Presentation Skills

Lecture 2: Presentation skills 2.1 Preparation 2.2 Media choices 2.3 Delivery 2.4 Questions 1

Timetable Week

Date

Topic

Who and Where

1

7 Oct 3-4pm

Introduction

All in 1L61

2

10 Oct 3-4pm

Library skills (Sally Smith, library)

Group 1 in Lib103

3

17 Oct 3-4pm

Library skills (Sally Smith, library)

Group 2 in Lib103

4

28 Oct 2-3pm 3-4pm

Presentation skills Student presentations

All in 1L61

5

4 Nov 2-3pm 3-4pm

Writing skills Student presentations

All in 1L61

2

Preparation

3

Structure is all! A clear, understandable structure to your talk helps the audience to follow it: • Hypothesis (introduction) • Design of test (method) • Results of test • Conclusions 4

Check out your audience • • • • •

How many? Background? What do they know? What don’t they know? Aim at the student, not the expert!

5

Length of your talk • • • •

Too much material – commonest error Rule of thumb: 2-3 minutes per slide One main point per slide Time is subjective! Speaker time, audience time. • Rehearse timings 6

Scripting your talk • Don’t read a script • Prepare one to rehearse timings (not more than 100 words per minute) • Use summary notes – cards? • Visual aids are prompts but don’t design them as such

7

Media

8

Choice of media • Just talk! Audience just sleeps. • OHP slides – quick, simple, low tech • 35mm slides – elaborate preparation, loss of control • Powerpoint – compelling tramlines • Whiteboard - complex argument • Flipchart – interactive 9

Too much on one slide

10

Avoid tabulated data

11

Appropriate graphics settings

12

Ghastly colours & too much detail

13

Lazy and illegible

14

Delivery

15

Before the talk • If possible, have a rehearsal in the lecture room • Before session, make sure you are familiar with equipment • Practise where to stand, practise use of pointer 16

Timing • Before talk – make sure you can see a clock or bring your watch • Pace yourself • Don’t let persistent questioner take control 17

Being heard – engage audience

• Face audience, not screen! • Head up, shoulders back • Breathe from diaphram • Address yourself to back row • Use your hands 18

Respond to audience • Keep eye contact (roving!) • Watch the body language (boredom, incomprehension, inappropriate amusement) • Respond to signals from the audience

19

Nerves • • • • • •

It is natural to be a bit nervous Use that to help you Ensure you are physically comfortable Glass of water Most people are on your side! Relax tension with a joke or comment. 20

Questions

? 21

Handling questions • Make sure you understand – repeat it • Clarify question: “Do you mean….. ” (thinking time) • Say something (positive) • Try to avoid closing things off: “I haven’t looked at that, but we did find that…..”

22

Questions as feedback • Questions mean that dialogue has begun • Learn from questions – even the ill conceived ones tell you something • Say something • Keep discussion going – avoid the closed ended answer • Leave time for questions 23

Thanks • Afterschoool conducts three year integrated PGPSE (after class 12 along with CA & CS) and 18 month PGPSE (Post Graduate Programme in Social Entrepreneurship) along with preparation for CFP / CFA / FRM. It also conducts workshops on social entrepreneurship in schools and colleges all over India – start social entrepreneurship club in your institution today with the help from afterschoool and help us in developing society. 24

www.afterschoool.tk social entrepreneurship for better society

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