Structure Your Presentation

Your overall presentation style may be unique but the one commonly held belief about presenting is the need for structure. Depending on the words that you use there are ultimately 3 distinct parts to any presentation, these include:

• The Opening - The opening is where you tell the audience what you are going to talk about and what they are going to get out of it, this will be their motivation for listening and staying focussed on your message. Your opening words must grab attention, make an impact and motivate the audience to focus their thoughts on you and your message.
• The Middle - This is where you deliver your message. Aim to present your message in a logical sequence and to break all of your information into “chunk” sized pieces so that the audience can easily understand them. In order to increase the audiences understanding and retention break your message into three to five chunks of information. Repeating key words or phrases during this part of your presentation helps to increase the audiences retention of your message.
• The End - It is important to stay strong and focussed until the end of your presentation. The end section provides an opportunity to summarise, repeat and recap your ideas as well as making recommendations and suggestions. Keep in mind the original purpose of your message. What do you want the audience to DO, Say or Think about after hearing your presentation?

Presentation Outline Planner

Be aware of your Presentation Style

There are several ways to become more aware or your presentation style, these include;

• Record or video tape a presentation
• Participate in a presentation skill course
• Read a book on presentation skills
• Ask a friend or colleague to listen, watch and critically evaluate one of your presentations and provide you with honest feedback

Areas to focus on include: 

• Your words - it is important that you use words that the audience can understand and are familiar with. It is therefore imperative that you conduct an audience analysis before you use jargon, explain technical language or use colloquialisms in your speech.
• Your voice - the way you use your voice will impact on your presentation. You need to try to find a style of voice that is appropriate to the subject keeps your audience concentrated and captivated. With practice or the help of a voice coach you can work towards improving or making your voice more flexible or dynamic. 
• Your dress - the familiar saying ‘first impressions count” is very true when presenting. The way that you dress will determine the impression and perception that you create. Your audience will judge you before you speak so it is important that you select appropriate attire that reflects the message that you want to send to the audience. Try to select clothes that are around 10% above the audiences level of dress. 
• Your posture and stance - It is important that you stand straight and tall, keep your head up and your eyes always on your audience. Be aware that the way that you move may distract your audience from listening to your message. Using your arms and hands is quite acceptable and can add interest to what you are saying, but you should avoid pointing as this can feel threatening to the audience. Moving about the room can also add interest but again don't get too close to your audience and watch your step, tripping over the audience is not a good look!
• Your idiosyncrasies - often people have habits that appear when they speak or present that they are not aware of. These might include words such as “um”, “er” or they repeat words such as “you know” throughout the presentation. Gestures such as adjusting your tie or clothing, fiddling with your hair and so on can distract your audience and cause them to focus on your movements rather than your message

Choose appropriate Visual Aids

Visual aids include slides; computer generated presentations, flip charts, video, handouts, prototypes or samples and booklets. No matter what you use it must be appropriate to both the subject and the audience. Your aids should add to your message and not compete with it. According to Jo Robbins, author of “High Impact Presentations”, people remember;

• 10% of what they read
• 10% of what they hear
• 30% of what they see
• 50% of what they see and hear

Presenters who add visuals appear better prepared, more professional, persuasive, interesting and credible.

When preparing visuals consider the following general principles:

• Text - Keep it simple, consistent and easy to read. Try to avoid the constant use of capitals, as they are hard to read
• Layout - Horizontal layout provides the audience with the widest viewing. Each visual should only contain one idea. Position material in the upper half of the slide so that everyone in the room can see
• Use appropriate graphs and tables - Graphics and tables can be hard to read as well as boring, so keep them to a minimum. If the information is necessary, provide participants with handouts of the information and guide them so they can keep up with the presentation
• Colour - Colour can attract and hold the audience's attention. Be aware to use high contrast colours e.g. black text on white or pastel background. Avoid using more than four colours per visual, as it can be hard to read and follow
• How many visuals ? - As a rule of thumb no more than 10 visuals should be used for a 20-minute presentation
• Be Consistent - stick to the one style throughout your presentation including pattern, text and colour

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