Page 53 - DENG102_COMMUNICATION_SKILLS_II

Communication Skills-II

notes elements of a Presentation

Presentations have three major elements:
1. Presenter/Speaker: The person who is giving the presentation.

2. Audience: The people for whom the presentation is meant. The audience usually shares
some common characteristics, like they all belong to a particular age group or profession
or any other such attribute.
3. Specific content: This is the content of the presentation, which is formulated with a major
objective to be achieved.
Steps in Presentation: There are some basic steps which need to be kept in mind at the time of
making a presentation. How successful one is at the end of the delivery, is contingent upon the
amount of labour that has gone into the preparatory stages.
1. Know your subject! This is most important.

2. Prepare for the speaking situation (outline, writing the entire presentation, delivering it to
friends or whatever works for you). Even professional public speakers take time to prepare
themselves.
3. Prepare outlines and overheads to help develop your confidence in your presentation (part
of knowing your topic well).

4. Have your outline (or overheads, slides or note cards) with you to refer to as you make the
presentation and to trigger your thoughts as you speak.
5. In the early stages of your preparation, ask someone you trust to listen to your presentation
and give you honest feedback in a one-on-one situation. Ask them what works well and
what needs improvement. The more important the results of your presentation are to you,
the more important it is to get help in refining your presentation.
6. Take classes where you are able to develop presentations and have them critiqued (e.g.,
classes in public speaking or verbal presentation skills, Toastmasters).

7. Tape your presentation (videotape is best) and ask others to critique your presentation.
Watch yourself and learn to look for subtle body language clues to your confidence or
insecurity.

8. Talk to people you respect about how they learned to speak well. Ask them to coach you
(if that is appropriate) or try to find someone you admire who will work with you.
9. When you are confident, relaxed and enthusiastic about your topic, that comes through
strongly to your audience. Remember how much comes through non-verbal clues.
10. Ask for feedback from your audience about your presentation and pay attention to what
they say.
11. In workshops, ask the participants to introduce themselves, state why they are there and
what they hope to gain from the presentation. (This is most appropriate if you are making
a speech or giving a class to strangers). Based on the participants’ needs and expectations,
you may adjust your presentation as you go through it.
12. In a management presentation especially (e.g., to present your new budget or present sales
information), stop occasionally to ask if people understand what you have said.
13. If you have an executive coach (or someone who can play that role), have them sit in on
your presentations and help you pick up clues from the group. (We did this very effectively

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