Module 22: Making Presentations Flashcards
What Kinds of Presentations Are There?
People present to inform, sell, and build goodwill. Regardless of the obvious purposes, the goal of most presentations is to get to yes.
Informative presentations
inform or teach the audience
Persuasive and sales presentations
motivate the audience to believe and to act
Goodwill presentations
entertain and validate the audience.
Three P’s
plan, prepare, and practise
Plan
Plan a strategy by analyzing the situation
Prepare
Prepare examples, stories, and visuals relevant to your audience
Practise
Practise until you are completely comfortable with the content
How Do I Plan a Presentation?
Clarify your purpose and your main idea. Then analyze your audience and your environment.
How Do I Organize a Presentation?
Organize for maximum audience impact
Based on your purpose and audience analysis, you can use one of five standard patterns of organization.
- Chronological
- Problem/causes/solution
- Exclude alternatives
- Pro / Con
- 1-2-3
Chronological
Start with the past, move to the present, and end by looking ahead.
Problem/causes/solution
Explain the symptoms of the problem, identify its causes, and suggest a solution. This pattern works best when the audience will find your solution easy to accept.
Exclude alternatives
Explain the symptoms of the problem. Explain the obvious solutions first and show why they won’t solve the problem. End by discussing a solution that will work. This pattern may be necessary when the audience will find the solution hard to accept.
Pro/Con
Give all the reasons in favour of something, then those against it. This pattern works well when you want the audience to see the weaknesses in its position.
1-2-3
Discuss three aspects of a topic. This pattern works well to organize short, informative briefings. “Today I’ll review our sales, production, and profits for the last quarter.”
Because of people’s limited attention spans, the best speakers organize content through
repetition for reinforcement
Transitions
Remember to make your stories relevant by
Linking what you have to say to the audience’s experiences, interests, and needs
Showing your audience members that the story affects them directly
Using language the audience knows and understands
Relating your purposes to some everyday experience
How Do I Create a Strong Opening and Closing?
Use your introduction and your conclusion as points of emphasis.
To catch and hold audience attention
Stand still
Focus on your audience
Hook their interest with a dramatic statement or question
Make the hook or grabber relevant to them
How Do I Use Visuals?
Keep visuals simple and specific. Use activities that involve the audience
How Do I Deliver an Effective Presentation?
Turn your nervousness into energy, look at the audience, and use natural gestures.
To calm your nerves as you prepare to give an oral presentation
Be prepared
Practise, practise, practise.
Use positive emphasis to reframe what you’re feeling
Visualize your success.
Focus on what you know you have done to succeed.
Use only the amount of caffeine you normally use
Avoid alcoholic beverages.
How Do I Handle Questions from the Audience?
Use PAIBOC to anticipate audience questions. Be honest. Rephrase biased or hostile questions.
What About Group Presentations?
In the best presentations, voices take turns within each point.
