Effective Presentations

• Understand your audience - consider their background, average age, experience and previous knowledge. Think about what they will want to gain from your presentation, as this will help you to pitch it at the appropriate level, and will also help you to anticipate and prepare for potential questions.
• Identify the objectives and key issues or arguments that you will cover during your presentation. List the information that you have or that you need to find for each of these points.
• Do your research - collect all the information you need; for example, graphics, statistics, quotes. Try to use relevant examples or stories to illustrate your key points, as this will help keep your audience engaged with what you are saying.
• Work out a structure for your presentation. Generally, you should begin by welcoming your audience. After the welcome, you will need an introduction, a main body and a conclusion, which should be followed by some words of thanks to the audience for their attention. Make sure that your points are ordered in a logical way.
• Consider how much time you have available and factor in some extra time to allow for contingencies (e.g. interruptions, technology failure etc.).
• Decide on which presentation aids you will use (if any); for example, scripts, cue cards or notes. Make sure that whatever you use is clear and legible. Number each page or card so that they can be reordered quickly and easily if you drop them.
• If you will be using visual aids such as slides, ensure they are clear, legible and easy to read from anywhere in the room you will be presenting in. Check your visuals thoroughly for grammar and spelling errors, and try to include simple graphics and color to add variety. Don't put too much information on visuals - their purpose is to highlight and summarize what you are saying.
• Any handouts you prepare should also be clear, legible and error-free. Make sure you have enough copies for each audience member, plus spares.
• When you have finalized your presentation and are happy with it, practice delivering it several times until it is largely committed to memory. If possible, try it out on a friend/family member or trusted colleague for their feedback.

Delivery

• On the day of your presentation, arrive at your venue well in advance so that you can check equipment, props, seating arrangements, equipment etc.
• Manage your nerves by taking some deep breaths, and warm up your voice (e.g. by doing some vocal exercises like tongue twisters, or sipping a hot drink).
• Make sure you are comfortable with your position for the presentation, and have a glass of water within easy reach. Arrange your presentation aids such as your cue cards or notes in such a way that it will be easy for you to see and use them.
• Speak clearly and confidently, varying your tone and pitch to help engage your audience. Try not to rush your speech - pause briefly after each sentence to catch your breath before moving on to the next point.
• Be aware of your body language and tailor your gestures and facial expressions to add emphasis to your points. Stand in a natural upright position with your hands by your sides and use open gestures - standing with your arms or legs crossed, or with your hands behind your back, can make you appear nervous. Avoid distracting habits such as fiddling with a pen, or jingling coins in your pocket. Try to maintain eye contact with your audience if you can, and resist the temptation to stare down at your notes or script.
• Give the audience the opportunity to ask questions, either throughout the presentation, or at the end. Answer all questions politely and courteously, and keep your answers brief. If someone wants more information, ask them to come and speak to you afterwards. Don't panic if you don't have the answer to a question immediately to hand: explain that you don't know the answer and invite the questioner to stay behind after the presentation to discuss the issue further.

Evaluate

• If possible, record your presentation and play it back afterwards for a critical self-appraisal. It is important to be honest with yourself about the effectiveness of your presentation. For example, did you cover all the key points? Was your timing right? Did you speak clearly at a moderate pace? Were your visuals clear and visible? Did your audience seem fully engaged? You could also share your recording with your manager or a coach or mentor for their feedback.
• Solicit feedback directly from your audience. The most common way of doing this is to issue an evaluation form after the presentation has concluded. In this, be sure to include questions regarding content, tone, timing, visuals, vocal pitch, and speed.
• Think about the questions the audience asked you. If they didn't ask any, don't assume this is because you covered everything; you may not have held their attention sufficiently for them to feel inspired to ask anything. If they asked questions regarding points you felt you had covered during your presentation, then it is possible that you were not clear enough.
• Remember: evaluation is important, as reflecting on what went well/less well in your presentation will help you to develop and improve your skills, and to establish which methods and approaches work in which situations.