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This section will help you pull together everything you've learned so far. It offers a checklist of tools and materials to bring to a presentation, as well as suggestions for integrating visual and printed materials into your spoken presentation and a few ideas for building rapport with the audience.
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Before you get up and speak before your audience, be sure to practice your presentation -- especially if you plan to use visual aids.
- Choreograph the use of your visuals ahead of time. You should know exactly when to display your aid and when to put it away.
- Make sure you can smoothly move from one aid to the next. You should be familiar with each aid, and should not need to read from the visual to communicate your point.
Without practice, you are likely to put up visuals late and leave them up too long. Remember that when visual aids are out, the audience's attention will be on your visual aids. Although you want people to pay attention to your aids, their focus should always be you. Therefore, use only those aids that truly enhance your presentation.
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As you head to the place where you'll be making you presentation, run through a quick checklist of materials. Make sure you have:
- Your notes
- Any equipment you may need, including a notebook computer with the presentation files saved on it and a portable projector
- A back-up plan in case that equipment fails
- Sufficient copies of any handouts you have prepared
Tip: The more of your own equipment that you can provide, the less of a risk you run that the equipment you need won't be available or working properly. When you combine an HP notebook computer and portable projector with your well-developed materials, you are a complete mobile presenter, ready to adapt to any situation. Learn more about HP's mobile projectors in the Buy It section.
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Most presentations start before the formal presentation begins. A bit of time usually elapses while people filter into the room and select their seats. Use this time to your advantage. If this is your first time presenting to the group, use the time to introduce yourself, shake hands, and learn people's names. If you're already familiar with the audience members, then use this time to catch up and ask how things are going.
Tip: Even if you're presenting to a room of 300, small talk is appropriate. Get down from the podium and mingle with the audience.
Speaking one-on-one with your audience members will reinforce, refine, or correct impressions you made during the audience assessment phase of planning. Take mental notes and shift the emphasis of your planned presentation as necessary. Often, you'll learn something during your meet-and-greet with the audience that you can bring up later in your presentation to demonstrate how well you understand your audience's situation. This will win you points.
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If you're using handouts, decide ahead of time whether you want to distribute them before you start talking or wait until the end. With informational speeches, audiences tend to like to have the data in hand while you speak; thus, distributing the handouts at the beginning of your informational presentation is often a good idea.
If you plan to refer to the handout during your presentation, always take a moment to let your audience know you'll be doing so. If you use multiple pages, make sure your pages are numbered. Always tell your audience which page to look at as you reference your visual aid.
For persuasive speeches, it's sometimes helpful to distribute the handouts at the end of your presentation or you'll have to compete with the handouts for your audience's attention.
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The introduction |
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Make sure everybody knows who you are. This step is especially important if you're presenting to a group for the first time. Whether you introduce yourself or have someone introduce you, the goal is the same. The audience needs to know who you are and why they should listen to you. Present your credentials and let people know why you're an expert on this topic. If someone else will be performing your introduction, it often helps to provide them with a few notes about who you are and why you're the right person to be speaking at this event.
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The overview |
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Always begin your presentation by telling your audience what you're going to tell them, and back it up with on-target presentation materials. Think of the overview as an orientation to the rest of your presentation. You're not going to give away specifics or details during the overview. Instead, provide a brief verbal map that identifies the organizational structure of your presentation and lets people know what to expect down the line.
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Visual aids |
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- Do not display any visual aid until you're ready to use it. When you're done referencing your visual aid, remove it or cover it.
- Do not block your audience's view of the visual aid. Stand to the side.
- When referencing your visual aid, point to it. Do not leave the audience wondering.
- Do not distribute materials during your presentation. Distribute materials either before or after your presentation.
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Time management |
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The time you spend standing in front of your audience will probably fly by. Be careful not to forget yourself and stay on center stage too long. Get up, say what you have to say, and sit down. Don't forget to plan for a question and answer period at the end unless you plan to answer questions as you go.
Tip: Decide before your presentation starts if you want to answer all questions at the end or during the presentation. As part of your introduction, let your audience know your preference so they know what to expect and can pose questions when it is most appropriate.
You're ready to close your presentation when you've covered all of your main ideas and don't have any new ideas to present. You may offer new evidence in your conclusion, but should not attempt to develop any new ideas. Never keep talking just because you were allotted thirty minutes for your presentation and you've only used fifteen. People appreciate it if you end early because you've said all you need to say. This shows respect for your audience's time (and attention span).
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As part of your wrap-up, try to leave your audience with a call to action that:
- Gives your listeners direction regarding what to do with all the information you've just presented
- Gives your audience incentive to think about your presentation later, outside of the walls of the presentation room
Keep the call to action simple enough to be something your audience can accomplish. Let them know how taking one small step (the one you issue in your call to action) can produce impressive results.
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Printable version
