Jeah

ORAL PRESENTATION SKILLS


1. FEAR OF MAKING A PRESENTATION
If you are nervous or worried about the presentation, address your anxieties in a rational manner. Are you worried about the audience or about yourself?


Common fears about the audience include:
They will not like me.
They will not understand what I am saying.
They will ask difficult questions.They will interrupt me.

Common fears about your self include:
I will be too nervous to speak.
I will forget what I want to say.
I will make mistakes.
I will make a fool of myself.

Most of the above anxieties can be overcome by proper and thorough
preparation. The key to a successful presentation is practice, practice and morepractice. This increases your self-confidence, helping you to confront the
anxieties and allowing them to disappear as your ability grows.
Ask yourself if your fears are rational or irrational. If rational, look for ways of
dealing with them. If they are irrational, treat them as such.
Remember, we are all human; we are allowed to make mistakes!



2. PLANNINGDecide what you want to say.
Where are you going to get your information? Is the information relevant?
Do not put in too much information. You should only make three or four main points.
Organise you points in a logical manner. (e.g. chronologically/ logical sequence/ order of importance).
Divide the presentation into three main areas:
Introduction
Main BodyConclusion/Summary



3. REHEARSE
Practice is essential if your presentation is to be successful. You should not underestimate the amount of rehearsal you will need. Many famous public speakers say they rehearse one hour for every minute of their presentation.
Practice speaking aloud. You must get used to the sound of your own voice.
Be enthusiastic about your material. If you are notinterested in the information you are conveying, your audience will know and they too will lose interest.
Practice in front of a mirror or with a video camera.
When you have gained confidence, invite one or two friends in to listen. This gives the presentation a sense of reality.
Always speak slowly when rehearsing. This is because when you are making the presentation in front of anaudience you will be nervous and speak more quickly.
Practice the introduction thoroughly. Being able to get through the first moments of the presentation without any problem will give you the initial confidence required to make a successful presentation.
Do not read or memorize the presentation.
Reading results in the speaker losing eye contact (and thus connection with the audience) and thevoice becomes flat and monotone.
Memorizing means that the presentation will lose spontaneity and naturalness, making the presentation dull.
Use notes. With sufficient practice, the speaker will be able to reduce the presentation to a few key words or phrases which will act as memory aids, allowing the speaker to move smoothly and confidently from one point to the next.



4.AUDIENCE
Who are the audience? (experts/ students/ general public?).
What do they know about the subject?
What are they expecting from the presentation? (information/ description/ persuasion / narrative).
What kinds of questions will they ask?



5. TIME
How much time have you got? This will determine how much information to include in the presentation. An audience will loseconcentration after about 40 minutes.



6. PLACE
Check the venue of the presentation. Is the room adequate for your needs?



7. EQUIPMENT
Is all the technical equipment you require working and in place? (screen/ curtains)
Do you know how to use the equipment (e.g. computer/OHP/microphone)?
Have you got all the materials necessary for your presentation? (e.g. pen...