Key Points To Be Kept In Mind While Giving Effective Presentations

A presentation is nothing but transfer of information from the presenter to the audience. It is an example of a formal and organized medium of corporate communication. The main types of presentation are:

Types of presentation:

v Presenting problems: it is important to talk to the people well in advance and get to know what their opinion about the issue is as conflict usually arises due to difference in opinion. How they see their role in solving the problem and relate it to the purpose of the meeting. The meeting should include a proposed agenda and process by which the meeting will/shall be conducted. Make sure basics logistics are in place as most presentations can be ruined if these are not catered to. Identify the problems: it is common to use form of process analysis in order to locate where the real problem is. Data is then presented which provides an in-depth understanding of the problem. Some root cause analysis is done to identify the causes of the problem. The presenter needs to present his solution is a simple and short manner.

v Presenting status of a project: project reporting is highly complicated and depends on the type of project to be reported. The projects include the schedule, the finance, threats and issues. Tailoring the presentations to audiences taste and requirement is equally important. Managers often have a lot of information in their heads. But the audience needs a solid overview and highlighting the important points in there.

v Presenting to customers: the customers are one set of audience that a manager constantly has to present to be able to sell his products and services.

v Personal branding: to see success in ones professional career it is important to be a highly branded individual, a clear vision of who one is, and what one has to offer. it is very necessary to stand t of the crowd and get noticed, pretty much like BMW and Mercedes.

It is very important to sell one, one may have great skills and knowledge but it is of no use if no one knows about it. Thus selling oneself becomes extremely important in the corporate world of today. If one is really looking to market himself/herself he/she needs to take an initiative to delegate leadership, and create opportunities for others, there by leading by example.

Importance of presentation:

ü It helps convey information.

ü It helps convincing customers and stake holders.

ü It helps express ones thoughts and ideas.

ü It is a method to delegate authority and command.

ü It creates opportunity for free exchange of thoughts and ideas.

ü I enables people from the audience solve their doubts.

ü It allows effective use of images and other media to convey information.

ü Helps direct communication with target group.

ü Helps deliver content in an organized manner.

ü Helps build rapport and trust.

ü Aides professional success.

Aspects of a presentation: Like communication itself, a presentation has 2 major aspects. That can be subdivided as follows.

The Verbal aspect:

The verbal aspect includes the words spoken
The presenter has to be very careful with the information delivered and the amount of information delivered.
This information has to be delivered in a sequence that is easy to understand and easily relatable.
It is very important for the presenter to feel confident for the first three minutes he can engage the presenter by showing them the Objectives or benefits of the presentation.
The presenter should also use humor, funny examples and questions wherever necessary.
“A picture is worth a thousand words”, efficient use of images can help enhance the presentation.
The presenter should make sure the slides are not too crowded with images and graphics.
The images and graphics should be related to the topic only and should help enhance understanding.
The slides should have effective design and should look good, no matter what.
The presentation slides should also use slide transitions and effects effectively to help enhance the quality of the presentation.
Contrasting fonts help better visibility.

The non-verbal aspect:

The presenter should look good and professional.
The language used should be appropriate based on the type of presentation.
The tone of the speaker should be based on the type of presentation being given.
The presenter should maintain eye contact at all times.
The presenter should use their voice effectively.
Body language is another aspect of effective presentations- the presenter should have a positive and welcoming body language.
Practicing will help the presenter get rid of stress
Managing the physical environment is extremely important; the presenter should check all lights, cables, adapters etc.
The presenter should also be aware of the fact that 55% of the communication is being done through non verbal means and so he should be aware and alert, these aspects will aide his presentation.

Rahul GOnsalves for naashtapaani.com