Keep distracting behavior to a minimum
Be enthusiastic
Do not be monotone
Use humor when appropriate
I think that in a presentation, especially here on a campus talking with students, it is important to talk about real situations they might face in the industry. Let them know that you understand what they are going through and can relate to them. It is also important to get them involved in the presentation, most times, they don't really pay attention so asking them questions will help in that regards. Lastly, it is so important to move around with them and be excited about what you are conveying, they will feed off your excitement.
aneisha,
the preparation really is key to having a successful presentation & connecting with the audience.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Being prepared, know the material, include the audience in the presentation, and anticipate questions.
Be very knoweledgeable of the topic or situations that you are presenting. Reinforce your facts with actual occurrences so the audience could relate. Summarize the presentation, making sure the audience just did not hear you talk, but more importantly they understood the content of the speech.
Be prepared and knowledgable about your subject. Spend adequate time researching and understanding the subject prior to giving your presentation. Think about possible questions the audience might ask. Time well spent preparing will give you the confidence needed to perform successfully. Create a first class presentation whether it be powerpoint slides or charts. Pay attention to detail. Make it look professional and well polished with high quality photographs or visual aids. Try to inject humor to engage your audience during your presentation. Use it to “break the ice†or “wake up†a sleepy audience or to lessen the seriousness of the subject matter. Sometimes adding personal photographs (not necessarily humorous) throughout your presentation can also help engage the audience.
Paul,
these are all great points & definitely true in the preparation for an effective presentation.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Know your subject.
Know your audience.
And Rehearse.
These three topics are critical to the success of the presenter. Obviously the presenter should know their subject, if not, the audience will figure it out quickly and turn off.
By knowing the audience the presenter can ensure his/her material is relevant to the audience. The last thing we want to have happen is presenting a presentation which waist the audiences time.
Lastly, rehearsing smooths out the delivery and allows the presenter to become comfortable with their presentation before they go live with the presentation.
To effectivly present you must practice, know and research your topics, make sure all equipment work, and check for any errors.
Catharine ,
yes, this is a great approach & by doing this the students do tend to retain the information even better.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I find that is the only way I approach doing a presentation. I have to make it fun and light with my students. That way I can keep their attention longer. By involving them in the presentation also helps with the students not subcome to boredom.
William,
yes, I would say that nothing can replace the extreme importance of preparation.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
William,
yes, the more we can incorporate review of important points, the more we will help our learners.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
That is without a doubt a a very common example as you try to decorate, illustrate the story or caption that you are using to better relate of the material to the topic matter being covered. As you find yourself veering off track and cannot remember exactly what took you down that road that is why it is very important to use outline type notes so that you can rapidly shift from one topic to another and have self-confidence in that you will ultimately return to the point you are trying to make.
An effective presenter should definitely be aware of what the participants that are attending the meeting conference or class expect to leave the room with as it relates to fax figures or general knowledge on the specific topic. Many presenters failed to ask or ascertain of this piece of information when they are asked to present and then address the topic containing too much or too heavily loaded with statistics that the audience loses interest, because their purpose in coming was to learn about the effects or general effects that the topic should cover.
Addressing today's audiences involves much more than just presenting the facts, you also have to employ in a small amount some level of entertainment as well as visuals. People today become very easily bored with an individual that uses the traditional strategies of years gone by.
Having knowledge of the audience makeup, such as background, demographics, and level of expertise on the material to be covered is extremely important. It does take quite a mastery of the subject to engage all of the participants at a presentation and sometimes we have to realize this is not totally possible but we need to aim for's a high percentage as possible so by knowing the background in makeup of the group we can mentally prepare ourselves to prepare, address and produce a stronger presentation.
Another big essential is the type of room in which the presentation is going to be made, classroom theater, facility was sound and visuals and it is extremely helpful if you can visit the room well in advance of the presentation. As that will help you align yourself with not only the structure but key address areas or focal fixtures within the room.
One of the most difficult tasks of yet a new instructor your educator has to master is proper timing of the material which they present. Additionally they have to become aware that it is okay to enhance their material with practical applications and not just teach directly from the course materials. Everyone likes a variety in a presentation and a positive experience will result from presentations that have a controlled variety built it.
There is nothing wrong with stating that you do not know the answer. You just simply say I would like to take the opportunity to research the information all further and will personally get back with you on that at a specified time. I guess a lot of it comes from people not really wanting to say that they do not know the answer to everything. Most of the successful presentations that I have attended or even classes when a question was asked of the presenter and it went possibly be on their level of expertise they always stated that they would find out were asked a particular person and respond in the next class. This sort of approach builds confidence in the instructor or presenter.
It is only natural that if you are prepared, you are more confident in will project yourself in a positive image to any group or audience. The lack of preparation or a hastily planned address will generally in my opinion go off course and miss the key point that the individuals are there to have answered and in the place of the classroom; students will become confused and when tested lack adequate knowledge on the topic presented.
It is believed people will remember the first in the last thing that they heard in a presentation. And therefore from experience in the classroom it usually works out best to in your presentation with a positive fact that you want the students to remember. Other points are important of course and you would want to place them with in the allotted timeframe but generally spaced apart so that they do not bring themselves up one right after the other.
Effective presentations also involve follow-up on important points that were presented such as in the form of question.
