PRESENTATION SKILLS

A carefully researched and prepared viewpoint that contains suggestions and ideas for the solving problems and which is delivered as a speech with the help of notes and audio-visual aids is known as a presentation.  Presentations try to persuade by explaining ideas, sharing knowledge and experiences and helps the listener make informed decisions. Some times the purpose of a presentation is merely to obtain feedback.

A Presentation may take the form of a prepared speech which is read out line by line, with breaks for illustrations on the black board or slides being shown with an overhead projector. Or it could take the form of brief notes which the speaker refers to from time to time and elaborates upon spontaneously.

The speaker has to research his material well and plan the presentation with care for the presentation to be successful.

USING AIDS FOR PRESENTATION

We absorb knowledge and information through a combination of sense. Vision enables us to take in 75% of what we learn. Hearing follows at 15% and feeling, smelling and tasting to a negligible extent. Keeping this in mind the effective presenter makes use of various aids.

Visual (and even audio) aids should be used to reinforce the points that you are speaking about and should not become the main attraction of the presentation. Do not speak while the audience is studying the visual material. Remove or erase the visual material before going to the next point as keeping it will distract the attention of the audience from what you are saying.

Advancing technology has given an entirely new meaning to modern presenter tools. E.g. OHPs, LCD, etc enable the presenter to effectively illustrate his/her talk.