Now that the preparation and planning have taken place, you have an understanding of what will be communicated and identified the audience, you just have to deliver your presentation! We will investigate some factors that will help you to deliver your presentation with impact, make it memorable and achieve the desired outcome.
Show your passion and connect with your audience.
Many marketers draw inspiration from successful businesses and the delivery of motivational presentations from their founders. Take Steve Jobs and Apple, for example, many organisations refer to presentations past and present for initiative and motivation.
Before we delve into presentation skills, let us take a look at one of the masters of engaging presentation, Steve Jobs, in the following video.
Presentation skills are the skills required to ensure your presentations are eye-catching, memorable and hit the mark for a wide variety of audiences.
How your presentation is put together, how you set out the slides you use, the tone of voice in your delivery and the body language demonstrated are the skills you need to master and refine.
Whether you are already a guru presenter, or new to the presenting scene, there are ideas here to help you improve.
The following are some very important aspects of delivering your presentation:
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Show your passion
- Be enthusiastic and honest and the audience will respond.
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Relax and breathe
- Slow down your breathing and relax
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Use verbal and non-verbal communication
- The speed at which you talk, as well as emphasising changes in pitch and tone all help to make your voice more interesting and hold your audience’s attention.
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Use examples
- Stories help us to pay attention and remember things.
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Smile and make eye contact
- If you smile and make eye contact, you are building rapport.
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Concentrate on your core message
- Keep your core message focused and brief.
The following video provides some key tips on how to give a great presentation.
Public speaking
Speaking to an audience is something that two out of three people will do in their professional careers. Developing your public speaking skills can increase your confidence and help you overcome any speech-related anxiety you may have.
The following video provides you with presentation skills, tips and tricks.
At some point in our lives, we will inevitably experience communication barriers with some people. Do you ever feel you are talking but no one is listening on the other end? That is an example of a communication barrier.
Let us learn more about common communication challenges.
Information overload
Today we are all on information overload Information is everywhere, on the TV, the internet, phones, buses and subways… we cannot seem to get away from information. While it takes effort, we have to try and control the information we receive and send out.
Distractions
Communication is also affected a lot by the noise that leads to distractions. Some people find the following distracting:
- Uncomfortable chairs
- Poor lighting
- Loudspeakers
- Background noises
- Poor lighting
- Interruptions from people
- Technology such as mobile phones, watches and iPad.
Disengaged
At times we just do not listen. Have you ever been in a situation where you are so busy that you just do not listen to everything that is being said? Or perhaps you are tired or stressed out. When these situations occur, messages are not heard, which can result in mistakes or even accidents in the workplace.
Time pressures
These days, we often find ourselves under the pressure of time. When this happens, messages can get lost, misread, misunderstood and garbled. This can lead to negative consequences. Even when we are under time pressures we need to be clear about the messages we send.
Emotions
Emotional states also affect communication. If the receiver feels that the communicator is angry, they interpret that the information being sent is very bad. If the message sounds happy and the speaker uses kind words, the message received is positive.
Poor retention
Human memory has its limitations. One cannot always retain what is being told to them, especially if they are not interested or not attentive. This leads to communication breakdown.
Language differences
Humanity's greatest gift is our diversity, which means that we speak thousands of different languages. It is not uncommon today to give a presentation to many people for whom English is not their first language. In fact, it may not be your first language either.
If this is the case for you, you might find it helpful to prepare handouts for your audience in different languages and have them available for facts and figures. Speak clearly and slowly, but as naturally as possible. You do not have to apologise if English is not your first language. That is the same for millions of people around the world.
Managing communication barriers
Now that we have identified the types of communication barriers, let us investigate some strategies for how we can manage them efficiently.
Speak effectively
To be a more effective speaker takes a great deal of practice. During a presentation, it helps to slow down a bit. It is important that people hear everything we say. This is also why we use visual aids so that our words have more impact. Additionally, when we speak effectively, we prevent people from getting bored.
Manage your words
In a presentation, you have to watch your words. Use words appropriate to the topic. In a presentation, we generally do not use the same words as in everyday conversations. We definitely do not use slang! Keep sentences simple and short.
Think about diversity
We live and work in diverse environments. People from many different cultural backgrounds could be at your presentation. Some words have different cultural meanings, as do different types of body language. Whenever you are in doubt, ask someone or look it up.
Manage the information
When you restrict the amount of information you prevent people from going into information overload.
Give your full attention
Do not allow anything that goes on in the room to distract you. People will laugh at the wrong times, some will yawn, others will get up for an unscheduled break and so forth. You cannot control them; you can only control yourself. Check where the presentation will be given. Is it free from distractions?
Do not allow anything that goes on in the room to distract you. People will laugh at the wrong times, some will yawn, others will get up for an unscheduled break and so forth. You cannot control them; you can only control yourself. Check where the presentation will be given. Is it free from distractions?
Manage your emotions
After all, not everyone likes speaking in front of other people. Some people do it naturally, but many do not. There are hundreds of books and websites on stress management, public speaking and presentations.
Attend to special or specific needs
The following are some tips to manage communication barriers:
- Speak effectively
- Manage your words
- Think about diversity
- Manage the information
- Give your full attention
- Manage your emotions
- Pay attention to special or specific needs.
The following video illustrates effective ways to overcome communication barriers.
Evaluation techniques
One of the main goals of delivering an effective presentation is to ensure the audience members not only stay engaged with the information being delivered but also are interpreting the messages correctly. Many techniques can be used in order to recognise if the information you are presenting is being received well on the other end by your audience members. Some ways to check in with the audience during your presentation include the following techniques:
- Invite questions- Allocate a time in the presentation where the audience members can ask questions so that they can clarify any of the information presented.
- Ask the audience questions- this is an opportunity to ask simple questions relating to the content covered, ensuring the audience is gaining the correct understanding.
- Encouraging input and discussion- encourage audience members to talk about their own experiences, give opinions and engage in discussions about certain topics. Sufficient time must be allocated to allow this, and the time for this must also be well managed so the presentations stay on schedule.
- Observe engagement- check for audience members' gazes, nods of agreement, and eye contact. Etc. Looking out for positive and negative body language can help determine their experience and understanding during the presentation delivery.
By using evaluation techniques, you will have more control over how you deliver your presentation by adjusting where you see fit in order to meet the learning outcomes, needs and requirements of the audience.
Workplace standards
When presenting, it is important to set a standard. Both the presenter and their audience have the right to expect to be treated appropriately during the presentation as well.
As an act of respect, the presenter has the right to expect that the audience will be attentive, engaged, considerate, open to new ideas and discussion and respectful to the presenter and each other.
Expectations
The audience will have expectations of the presenter, no matter their level of experience, knowledge or qualification. The following list outlines some reasonable expectations an audience can have from the presenter:
- To be well organised
- To be fully prepared
- To be willing to answer questions
- To be knowledgeable about the topic
- To arrive on time and deliver the presentation promptly
- To be considerate of the audience and speak in a respectful manner
- To actively listen to audience questions
- To be both professional and unbiased.
To tackle this, you should introduce yourself at the beginning of the presentation, who you are, your role, your skills and knowledge relevant to the presentation and what your rules are for the presentation for example please put mobile phones on silent during the presentation.
Knowledge Check
We do not become great communicators overnight. Effective communication is a skill we develop over many years.
The first step in improving your communication skills is to self-evaluate. We need to be honest with ourselves and be open to discovering new methods of verbal and non-verbal communication. Sometimes we fall back on old habits, this is natural, and we all do this. But to grow as a communicator takes commitment. We have to genuinely want to be better than we are.
It is often said:
Non-verbal communication dominates human interactions.
What is your reaction to this quote? Is 80% of human communication non-verbal? If that is true, what does this mean when giving presentations?
The following video provides details of verbal and non-verbal communication.
Body language
Body language is an excellent way to engage your audience and give your presentation impact, by simply using hand gestures, facial expressions and movement, you can communicate your story and take the audience with you. Posture is also part of body language and helps to convey confidence in your presentations. Your body language says a lot about you. It has the power to help you deliver an engaging presentation. Remember that people are not just listening to you when you speak in public, they are looking at you too.
The following are some examples of body language used in non-verbal communication that should be considered when making a presentation.
- Smile.
- Maintain eye contact with audience members.
- Stand in a correct pose.
- Make use of the space in the room.
- Use gestures.
Body language is a very powerful tool. We had body language before we had speech, and 80% of what you understand in a conversation is read through the body, not the works.Deborah Bull (British Dancer)
Watch the following videos to learn more about how body language affects communication.
Body Language
Make Body Language Your Superpower
Verbal communication
It is important to consider, that we all speak differently. Some have powerful voices with direct messages, while others may lean towards being soft-spoken and more ambiguous. There are also many levels in-between.
The information to be presented, and the way you speak, should be adjusted to your audience's needs. Nick Mariniello, an Entrepreneurial Growth Advisor/Certified Executive Coach and Personal Development Trainer for LinkedIn Learning, outlines eight tips that can be used to improve your verbal communication skills. These tips are standard strategies used by many when communicating verbally during a presentation. They include the following.
- Understand your personal communication style.
- Identify the communication style(s) that your audience prefers.
- Think before you speak.
- Be effective with your word choice.
- Speak with confidence.
- Vary your tone.
- Be a good listener.
- Reposition your message accordingly.2
The following video provides you with some key factors to consider assisting with becoming an effective public speaker.
There will be times when you need or want to persuade a group of people in a presentation. The purpose of using persuasive language is to captivate the audience's attention and sway or convince them of your points and arguments during the presentation. Lastly, its efforts of persuading the audience are to help make a message feel relatable in a personal way.
This is a learned skill that can provide you with another presentation technique.
The following describes six basic principles used when communicating a presentation in a persuasive manner.
- Effective communication during a presentation is determined by how well the message is being received and understood.
- Every communication should have a clear purpose and should achieve that purpose to be effective. This includes what is said, how it is delivered, when it is sent/published and why people should take notice.
- Good tactics to implement for this principle are to ensure that communications used during the presentation are clear, concise, with few words, and consistent in tone, voice, and content. Short, punchy statements are often more effective than rambling.
- To further enhance the effective principle, the use of aids and materials such as diagrams and images help provide impact and clarity.
- Visual design must be in line with the organisation’s message and brand to assist in engaging with the audience and highlight important elements.
- Each message must have a logical conclusion and a call to action.
- This principle requires the communication during the presentation to be sufficient and complete. Communications should fully address the purpose of the presentation and provide enough that the recipients can take the required action without delay, confusion or a reduction in productivity or motivation.
- Where communication cannot be completed in a single message etc. then it should clearly indicate that there is more to follow, with requisite when and how. Links to supporting material are recommended.
- The communicated information during a presentation should be clear, leaving no room for confusion or misinterpretation from the audience. Clarity requires you to structure the topic, message and/ or purpose in a way that enables the audience to follow what you are saying.
- When you are presenting, it is important to use language appropriate for your audience. For example, you may choose to use industry terminology to an experienced audience, such as marketing and communication experts, where they will be able to make informed assumptions with regards to what you are presenting.
- However, you will need to adjust and simplify the language for an audience where they are yet to acquire the experience.
- Finally, clarity requires the use of short sentences articulated in an active voice, outlining key elements, where bullet points have been separated.
- When you consider attention and style within your delivery, you should be able to draw the attention of the audience to the message you are presenting.
- It is important to acknowledge and recognise the differences in the audience’s engagement in terms of their behaviour, attention, emotions during the presentation etc. Their response to the message will adjust according to The way the style of delivering the message.
- Therefore, as a presenter, you will need to be prepared to adjust your presentation style and language to ensure the message has been delivered appropriately for various roles.
- Be mindful, that when using both formal and informal communications, they should embrace the organisation’s culture in the sense of positivity, honesty, respect and etiquette. This style is commonly used to gain the attention of audiences in the organisation to help them to keep them aligned with the organisation’s values.
- Communication often takes place across various formats, platforms and over a period of time. Regardless of where the communication takes place, it should be logical, well-planned, and self-reinforcing. There should always be a clear connection with the topic, message, organisation's values, principles, and mission.
- Equally, communication should be consistent with the policies, plans, programs, and objectives of the organisation and not in conflict with them.
- Communication in any context should consider timeliness and urgency, especially when presenting. Presentations should be delivered with an appropriate level of impact and urgency, to ensure that messages can be understood and acted upon to achieve their objective.
- During the planning process, timing must be factored in with consideration of the critical information. You will lose the focus and attention of the audience if too much time has been spent during the delivery.
- If you have effectively factored time and urgency, you can be confident that the message will reach the audience when intended.
The six basic principles outlined in the table are not stand alone, there are several other communication techniques and strategies that can be implemented when delivering a presentation. Let us take a look at some of these.
Chris Westfall model
One way of looking at persuasive communication is the Chris Westfall model. This model includes a four-step process to turn your focus from yourself to the person or people you are trying to persuade.
Let us take a look at the four steps in further detail.
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Understanding
- Focus on what is most important to the person you are talking to. Try to understand where they are coming from.
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The word 'You'
- Use the word 'you' to show that you are focused on the person, making a personalised delivery.
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Serve
- Focus on how you can serve the person you are trying to persuade.
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Achieve together
- Focus on what we might be about to do together.
The following video provides you with three strategies that can be applied when communicating.
The art of persuasion
The field of counselling psychology provides us with a very thoughtful template to understand the ‘art of persuading others.’ They suggest that there are several categories of persuasive communication.
The following illustrates some of the categories of persuasive communication:
- Interpersonal persuasive communication
- Interpersonal persuasive communication represents a strong bond between two people. They could be good friends, colleagues or family.
- Persuasive public and mass communication
- This includes commercials and other forms of communication such as billboards. Newscasts and programs on radio and TV are also forms of this type of communication.
- Group persuasive communication
- Group persuasive communication is when there is a group listening to a speaker who is trying to persuade them of something.
- Group persuasive communication can also be a group of people who are trying to decide what to do.
- Intrapersonal persuasive communication
- Intrapersonal persuasive communication is the internal voice inside our heads.
- For example, imagine you want to convince yourself to do something. You are standing on the edge and you need that little extra push.
- You may use your presentation to get inside the audience's heads and get them on board with your message, or excited about a new product.
- Will you need a sign language interpreter?
- No matter which persuasive communication you will incorporate you may also need to consider a translator for other languages or a sign language interpreter. If this is the case let people know the options available before starting your presentation.
- Speak clearly
- It is important to always speak clearly, at a good pace and have well-pitched tones. You can always ask at the beginning of the presentation “put your hands up if you can hear me clearly at the back”.
- Use gestures
- Gestures are a great visual to reinforce something you are saying. For example, if you talking about sales going up for a product you can depict it by showing your hand going up. Be selective with your gestures and when not using your hands have a neutral place you can rest them comfortable.
Persuasion strategies
Persuasion is achieved by the content communicated as well as the speaker's personal character. If someone is seen as credible, they are easily agreed with. For the persuasion to be successful, the receiver of the argument must connect with the speaker or message either personally or emotionally.
The following tips can be used to implement a persuasive strategy into a presentation:
- Be creditable, trustworthy and confident
- Use evidence, statistics and facts
- Connect the evidence to the argument in question
- Use emotional appeals where appropriate
The following video provides you with some techniques for organising your presentation.
The persuasion tools method
Andrea Reynolds developed the Persuasion Tools Model to use when negotiating, persuading and influencing others.
The horizontal axis represents influencing, which is a measure of an individual’s capability at persuading others.
The vertical axis represents the level of intuition that is required in negotiation.
The quadrants represent the four negotiation approaches that are based on the level of intuition and influencing skills that each person possesses. They are emotion, logic, bargaining and compromise.
Let us break down each quadrant in further detail.
Bargaining
This approach is often used in negotiation. One side says they will give ‘a, b and c.’ While the other side says they will give ‘b, c and d.’ They continue making suggestions until each side is satisfied and they are both getting what they want. To be effective at bargaining requires a high level of emotional intelligence and intuition.
Emotion
Here is an example: an organisation values working with companies owned by women and people from minority cultures. They like to be able to invest a portion of their profit to various charities.
In this example, the organisation is creating and putting a premium on emotional connections.
Compromise
One of the things people can all agree one is that compromise helps negotiations. It means that each side is willing to change their position just enough to reach a satisfactory agreement. The end result is a win-win situation for both parties.
Logic
In a situation where a lot of information is important, you might want to take a logical approach. In these situations, it is not about an emotional connection, but why a specific decision is best. For example, a company may decide that a product can be sold more cheaply, or they may choose to put their stores in more convenient locations. This gives them a return for their investment.
Knowledge check
Presentational aids and materials are everything outside of the spoken words in a presentation that are used to endorse the message of the speaker.
They take the form of visual aids, audio aids or other supporting technology. Presentation aids are used to help the audience.
Types of presentation aids
The following table describes commonly used aids and materials and provides you with examples of each that can be used in a presentation. Let us take a look at different presentation aids in the following table:
| Aids and materials | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Visual | Visual aids include materials that are used to visually present the information or message that is being verbally presented |
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| Audio | Audio aids include materials that enhance the presentation to ensure it is audible (can be heard) or where the information may require additional auditory emphasis |
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| Technology and software | Technology and software include specialised electronic equipment and tools that are used for visual and/or audio support during the delivery of the presentation. |
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Presentation aids help the audience in the following ways:
- Helps break down complex information into simpler concepts.
- Helps the audience understand key concepts.
- Helps the audience to visualise information.
- Keeps the audience listening and engaged with the content.
- Empowers people with different learning styles to absorb the information.
After you deliver a presentation ask for feedback regarding the pros and cons of different presentation tools and aids. Find out what engages people versus what is ineffective and distracting.
The following video provides you with some tips when using presentation aids.
Microsoft PowerPoint slides
One of the most popular presentation aids is Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT). This elegant software can really make your presentation pop with the use of slides!
There are also many aids that you can add to make your PPT presentation engaging. These may include a combination of the following:
- music
- videos
- photography
- graphs
- charts
- audio.
That does not mean, however, that you have to use all of these to create an effective PPT. The best way to learn PPT is to practice.
The tips outlined in the following table will be very useful when creating a presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint:
- Keep it simple
- Try to keep your design as simple as possible. While there are some very ornate designs in PPT, they are not really meant for use in most business presentations.
- Left to right
- One of the rules to remember is that most languages in the world move from left to right. It is helpful, therefore, to have the text on the left and images on the right.
- Timing
- Keep presentations no longer than 20-30 minutes. After that people can begin to lose interest.
- Colour
- Use a colour scheme that is compatible with the subject of your presentation. For example, if you are presenting a new product, you can complement the presentation using similar colours.
- Be wary of animation
- The animation feature of PPT is very nice to use but it can be over-used as well. Use it very sparingly.
- Balance images and texts
- Balance the images and content with white space to enhance rather than overwhelm the content.
- Keep it brief
- Slides should have no more than seven key points. Less is even better. Otherwise, the slides become messy and cluttered.
While Microsoft PowerPoint is highly considered one of the preferred software packages when delivering a presentation. Many other types of presentation slides exist and are just as useful.
See the following:
- Canva- Canva is used to create presentations/slides, social media graphics, posters, documents and other visual content.
- Google Slides- Google Slides are used to create presentations and are part of the Google Suite.
- Keynote- Keynote is an Apple application to create powerful and engaging slides.
Graphs and charts
Graphs and charts are an effective way to enhance a message that includes references to data including costs, timelines, sales figures or stock. If overused graphs and charts can become distracting, or if they are not designed correctly, they can convey the wrong message or confuse the audience. Visual graphics help us to understand complex data and patterns quickly.
A few key points when using graphs, charts and images:
- Clear
- The first key to using graphs, charts and images are to ensure that they are clear and easy to understand.
- Presentation
- Ensure that graphs and charts have titles and a colour scheme that enables key information to be highlighted.
- Less is more
- Detail must be kept minimal. Ask yourself what the key message is that the audience must take away.
Written formats
In addition to software and graphs and charts, information can be displayed in written formats and presented to support the messages being conveyed. When displaying written formats, it is important to ensure you do not overwhelm the audience with text-heavy content.
Simplifying written content can be achieved using the following format methods:
- Bullet points
- bullet points are used to list out items in the content and capture the attention of the reader who prefers to scan through the content.
- Punchy statements
- we often remember quotes or punch statements because they are short, clear, and often emotive. Punchy statements are designed to echo a message being delivered and strengthen your argument's claims and ideas. Allowing the audience to connect with the content.
- Headings
- headings enable written information to be categorised, providing the audience with an overview of the information to be covered.
- Support written format
- Written information is used for further context to describe or support imagery but can also be used in conjunction with graphics to display processes, data, hierarchy and flow, such as an infographic.
It is very important that during your presentation you check in with your audience regularly to make sure that they are engaged and understand the key concepts. This also allows for questions.
If you think you may forget to ask them questions along the way, including the questions in your presentation to prompt yourself.
Consider the following example. If someone has been covering a presentation on SMART goals or DRSABCD in First Aid, they may write the acronyms on a whiteboard or populate it in a slide and ask the audience what each letter stands for to check for understanding of what was covered.
Or, if the presentation is about team building, the presenter may get a group of volunteers up to complete the activity, or get the entire audience involved in participating in the team building activity, depending on the type of activity and space available.
Inviting questions during a presentation
After each key concept has been covered, pause for a moment, invite questions, that is, ask your audience if they have any questions for you and ask questions to the audience to gauge their understanding of what you have said. This is also a form of feedback that can be used during your presentation.
Some examples of questions you can ask the audience during the presentation include:
- ‘Does that all make sense?’
- ‘Does anyone have any questions about what I just covered?’
- ‘How does that sound to you?’
- ‘What do you think about that?’
- ‘Does anyone want me to clarify any details for them?’
Concluding a presentation
At the conclusion of your presentation, provide the audience with a recap of the key points of the presentation and what the key take-outs are.
Consider the following example of key take-outs. If the presentation were about the company’s core values, mission and goals, you will need to ensure at the end of the presentation you have re-capped the fundamental aspects of each, emphasising what they are and why they are important.
The final topic delivered will often include the following information to conclude the presentation:
- final questions
- contact details if applicable
- feedback
- thank you
- close.
The following video provides an example of a good and bad presentation. It also shows you how feedback can be a valuable tool for improvement.
Knowledge Check
Work through the following three (3) activities. Click the arrows to navigate between the tasks.
