At some point in your future career you will most likely have to give some kind of a presentation. This means you will have to stand in front of a crowd composed of co-workers and superiors alike and speak. "Public speaking" is the number one fear in America, so it comes as no surprise that most people choke up when they hear the word presentation. The key to presenting a successful presentation is simple. Read the following to learn how you can give a smooth, comprehensive presentation without choking up on your words.
1. Analyze your audience: before you begin preparing for your presentation, recognize the audience. How old is the general audience? How familiar are they about your topic? What is their education level? Are you pursuading them or informing them?
2. Prepare a visual aid: Whether you use a slideshow, a movie, posters, whiteboard, chalkboard, projector, etc. it is vital that you have some kind of visual stimulation for your audience. Simply standing in front of them will not keep their attention, nor will it spark their comprehension. *Do not simply use text (especially the words you are speaking) as a visual aid. This will definitely bore your audience.
3. Overcome the anxiety: The best way to dodge noticeable flaws in your presentation is by practicing ahead of time. Ask a friend or family member if you can rehearse your presentation at least once. This way you will have an idea of the sequence of the sub-topics in your presentation and will be able to remember the next key point by memory. *Take slow deep breaths in order to regulate you presentation pace.
4. Effective listening: Visual aids alone will not make your audience listen. You must appeal to their ears and in order to do so, you must make sure your voice is appealing. Pace, diction, tone, and pitch are all vital factors in a vocal presentation. Try to keep your speed steady, your diction clear, your tone varied, and your pitch appropriate for the audience.
Source:
Alred, Gerald. Writing That Works: Communicating Effectively on the Job. 9th. New York: Bedford, 2007. Print.
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This is great Carissa. I would have loved to have this information about a year ago when I took public speaking! I was the nervous type and I always started to talk so fast and my presentations ended up 5 minutes shorter than how it was supposed to be. But I will keep all of this in mind. Great post!! We're done!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ingrid if I would have had this information when I took public speaking I would have done significantly better. I especially agree that it is necessary to have a good visual aid this helps to keep the audiences attention and also helps you mov through your presentation in an organized way.
ReplyDeleteGood job Carissa. We can not only use this for our future careers, but also for classes we are currently in on campus.
ReplyDeletelate post...but will give you partial credit
ReplyDeletePeople need this information for everyday use, great post:)
ReplyDelete