How to deliver a persuasive oral presentation to an audience

Before you begin to put together your presentation, you need to decide on your purpose and goal.

The purpose of your presentation is what you are aiming to do. You can:

• inform
• discuss
• debate
• teach
• persuade
• convince
• entertain, etc.

The goal of your presentation is what you what your audience to do with what you tell them. You might want them to:

• learn
• do something different (change behaviour)
• think differently
• be open to new possibilities
• follow a new way of doing things
• agree to…
• consider…

Activity: Purpose and goal

1. Topic:Dogs are better than cats.
   • Purpose:
   • Goal:
2. Topic: Animal testing should be banned.
   • Purpose:
   • Goal:
3. Topic:All classes should be held online only.
   • Purpose:
   • Goal:

It is helpful to find out who will be listening to your presentation because it will enable you to tailor what you say to be relevant to them. Here are some handy things to know:

• their current knowledge, skills and opinions about what you will be presenting
• their jobs, titles, seniority
• how many there will be
• life experiences
• interests.

The beginning of your presentation (introduction)

There are several ways you could begin your presentation. Here are some things you should include:

• Start with a bang – an interesting story related to your content, facts/data that will get your audience’s attention
• Introduce yourself – who are you, and why should they listen to you?
• What’s your purpose? What’s your goal?
• Build rapport with your audience – point out things you have in common.
• What are you going to tell them? Outline the 3–5 key messages or main points your presentation will include.
• Why is this important to them? What are the benefits? What could happen if they don’t take on board what you’re saying?

The body of your presentation

You must expand on your main points or key messages in the order you listed them in your introduction. Make sure for each main point you have:

• facts/data/research that supports your claims
• examples
• stories.

Where do I research?

There are two types of research you can do:

Desktop research

When you investigate data and information that already exists. Here are some sources for you to consider:

• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
• consumer research
• customer service surveys
• environmental scans
• Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) data
• an organisation’s documents and frameworks
• websites
• articles, blog posts, whitepapers
• books, videos
• Google scholar – a search engine for academic books, articles and documents
• asking relevant experts

Primary research

This is research you design yourself. For example:

• You might want to find out how many people in your workplace would prefer to work from home two or more days a week.
• You could design your own survey to gather this information.
• The method of conducting primary research with consultants and experts includes:
• identifying the experts
• Designing and conducting surveys
• Designing questionnaires
• Conducting interviews and workshops with the consultants to discuss and validate the ideas and facts.

The conclusion

Summarise what you have covered. Signpost by saying: ‘First I told you about…, then you heard… and finally I covered…’

Invite questions.

Close with a strong message or story about why your audience should be persuaded by what you’ve presented.

This is what happens when we don’t prepare for questions or answer them coherently:

To avoid your own Miss South Carolina moment, it’s essential to think about what questions you might get asked about in your presentation and have answers ready. When answering questions, always begin with acknowledging the person who is asking (it builds rapport and connection by showing you value them and their question). You can say:

• Great question…
• Thanks for asking that question…

If you are unsure of what you are being asked, clarify your understanding by saying:

• Can you repeat that so I make sure I’ve heard and understood what you’re asking?
• So, you’re asking me… (repeat your understanding)
• Can I just check I’ve understood what you’re asking…

Answer the question clearly, and if you are able, use facts, stories or data to support your answer.

You may choose to support your presentation with PowerPoint slides. If you do, there are some essential things to remember:

• Keep your slides visual, not text-heavy.
• Never write paragraphs on a slide. Keep words to a minimum.
• The best background colour for a slide is white, with dark writing.
• Use design templates or the design ideas feature in PowerPoint.
• Where you can, present data in charts or graphs.
• Find engaging images that are relevant to your content. There are various sites for free images that are not subject to copyright. For example:
  • Pixabay
  • Unsplash

Watch this video about how to create great PowerPoint slides.

If delivering using Zoom, MS Teams or similar, make sure you are comfortable using the platform and its features. There are other considerations when you present online. Watch this video about delivering virtually.

Going through a presentation in your head is not practising it. To prepare thoroughly and help you overcome nerves and feel more confident, you need to practise your presentation out loud several times before the actual presentation day. You can do this by:

• recording yourself then watching it back
• having a run through with colleagues or friends before you present to the intended audience and getting feedback
• practising in front of a mirror.

Remember that your non-verbal communication is powerful, so be aware of your:

• appearance
• posture
• tone
• volume and pacing
• eye contact with the audience.

There may be times when someone may ask a question you didn’t prepare for or challenge your point of view—which can throw you. However, there are some strategies you can use to maintain composure and keep communication effective.

If you get a question you don’t know the answer to, say you don’t know. The worst thing you could do is try and fudge an answer people can see through. Instead:

• say you’ll find out and get back to them, or
• ask if there is anyone else in the room who might know the answer.

When someone attacks your point of view:

Suppose you are discussing how the team can do better at reducing their impact on the environment. You recommend people consider not eating meat one day a week since meat consumption is responsible for releasing greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming. Jack says, ‘That’s ridiculous, as if one day of not eating meat is going to make any difference’.

Responding to Jack with a version of ‘You’re wrong’ just escalates the situation (when we are attacked, our natural tendency is to attack back). So instead:

• Take a deep breath before you respond.
• Acknowledge the comment. Say, ‘You’re right, Jack, it doesn’t seem like it would make a difference.’
• Respond with facts. Say, ‘Can I tell you about some research conducted that measured the greenhouse gases and the impact this has…’
• State the benefits of your approach/view to the person commenting (the compelling Why). Say, ‘Not only does it help the planet, but it’s healthier for you too. Here’s why…’
• Ask if they would be willing to try your idea for a limited time (this is a low risk/no risk technique). Say, ‘Would you be willing to try Meat Free Mondays for four weeks and see how you feel by the end?’

In this talk, author Louise Evans (5 Chairs, 5 Choices) explains how we always have a choice about how we respond when we communicate with others.

Reflect on what you feel you did well and what you would do differently next time. Remember to consider what you said and how you said it.

Ask yourself these four questions:

1. What worked well that I will do the same way again? For example, you might have told a great story that connected with the audience, and you decide to keep it for next time. Or you handled questions well because you were prepared for them.
2. What kind of worked, but I will need to change it to work better next time? For example, some of your slides could have been clearer—you’ll change them for next time. 
3. What didn’t work at all that I could get rid of? For example, there might have been some content that wasn’t relevant at all.
4. Is there anything new I can add to make it better? For example, there’s some new research that you could use that would add impact.

Ask people in your audience for feedback on the content you presented and your delivery. Designing a feedback form is a great way to gather feedback from your audience. You can use the four questions above or think of your own.

Incorporate your reflections and feedback into your next presentation.

Look for opportunities to present often in the future.

To summarise what we’ve learned about how to give great presentations, watch this video: