Seven Castles

Oral Presentations

                                      

February 2, 2008

 

The ability to speak effectively is as crucial as the ability to write effectively. You actually spend more time speaking than writing: using the phone; conversing informally with colleagues, subordinates and superiors on routine office topics; conducting meetings; working in problem solving groups; conducting employee evaluation sessions; participating in conferences and presentations; and frequently becoming involved in formal speaking situations before groups inside and outside the organization.

 

The higher you move in an organization, the more important speaking skills become. Oral presentations, like written presentations, can enhance your reputation within an organization. Therefore, consider every speaking opportunity an opportunity to sell not only your ideas but also your competence, your value to the organization.

 

However, everyone experiences stage fright, speech anxiety or talking terror. Fear of speaking in front of groups is one of the greatest fears people have. Many speakers lack the skills and confidence to make effective presentations. We have all been victims of speakers who put us to sleep. Despite knowing how ineffective many speakers are, many of us have found that, despite the best intentions, we have not fared much better. We knew the topic and the ideas were written down, but the presentation still did not go well.

 

Making a good oral presentation is an art that involves attention to the needs of your audience, careful planning, and attention to delivery. People vary in their ability to speak confidently in public, but everyone gets nervous and everyone can learn how to improve their presentation skills by applying a few simple techniques.

 

First, you should know something about your audience: who you will be speaking to; what they know about your topic already; what they will want to know about your topic; and what you want them to know by the end of your talk. By basing the content and style of your presentation on your answers to these questions, you can make sure that you are in tune with your audience. What you want to say about your topic may be much less important than what your audience wants to hear about it.

 

The material of your presentation should be concise, to the point and tell an interesting story. In an effective presentation, the content and structure are adjusted to the medium of speech. When listening, we cannot go back over a difficult point to understand it or easily absorb long arguments. A presentation can easily be ruined if the content is too difficult for the audience to follow or if the structure is too complicated. As a general rule, expect to cover much less content than you would in a written report. Make difficult points easier to understand by preparing the listener for them, using plenty of examples and going back over them later. Leave time for questions within the presentation. Give your presentation a simple and logical structure. Include an introduction in which you outline the points you intend to cover and a conclusion in which you go over the main points of your talk.

 

The main points to pay attention to in delivery are the quality of your voice, your body language, your appearance, your rapport with the audience, use of notes and use of visual aids. Voice quality involves attention to volume, speed and fluency, clarity and pronunciation. The quality of your voice in a presentation will improve dramatically if you are able to practice beforehand in a room similar to the one you will be presenting in. Body language is a subject in its own right and something about which much has been written and said. In essence, your body movements express what your attitudes and thoughts really are. As for your appearance, the first impressions influence the audience's attitdes to you. Dress appropriately for the occasion. Rapport with the audience involves attention to eye contact, sensitivity to how the audience is responding to your talk and what you look like from the point of view of the audience.

 

The more upset and nervous you go, the worst your presentation will be. The key is to focus and become comfortable.

【作者: zhangliping】【访问统计:】【2008年02月2日 星期六 05:19】【注册】【打印】