’ is preferable to ‘The team was responsible for capacity development programme design’.
- Use phonetic spelling for any words that are difficult to pronounce.
- Pitch your voice as if you were speaking to the back row. Speak slowly to allow the sound to carry.
- Maintain eye contact with a number of people in different parts of the auditorium. This helps to make the audience feel involved.
- Throughout the presentation clarify unfamiliar terms and definitions.
- Keep the audience interested throughout the presentation. Pause. Allow yourself and the audience a little time to reflect and think.
- Personalize the presentation in a way the audience can relate to. Use anecdotes, humour, quotes and personal experiences throughout your talk. Tell stories – there is nothing more compelling than a story and it will help you gauge audience attention.
- Do not race through your presentation.
In writing the text:
- Use a simple sentence structure. Subject, verb, object is clearest – but do not use it exclusively or it becomes monotonous.
- Do not put subheadings in your text – you cannot read them out loud. Make sure the text flows seamlessly from point to point.
- To signal a new topic to the audience, insert a ‘pause’ into the text to remind yourself to stop for a moment. Make sure the first sentence of the new topic clearly introduces it.
Structure your presentation so it has a:
- Beginning: where you break the ice. Capture the audience’s attention, connect with them and clarify your objective. Prepare a concise beginning and consider using an anecdote or a question.
- Middle: where you convey your key messages in a logical sequence, each point building on the preceding one, using clear and simple language.
- End: where you repeat your objective, summarize your key messages and end the presentation on a high note.
When you are asked a question, move towards the person who asked it. Repeat the question and when appropriate rephrase it for the audience.
Have handouts ready and give them out at the end of the presentation. If you distribute the handout before, the audience will start reading it and will not listen to you. Tell the audience ahead of time that you will give them handouts so they do not have to waste time taking unnecessary notes while you speak.
Plan to present for your allotted time – if you talk longer people may begin to lose patience. Rehearse the presentation in front of an audience or a mirror – but do not over-rehearse, and do not memorize the presentation, or it will sound stale and mechanical. Time yourself while rehearsing to make sure you are within your allotted time.
Anticipate questions you may be asked and prepare responses.
Inspect the location to ensure that seating arrangements and equipment (whiteboard, blackboard, lighting, projection screen, sound system) are suitable. If you are using audio-visual aids, test the equipment in advance to make sure everything is set up and working.
Put your watch on the podium so you can keep an eye on the time.