Effective Presentation Skills

Presentation can be defined as a formal event characterized by teamwork and use of audio-visual
aids. The main purpose of presentation is to give information, to persuade the audience to act and
to create goodwill. A good presentation should have a good subject matter, should match with
the objective, should best fit the audience, and should be well organized.

Characteristics of a Good/Effective Presentation

1. The presentation ideas should be well adapted to your audience. Relate your presentation
message/idea to the interests of the audience. A detailed audience analysis must be made before
the presentation, i.e., an analysis of the needs, age, educational background, language, and
culture of the target audience. Their body language instantly gives the speaker the required
feedback.

2. A good presentation should be concise and should be focused on the topic. It should not
move off-track.

3. A good presentation should have the potential to convey the required information.

4. The fear should be transformed into positive energy during the presentation. Be calm and
relaxed while giving a presentation. Before beginning, wait and develop an eye contact with the
audience. Focus on conveying your message well and use a positive body language.

5. To communicate the desired information, the speaker should use more of visual aids such
as transparencies, diagrams, pictures, charts, etc. Each transparency/slide should contain limited
and essential information only. No slide should be kept on for a longer time. Try facing the
audience, rather than the screen. The speaker should not block the view. Turn on the room lights
else the audience might fall asleep and loose interest. Organize all the visuals for making a
logical and sound presentation.

6. A good presentation must be planned. The speaker must plan how to begin the
presentation, what to speak in the middle of presentation and how to end the presentation without
losing audience interests at any point of time.

7. Rehearse and practice the presentation. This will help the speaker to be more confident
and self-assured. The more the speaker rehearses the better the presentation turns to be.

8. The speaker should encourage more questions from the audience. He should be honest
enough to answer those questions. If any biased question is put forth by the audience, rearticulate
it before answering.

9. Summarize the presentation at the end. Give final comments. Leave a positive impact
upon the audience.
10. The speaker must have a presentable appearance while giving a presentation. The speaker
should stand with feet far apart maintaining a good balance. He must use confident gestures. He
must use short and simple words.

11. Try to gain and maintain audience interest by using positive quotes, humor, or
remarkable fact.

12. The speaker must be affirmative and optimistic before giving presentation. He should
ensure all tools and equipment to be used in presentation are working well.

13. The speaker must state the objectives of the presentation at beginning of the presentation.

How can you make a good presentation even more effective?

This page draws on published advice from expert presenters around the world, which will help to
take your presentations from merely ‗good‘ to ‗great‘.

Whether you are an experienced presenter, or just starting out, there should be ideas here to help
you to improve.

1. Show your Passion and Connect with your Audience

It‘s hard to be relaxed and be yourself when you‘re nervous.

But time and again, the great presenters say that the most important thing is to connect with your
audience, and the best way to do that is to let your passion for the subject shine through.

Be honest with the audience about what is important to you and why it matters.

Be enthusiastic and honest, and the audience will respond.

2. Focus on your Audience’s Needs

Your presentation needs to be built around what your audience is going to get out of the
presentation.

As you prepare the presentation, you always need to bear in mind what the audience needs and
wants to know, not what you can tell them.

While you‘re giving the presentation, you also need to remain focused on your audience‘s
response, and react to that.

You need to make it easy for your audience to understand and respond.
3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message

When planning your presentation, you should always keep in mind the question:

What is the key message (or three key points) for my audience to take away?

You should be able to communicate that key message very briefly.

Some experts recommend a 30-second ‗elevator summary‘, others that you can write it on the
back of a business card, or say it in no more than 15 words.

Whichever rule you choose, the important thing is to keep your core message focused and brief.

And if what you are planning to say doesn‘t contribute to that core message, don‘t say it.

4. Smile and Make Eye Contact with your Audience

This sounds very easy, but a surprisingly large number of presenters fail to do it.

If you smile and make eye contact, you are building rapport, which helps the audience to connect
with you and your subject. It also helps you to feel less nervous, because you are talking to
individuals, not to a great mass of unknown people.

To help you with this, make sure that you don‘t turn down all the lights so that only the slide
screen is visible. Your audience needs to see you as well as your slides.

5. Start Strongly

The beginning of your presentation is crucial. You need to grab your audience‘s attention and
hold it.

They will give you a few minutes‘ grace in which to entertain them, before they start to switch
off if you‘re dull. So don‘t waste that on explaining who you are. Start by entertaining them.

Try a story (see tip 7 below), or an attention-grabbing (but useful) image on a slide.

6. Remember the 10-20-30 Rule for Slideshows

This is a tip from Guy Kawasaki of Apple. He suggests that slideshows should:

Contain no more than 10 slides;

Last no more than 20 minutes; and

Use a font size of no less than 30 point.

This last is particularly important as it stops you trying to put too much information on any one
slide. This whole approach avoids the dreaded ‗Death by PowerPoint‘.

As a general rule, slides should be the sideshow to you, the presenter. A good set of slides should
be no use without the presenter, and they should definitely contain less, rather than more,
information, expressed simply.

If you need to provide more information, create a bespoke handout and give it out after your
presentation.

7. Tell Stories

Human beings are programmed to respond to stories.

Stories help us to pay attention, and also to remember things. If you can use stories in your
presentation, your audience is more likely to engage and to remember your points afterwards. It
is a good idea to start with a story, but there is a wider point too: you need your presentation to
act like a story.

Think about what story you are trying to tell your audience, and create your presentation to tell
it.

Finding The Story Behind Your Presentation

To effectively tell a story, focus on using at least one of the two most basic storytelling
mechanics in your presentation:

Focusing On Characters – People have stories; things, data, and objects do not. So ask
yourself ―who‖ is directly involved in your topic that you can use as the focal point of your story.

For example, instead of talking about cars (your company‘s products), you could focus on
specific characters like:

The drivers the car is intended for – people looking for speed and adventure

The engineers who went out of their way to design the most cost-effective car imaginable
 A Changing Dynamic – A story needs something to change along the way. So ask yourself
―What is not as it should be?‖ and answer with what you are going to do about it (or what you
did about it).

For example…

Did hazardous road conditions inspire you to build a rugged, all-terrain jeep that any family
could afford?

Did a complicated and confusing food labelling system lead you to establish a colour-coded
nutritional index so that anybody could easily understand it?

8. Use your Voice Effectively

The spoken word is actually a pretty inefficient means of communication, because it uses only
one of your audience‘s five senses. That‘s why presenters tend to use visual aids, too. But you
can help to make the spoken word better by using your voice effectively.

Varying the speed at which you talk, and emphasising changes in pitch and tone all help to make
your voice more interesting and hold your audience‘s attention.

9. Use your Body Too

It has been estimated that more than three quarters of communication is non-verbal.

That means that as well as your tone of voice, your body language is crucial to getting your
message across. Make sure that you are giving the right messages: body language to avoid
includes crossed arms, hands held behind your back or in your pockets, and pacing the stage.

Make your gestures open and confident, and move naturally around the stage, and among the
audience too, if possible.

10. Relax, Breathe and Enjoy

If you find presenting difficult, it can be hard to be calm and relaxed about doing it.

One option is to start by concentrating on your breathing. Slow it down, and make sure that
you‘re breathing fully. Make sure that you continue to pause for breath occasionally during your
presentation too.
Effective discussion skills:

Asking questions and joining in discussions are important skills for university study. This part is
intended for self-study. You will be shown a number of discussion strategies along with a wide
range of useful expressions for a variety of situations you may encounter when discussing a
topic.

What can you learn through discussions?

To express opinions and support them with evidence, understand a subject or topic area more deeply,
argue constructively, develop critical thinking skills, improve your language skills, speak with confidence
and authority, work collectively on problems, and learn to come to a conclusion or solve problems.

Learn to listen Listening is an important element of any discussion. Active listening is a skill that
requires practice to develop.

 Be an active listener - stay attentive and focus on what is being said. Listen with an open

mind and be receptive to new ideas and points of view. Think about how they fit in with

what you have already learnt.

 Evaluate what is being said. Think about how it relates to the main idea/theme of the

discussion.

 Test your understanding. Mentally paraphrase what other speakers say. Take notes during
the discussion about things to which you could respond.

Prepare You cannot contribute to a discussion unless you are well-prepared. Make sure you
carefully review your study notes from previous lessons and read any assigned readings. Make a
note of anything you are not clear about, and prepare questions to ask. Note ideas about which
you have strong opinions, positive or negative. When you read, try to engage with the ideas
critically and actively. Think about how you would refer to these ideas in the discussion or
express your views about them.
Participate If you find it difficult to participate in a discussion, set yourself goals and aim to
increase your contribution in each class. It is perfectly normal to feel nervous when engaging in
discussion particularly if you are expressing yourself in a foreign language. If you are nervous,
start by making small contributions:

 Be an active listener - stay attentive and focus on what is being said. Listen with an open

mind and be receptive to new ideas and points of view. Think about how they fit in with
what you have already learnt.
 o look interested and concentrate when someone else is talking

o make notes about ideas which may be useful to you

 say something in the next discussion; for example:

o agree with what someone has said

o ask to expand on a point (an example or more information)

o ask for clarification

You can then work up to:

 providing an example for a point under discussion

 answering a question put to the group

 saying why you agree or disagree with someone‘s point

You can also be a good participant by:

 encouraging others to speak

 summarizing the discussion

 returning the discussion to the main point

Voicing an opinion and arguing a point effectively To 'argue' in an academic context is to put
forward an opinion and support it either by evidence or through the process of reasoning. It is not
important who 'wins'—what matters most is the quality of the argument itself. Voicing an
opinion Participating in a discussion can be difficult, especially when you are not sure which
language structures to use. You may have a great idea, but you need to communicate it
effectively and be able to defend it.

Voicing an Opinion - Useful Expressions

Stating a valid  I believe/think that...

opinion (a point  From what I understand... As I understand it...
of view)  It is argued/could be argued that...
 It seems that…
 In my opinion…
 I suggest…
  Personally, I think…
 From my perspective, owing to…

Making a  This could/might/should indicate…

tentative claim  It can be seen that in certain circumstances…
 It is likely/probable that…
 It is proposed that…
 It is not unreasonable to expect that…
 In the light of these findings…, given these
circumstances it is likely that…
 My findings/experience indicate…
 I have found that…

Giving a reason  This is due to...

why  Because...
 What I mean by this is...
 Since…
 Owing to…

Providing  This can be seen by ...

evidence  For instance / For example...
(relevant  An example can be seen...
examples,  (Author's name) states that... / suggests...
statistics,  Statistics from (give a source) indicate...
explanations  In his/her article, (author‘s name) argued that…
and/ or expert  We need to keep in mind (author‘s name)‘s argument
opinions) that…

Clarifying and focusing the discussion Contrary to what you might think, asking for something
to be repeated can have a positive effect. It shows that you have been listening to the discussion
and are interested. It also provides important feedback to other speakers on how effectively they
are communicating their ideas. Sometimes you might not understand what a speaker means.
There are times when you need to break in while someone else is speaking in order to make an
important point. It is not rude to do that if you use suitable language and techniques.

Clarifying and Focusing the Discussion - Useful Expressions

Expressing  That‘s not exactly what I was trying to ask. What I was
confusion - getting at was…
asking for  Let me put to you another situation - suppose…
clarification  Perhaps I didn‘t really make my question clear. In fact
what I asked was…
 I understand that, but what I really want to know is…
 Yes, that‘s true but what about…
 Well, may have a good point there, but...
 I don‘t quite follow what you were saying about...
 I wonder if I could ask you to clarify the meaning of…
 If I understood you correctly, you‘re saying that…
 I‘m sorry, what is the meaning of…
 Could you explain your idea further…

Asking for  I didn't understand that last point...

something to be  I'm not clear. Would you mind repeating it?
repeated  Sorry, I didn't catch that clearly. Did you say...
 Do you mean that...
 Please say it again
 Would you mind repeating it again, I‘m afraid I couldn‘t
hear you.

Indicating  I rather feel that…, I rather suspect that…, I assume

speculation or that…, I take it that
guessing  As I understand it, you‘re saying…
 Don‘t you think that…?
 Could we say then, that…?
 It seems to me that you‘re suggesting…
 Presumably…
 It's difficult to be sure, but there may have been...

Signaling an  Excuse me, I've got a question I'd like to ask…

intention to say  I wonder if anyone could tell me…
something  I'd like to comment on that…
 Can I comment at this point?
 We haven't really considered… /I believe we need to
consider…
 One thing I'd like to mention…
 I'd like to add something to what (name) said…
 Can I come back to what (name) said…

Interrupting  Excuse me, (name) – I'm sorry to interrupt you, but…

 Can I cut in here…
  Can I stop you there for a moment…
 If I could come in here…
 Can I make a comment on…
 I agree with your point, but do others think?

Arguing a Point: How to disagree effectively If you want to interrupt someone to add your
opinion; disagree with something that someone has said; or seek clarification on a point someone
has made, you should first indicate that you have something to say by making eye contact with
the speaker or make a suitable comment to indicate your intention (see interrupting strategies
above).

Disagreeing with Another Speaker - Useful Expressions

Acknowledge  I can see your point, however...

another’s point  That's a good point, but...
 I see what you're getting at, but...
 I think (name) made an interesting point…
 I agree with you, but I have reservations as to whether…
 Well I can‘t completely agree with you…

Disagreeing with  (name) said that _____. I do not fully agree because…
a previous  (name) said that _____. However, in my opinion…
speaker  I can't fully agree with what (name) said about ___. In
my view…

Explain why you  That may not always be the case because...
disagree  That's not necessarily always correct because...
 This idea may not be supported by statistics/evidence...
 I thought the author meant that...
 I‘m afraid I disagree with your point about…

Offer your  From what I've read...

opinion complete  The statistics seem to indicate that...
with reason and  I think what (author's name) may be suggesting is...
support  Other studies by (author's name) show that...
 I would just like to add a point here.

Varying degree of agreement and disagreement In conversation you may strongly agree, partially
agree or simply agree with the ideas another person is saying. On the other hand, you may
simply disagree or strongly disagree with other people‘s ideas. Below are some example phrases
of differing degree that you may use in different situations.

Agreeing - Useful Expressions

Agreeing  Absolutely!
strongly  I cannot agree with you more.
 Can‘t argue with that.
 That‘s exactly my view.
 Couldn‘t have sad it better.

Agreeing  I think you‘re right, since…

 I feel the same.
 That‘s a good idea.
 You‘re right, as…
 I‘m with you on that.

Half-agreeing  Well, perhaps you‘re right.

 Yes, in a way.
 That‘s worth thinking about.
 I guess you could be right.
 Yes, I agree up to a point.

Disagreeing - Useful Expressions

Disagreeing  Sorry, I think…

politely  I‘m afraid you may be wrong here.
 I‘m sorry, I don‘t agree with you.
 We‘ll, I don‘t know.
 It may be so, but…

Disagreeing  I‘m afraid I disagree with you.

strongly  I really can‘t agree.
 I disagree completely

In heated discussions, it may be wiser to not directly challenge or disagree with another person‘s
ideas. This may ease the tension of the discussion. Below are some examples of phrases for
indirect disagreement which may come in handy.

Indirect disagreement - Useful Expressions

Indirect  I think we should look at the issue more carefully…

disagreement  Is that really necessary?
 Perhaps we could consider an alternative solution.

Dealing with difficult questions You might be asked a question that you don't know how to
respond to. Sometimes it is fine to say 'I don't know'; other times such a response seems to be an
admission of ignorance.

Dealing with Difficult Questions - Useful Expressions

Avoiding an  Can we come back to that later? I‘d like to deal with…
answer now.
 I think we have said enough on that question. I‘d like to
move onto…
 It seems to me that you‘re suggesting…
 Would you mind if I dealt with that question later?
 While… is important it‘s too complex to deal with
here…
 I think we should focus on x not y.
 We don‘t have enough evidence to say…
 That‘s not something I‘ve had time to deal with.
 Would anybody else like to comment on this?
 In this discussion we limited ourselves to…

Acknowledging  I am not familiar with that particular case, but…

lack of  I am not aware of that specific example, but…
familiarity  You‘re quite right. I hadn‘t thought about that aspect.
 It‘s an interesting question; however, it‘s not something
I‘ve looked into.

Changing the  I don't know how this is done in China but in Hong
context Kong...
 I don't have first-hand experience, but the impression I
got from reading the textbook was that…"
 I do not have the experience but in a slightly different
situation I would have...
  I am not familiar with the situation in Tibet, but in Hong
Kong this is a very serious issue.

Fluency and communication Some students worry about making grammatical errors in their
speech; they don't want to express their ideas unless they are confident that they can do so
without making mistakes. Remember, the more interesting the content of what you have to say,
the less people will care about the way you say it.

The information of this part is adapted from the following sources:

 http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/disc.html
 http://www.latrobe.edu.au/lasesl/speaking.html
 http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/speaking/participation/5.xml
 http://brown.edu/about/administration/sheridan-center/teaching-learning/effective-
classroom-practices/discussions-seminars/facilitating

Guide to Discussion Skills

Strategies for improving discussion skills for tutorials and seminars

Observe

Attend as many seminars and tutorials as possible and notice what other students do. Ask
yourself:

 How do other students enter into the discussion?

 How do they ask questions?
 How do they disagree with or support the topic?
 How do other students make critical comments?
 What special phrases do they use to show politeness even when they are voicing disagreement?
 How do they signal to ask a question or make a point?

Learn to listen

Listening is an essential skill and an important element of any discussion. Effective listeners
don't just hear what is being said, they think about it and actively process it.

 Be an active listener and don't let your attention drift. Stay attentive and focus on what is being
said.
 Identify the main ideas being discussed.
 Evaluate what is being said. Think about how it relates to the main idea/ theme of the tutorial
discussion.
 Listen with an open mind and be receptive to new ideas and points of view. Think about how
they fit in with what you have already learnt.
  Test your understanding. Mentally paraphrase what other speakers say.
 Ask yourself questions as you listen. Take notes during class about things to which you could
respond.

Prepare

You can't contribute to a discussion unless you are well-prepared. Attend lectures and make sure
you complete any assigned readings or tutorial assignments. If you don't understand the material
or don't feel confident about your ideas, speak to your tutor or lecturer outside of class.

Practice

Practise discussing course topics and materials outside class. Start in an informal setting with
another student or with a small group.

Begin by asking questions of fellow students. Ask them about:

 the course material

 their opinions
 information or advice about the course

Practice listening and responding to what they say. Try out any discipline-specific vocabulary or
concepts.

Becoming accustomed to expressing your views outside class will help you develop skills you
can take into the more formal environment of a tutorial group.

Participate

If you find it difficult to participate in tutorial discussion, set yourself goals and aim to increase
your contribution each week.

An easy way to participate is to add to the existing discussion. Start by making small
contributions:

 agree with what someone has said or;

 ask them to expand on their point (ask for an example or for more information)
 prepare a question to ask beforehand.

You can then work up to:

 answering a question put to the group

 providing an example for a point under discussion
 disagreeing with a point.