What counts in making a presentable presentation?
PROBABLY the simplest and first presentations we attended were by our teachers at school. Of course no one considers them as presentations. But now looking back, don't you think they really were nothing more than a series of presentations. Each following the other, a perfect sequence being built. And the teachers we remember best are the ones who were the best presenters. They connected with all of us well, they knew their subject and what they were talking about, and of course they had impressive communication skills.
So let's see what sets apart an excellent teacher from a moderate one, umm, I mean an
excellent presenter!
There are several things that go into making a good presentation. The most important of all, though, is body language.
Clues for good presentation:
Eye contact: The importance of eye contact cannot be overemphasized. A speaker's connection with his audience is only through his eye contact. It's the biggest binding force between the presenter and his listeners. Eye contact should be personal and appropriately long enough. Looking at one person in a group during the entire length of the presentation is definitely not eye contact. It's staring! Not only does it make the person uncomfortable, but also cuts off everybody else from the presentation. Experts say that eye contact should be made with individuals for as long as 3-4 seconds before moving on to another.
Body language:The body language of the presenter is of utmost importance. He needs to be professional and friendly at the same time. He should have an open body language. Folding arms is the most classic case of `closed body language' and should be avoided at all costs.
Body language also includes gestures. Hand gestures act as emphasisers. In most cases they help the audience in comprehending what is being said, but they can also be distracting if repetitive or unnecessary. Don't all of us remember counting our teachers' mannerisms like the number of times a teacher ran his hand through his hair in one session? Not wanting your audience to do so should be deterrent enough!
Stance: Most presenters either walk around too much or stay rooted in one place, or sway from side to side shifting their weight around. They give the impression that they are nervous. Good presenters walk around the group they are presenting to, with a purpose. They walk around maintaining eye contact and connect with their audience. Such a stance is of great importance for a good presentation.
Use of presentations: Most visual aids don't need a presenter. Most bad ones that is! They have so much content on themselves that the audience concentrates more on the presentation than the presenter. They simply read off the slides as the audience takes notes as if it were a blackboard. The presenter almost becomes redundant. This must be avoided at all costs.
Presentations must be used to highlight important points, and not to discuss the entire subject of the talk. Remember, never put sentences on the slides, as they tend to distract the audience. I remember an hour-long session that I spent only in reading and re-reading the slides, because I had to take down notes and did not hear a word of what the speaker was saying. In fact at that point of time his words were almost an encumbrance for me in writing down and I actually wanted him to stop talking! Use only bullet points, no sentences!!
Spontaneity: Speaking words that seem as if they were memorised is a huge put-off for most of us. The best way to make our presentations is to first structure them.
Do your `home work' and plan your talk. Decide well in advance what you will say and in which order you will move from one topic/point to another. Once this layout is made, you can enrich your speech with personal anecdotes and your own insights and embellish your talk with your personal touch. The idea is to combine structure and imagination to reach that elusive spontaneity.
Presentations are extremely common these days be it a training session, or a formal induction. And what a good presenter states is always remembered just like your favourite teacher!
HAJIRA SHAHEEN
faqs@cnkonline.com
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