Speaking or presenting in front of people can be a daunting experience . Fortunately becoming a confident presenter is often only a matter of practice and hard work.

Let's look at some practical ways that you can help yourself to develop better presentation skills and over time, become a good speaker.

Prepare your presentation

Presentation guru Dale Carnegie says that a prepared speech is “nine tenths delivered”. It is important to remember that even if you know your subject matter well, you still need to sift through all of the material to meet the specific needs of your audience.

Know the Purpose of your Message

One of the keys of successful presenting is having a valuable message to send. Therefore it is imperative that you identify;

• The purpose of the message that is to be delivered
• The desired outcome of delivering this message
• What the audience wants or needs to know

For your message to make an impact, you must identify what the audience should DO, SAY or THINK as a result of listening to your presentation.

Presentation Purpose Planner [pdf]

Know your Audience

In order to make an impact on the audience and for them to listen to your message Habit 5 from Stephen Covey's “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” suggests you should “seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

Designing your message specifically to meet the needs, experiences and learning style of the audience requires an understanding of their worldview. Knowledge of the audience may also help you to be prepared for dealing with company politics or anticipate future questions.

Audience Analysis Planner [pdf]

Uderstand the Communication Process 

Communication is a two-way process. As a presenter you have a message that you want to share with your audience, so select the most appropriate way to send that message. As you share your message, your audience will return you some form of feedback. Both of you will react in some way to what you hear, see or say. Therefore, it is important as a presenter to focus on the feedback and reactions of your audience and not just on sending the message. Be aware that blocks may prevent or distract your audience from receiving the message in the way that you intended. Some examples of common blocks include: 

• Physical Setting - noises in/outside of the room, poor lighting or sound, hot/cold, mobile phones, people moving about the room.
• Your Presentation Style - the way you speak, the words you use, your posture, the way you design the presentation all may prevent people from listening or getting your message.
• People Blocks - Ideas, values, experiences or opinions of the audience may prevent them from receiving the message in the way that you intend. Therefore, the more you know about the audience before you present helps you to prepare or over come these blocks or objections on the day.

Logistics Planner [pdf]

Continue to page 2>