For a `Pow'erful presentation

WHEN YOU need to drive a point home, or get a message across, the need for effective presentation skills becomes more than necessary. Control, poise and conviction in selling a business proposition or conveying a social message - the art of presenting ideas in a convincing fashion is what makes a project a success.

When people are increasingly sceptical and presentations for them spell nothing but dullness and boredom, one needs to be able to rouse them into a pro-active state by leveraging the power of persuasive speech. A few ways to `power' your presentation

Brimming with it

Audiences welcome confident, articulate and passionate enthusiasts. Spruce-up your act and make people sit-up to listen to you. Be the person that people can look up professionally. If you lack confidence or you are just not the extrovert type, learn to get out of your shell, grab any opportunity to speak in public whenever possible. This will give you all the confidence and practice you need.

Audience-watch

Tailor your presentation to match the level of the audience- if you are talking to IT professionals, make it racy, if you are talking to academicians, keep it serious, and if the audience comprises of engineers, make it technical and as a rule, never be intimidating. Be friendly as a warm-up sequence, to build a rapport with your audience.

Dress to impress

`What you wear is what you say'. To create a positive image you need to dress right and dress smart! A dark coloured business suit for men would be the best attire, and shoes should be neatly shined. Women should keep their dress as professional as possible, and avoid heavy jewellery, bold colours and a loud perfume. Wear something that will make you feel confident and not conscious.

Undertones n' overtones

Your intonation, volume and emphasis are equally important. Don't speak too softly, and don't be too fast either. Avoid using filler expressions like "you know", "like", "ah" etc. You also need to be articulate and pronounce your words clearly. Maintain eye contact with the audience and don't look at the ceiling or out of the window. Avoid leaning on the dais or fidgeting with things - this can be distractive.

A dash of humour

Learn everything you can about what you are presenting. Look up the Internet, check with people and read recent material you can lay your hands on about the topic. Use anecdotes and instances to enliven a boring or theoretic concept. A dash of humour is necessary to temper your speech and to add punch and panache to the rhetoric. Maintain continuity and ensure that the audience has learnt something substantial through your speech.

Power point

A handy tool for presentations is Microsoft PowerPoint. However you must remember that this is no substitute for a good speech. There's no use having a long bulleted lists that no one is going to read- you may as well not have it at all! Sloppy editing and misspelled words reflect poorly on your language skills. If you are using a projector, see that it is well focused, and position yourself on the left side of the whiteboard (as you face the audience). Use meaningful visuals to communicate the message you are trying to convey.

Q & A quotient

Q & A sessions are probably the most important part of your presentation. Reply to every query, and if you think you cannot answer right then, ask the person to meet you later. Listen to the question first and then repeat or rephrase it so that the audience can hear and understand what is being said. Be prepared for killer questions, and remember that you won't have much time to answer them so don't let yourself be put on the spot. In short be prepared for the worst. Encourage participation and always reply with an appreciation, recognition or a `Yes' first before you make your point.

Running through the sequence a couple of times will help you avoid the `presentation paralysis'. Take time, effort and interest while preparing and you will be well on your way to making your presentation a complete knockout!

ARCHANA JAYAKAR

archana.hyd@careercommunity.co.in