Preparing an Effective Oral Presentation

THE foundation for a successful oral presentation is preparation. Speakers who do not prepare are telling the audience members they are unworthy of the speaker’s best effort. Thorough  preparation builds a speaker’s confidence and assures the audience of an interesting and informative presentation.

How much time does it take to prepare for a presentation? Although some speakers say they spend an hour preparing for each minute of oral presentation, no one formula works in every situation.  The audience and the speaker’s familiarity with the topic will influence preparation time. The steps in planning an oral presentation are described in the following sections.


DETERMINE YOUR PURPOSE

The first step in preparing for an oral presentation is to determine the purpose of the message. Stating the purpose in terms of the expected result will help to narrow your focus. When the primary  purpose of an oral presentation is to inform, you want the audience to learn, to understand, or to know more about the topic. That is the expected result. When the primary purpose is to persuade  or motivate, you want the audience either to adopt your viewpoint or to take specific action. That is the expected result. Here are some sample purpose statements:

• To inform those attending an annual employee recognition dinner about the awardees’ contributions
• To inform the audience about the soon-to-be-released version of XYZ computer software
• To persuade employees to contribute to the United Way through payroll deduction
• To persuade management to increase the employee discount from 10 to 15 percent
• To motivate employees to be flexible with the changes that will be implemented due to a reorganization of departments

ANALYZE YOUR AUDIENCE

The second step in preparing an oral presentation is to decide exactly who will be in the audience and why. A captive audience is generally less receptive than one who attends voluntarily.  Consider how the time of the presentation will affect the audience. People often get lethargic after a meal, can be tardy or slow to tune in for an early morning session, and become preoccupied  near the end of the day.

Analyze each member’s knowledge, interests, attitudes, and potential emotional reaction regarding your topic. For large audiences, you may need to examine these factors in categories such as  receivers’ age, gender, and profession. When speaking to an established small group within your organization, consider not only demographics but also politics. Learn the history of the group.  Does the group interact formally or informally? Are members generally conservative, or are they open to change? Who are the key decision makers? Who are the informal leaders? What concerns  or objections might participants have? Build the oral presentation on your analysis of the audience.

GATHER SUPPORTING INFORMATION

When you have stated your purpose and analyzed the audience, you should determine the points you want to make. A good presentation typically has three to five main points no matter the time  made available for the presentation. These points represent the essential information you want to get across to the audience. You are now ready to gather ideas and materials to support the  development of your oral presentation. Conduct your research for an oral presentation in the same manner that you would if preparing for a written report. When preparing your speech, use primary  sources, print and electronic secondary sources, and/or personal experience for examples, illustrations, explanations, quotations, statistics, testimonials, comparisons, and analogies related to  your topic. Use only credible sources and realistic examples. Be sure to record citation information for material drawn from copyrighted sources.

ORGANIZE YOUR PRESENTATION

As you gather information, you may find that you have far more material than can be conveyed in the time you have available. Resist the temptation to include all the material; an audience can  absorb only so much information in one sitting. If an idea can be left out and the purpose of the presentation is still accomplished, that point probably is not necessary. Sort the material you have  collected into three sets:
• Materials you must include (those closely related to your main idea)
• Materials you should include (those that support your main idea)
• Materials you could include (related background materials)

The “must” items will definitely be in your presentation, as will some from the “should” set. The information that supports your main idea should emphasize or clarify the main idea. Information you  do not use in your oral presentation will be helpful when responding to questions or during informal discussions that may occur as a result of the presentation. Once the material is organized, you can determine which, if any, presentation aids to use.

SELECT APPROPRIATE PRESENTATION AIDS

Unlike a written report, which draws only on the receiver’s sense of sight, an oral presentation can draw on sound, sight, touch, taste, and smell. Most speakers will find sound (audio) and sight  (visual) most useful. Whether used separately or in combination (multimedia), presentation aids can be an asset in conveying a message. Visuals can spark interest, add variety, increase  comprehension and retention of material, and help to hold an audience’s attention. They should, however, always be simple, clear, and pertinent. The content and the placement of visual aids  within the presentation must be planned carefully. After determining the content to be included in the visual aids, you must determine what type of visual aid will best emphasize, enhance, and  clarify the message. 

PREPARE YOUR PRESENTATION

You know your purpose. You have analyzed your audience. You have gathered supporting data and prepared your presentation aids. You are now ready to put all this information together in a  coherent oral presentation.

Some speakers write a full-text manuscript and then discard it after making notes from it. Other speakers work exclusively from an outline recorded on note cards or sheets of paper. However you arrive at your fully developed presentation, remember that it will have three parts: (1) Opening, (2) Body, (3) Closing.

(1) The Opening. An effective opening is crucial. The audience evaluates your credibility and capability as a speaker in the first few minutes and, regardless of what you do later, it is almost  impossible to change that evaluation. A good first impression will serve you and your audience well throughout a presentation.

Use your opening to get audience attention and interest. Effective ways to open a presentation include a surprising statement, a quotation, an anecdote, a story, a question, a problem statement, a  historical reference, an impressive statistic, a visual aid, a reference to the situation, or an illustration. A personal story may help you bond with an audience. Avoid leading with a prepared joke.  When a joke fails, you risk losing your audience and undermining your self-confidence. Never use off-color humor or tell a story that embarrasses an audience member. Regardless of the method  you choose, be sure the opening relates closely to your topic and is brief.

View the opening as an opportunity to show your audience why the topic is important to them, to give an overview of the talk, and to lead into the body of your presentation. The introduction sets  the mood for the presentation and establishes rapport between you and the audience. If the person who introduces you has not done so, tell the audience whether you will take questions during or  after the presentation.

(2) The Body. Most of the actual information, details, and evidence you present to the audience will be contained in the middle of the presentation—in the body. Because the purpose of the body of  a presentation is to get your key points across, it is important that you identify clearly each main point in the body as you come to it. This “reorientation” can be done with verbal references or visual  aids. If you do not clearly identify the main points, your audience will lose interest and the presentation will not be successful. So, plan this portion of your oral presentation carefully. Supplement  your knowledge and experience with research and examples. Gather two or three times as much material as you think you will need, and use the best in your presentation. Storytelling strategically placed within the body of your presentation can help lighten the mood of the audience, maintain listeners’ interest, and reinforce an important point.

(3) The Closing. The closing should summarize the main points of your presentation, specify what the audience should do, and leave the audience with a positive feeling about you and your topic  or ideas.

A conclusion should not catch the audience by surprise. The words and nonverbal signals should point to the end of the message. Say, “In summary,” “In closing,” “To review,” or “In conclusion.” A  more subtle way to signal closure is to pause and lower the pitch of your voice. Making a significant change in your stance relative to the lectern is another way.

The summary should be a simple statement designed to recap the main points of your presentation. It may be followed by advice on how to use the information or by a clear statement of action the  audience should take based on your presentation. Use the you–viewpoint so the audience has a connection to you and your topic. The techniques suggested for opening a presentation also work  well for closing it, but choose a different technique than that used in the opening. The closing is an important point of emphasis for your presentation.

As part of the conclusion, the speaker may choose to take questions from the audience. This phase of the conclusion allows the audience to interact with you, to clarify ideas, or to get more  information. Responding to questions and answers will be covered in more detail later in the chapter.

How you design the conclusion will depend on your initial purpose for the presentation. Regardless of the design of your conclusion, the presentation should end on a positive, professional note.  And, remember that a strong conclusion is nearly as important as a strong introduction because the beginning and the end are the parts most often remembered.

REHEARSE YOUR PRESENTATION

Using the notes and presentation aids you have developed, rehearse your oral presentation. Plan your hand gestures and walking patterns. Practice how, when, and where you will move.  Rehearsals will help you identify and correct distracting mannerisms such as those listed in the Tips and Hints box on the next page. Anticipate questions that might be asked. Identify three to five  questions you hope will be asked and three to five that you hope won’t be asked. Prepare to answer both sets.

If you will be speaking into a microphone, be sure you know how to use it effectively. Follow the suggestions in the Tips and Hints box at the bottom of this page. Microphones come in four styles:  platform, handheld, lavaliere (clip and hanging), and remote. Platform microphones are the most restrictive; remote units are the least restrictive.

To get feedback on your presentation, rehearse in front of a mirror or before friends, relatives, or colleagues. You can use an audio or a video recorder for this purpose. This practice will help you  decide which parts of your content and delivery need to be modified or fine-tuned. It also gives you experience in handling your audiovisual aids efficiently. It is the only way you can be sure of the  length of your presentation. When a speaker goes beyond the expected time, audience members will leave—physically or mentally.

Rehearsing your oral presentation is essential to its success. Practice will increase your familiarity with the material and your confidence in delivering it. If you go into a presentation underprepared  or unprepared, you will be preoccupied with yourself and your message and lose the opportunity to establish rapport with your audience.