Master the Art of Oral Presentations: Tips and Techniques Revealed

ORAL PRESENTATION

Oral Presentation Definition- -Delivering an address, a brief discussion of a defined topic delivered to a public audience. -It also refers to public speaking. -It aims at to impart knowledge and stimulate discussion. -This formal speech requires adequate planning & thorough preparation in using one s voice, body language & visual aids -It requires a set of skills including communication ability & Listening skills as well as audience analysis. PURPOSE & OBJECTIVE of O.P. -Oral presentation gives an opportunity to the speaker to demonstrate his knowledge, enhance his prestige, influence decision & occupy more important positions.

Enables the presenter to present goals, activities & achievements of the organization. Information can be conveyed in a more meaningful and efficient way through verbal means It becomes an opportunity to express ourselves & create interest in the audience. In business executives have to make presentations in meetings, seminars & conferences. Sales executives have to make presentation to persuade the potential customers.

Purpose of Oral Presentation To inform- -to inform and teach the audience regarding new policies, schemes, proposals or new products To persuade- -it aims at to persuade the audience to act or believe in a certain way- turn public into customers To build goodwill -to establish good rapport & thus goodwill relationship with the audience & make them understand the content of his delivery.

Kinds of Oral Presentation Monologue Presentation Guided Discussion Sales Presentations Training Presentations

Monologue Presentation Monologue comes from Greek monos which means alone & logos means speech It is a speech or verbal presentation given by 1 person in order to express his/her collection of thoughts & ideas aloud to a group of audience. Here the speaker speaks without interruption & finally responds to questions from audience The speaker plans the presentation in advance with all relevant information.

Guided Discussion Here the speaker is more like a moderator or facilitator The speaker & the audience knows well the subject matter of their discussion in advance The speaker enriches the audience with his expert knowledge on the subject Here there is comment & observation from both the parties during the presentation Here- there is more audience response, more detailed analysis & more commitment to find objective conclusion to the issue raised.

Sales Presentation It is a presentation made by business executives to convince or persuade the customers to buy products & services. It intends to sale products & services It introduces the products & services, ask certain questions to raise the curiosity of customers and finally overcome the negative assumptions of the customers.

Training Presentation It is a type of presentation given by any authority person of an organization to provide information and skills to the new candidates in that field. It helps in enhancing the quality & performance of the human resource to achieve organizational and individual goals. It is also key making employees more efficient and productive Training presentation is given to- a. Newly appointed candidates b. The existing employees to enhance their skill c. To employees for promotion & career growth.

Advantages of O.P Immediate feedback from audience-questions can be answered & decisions can be made on the spot The speaker controls the pace of presentation-the speaker can pick up cues from the audience to ensure attention & understanding Visual aids in presentation makes it more effective In presentation there is less work for the audience so it becomes more enjoyable & effective

Disadvantages of O.P. Oral presentation is not a permanent record of information unlike written information- it can disappear from the audience s mind within the hours of delivery Oral presentation may also be expensive than written reports as it requires physical presence of presenter & audience at a place It fails to reach large number of audience in a given moment.

Factors Affecting Presentation The following factors affect the effectiveness of the presentation Audience Analysis- -If the speaker has analyzed the audience in proper way before presentation, presentation will be more effective -poor or improper analysis leads to ineffective presentation

Communication environment- -it affects in the effectiveness of presentation -proper arrangement of the physical setting like the stage, lighting, seating arrangement, noise etc. Necessary to enhance the impact of presentation

Topic- -the speaker must be clear about the topic -he should support the topic with notes, explanations & examples Opening & Closing of presentation- -proper emphasis on the beginning & closing of presentation to create interest in audience -Open the presentation with an interesting remark & close it with concrete opinions

Organisation of Presentation- -Proper organization of the information necessary for effective presentation -Proper ordering of information in the presentation will make the message more understandable, keep audiences involved and boost the image of the speaker.

Personal Appearance- -Personal appearance of the speaker has a great impact on the audience -the speaker should look more formal and professional in his attire to bring positive effect Use of Visuals- -Use of visual aids in presentation can enhance the effective of presentation -visual techniques makes the message more credible & interesting

Language & Words- -the language & words used in presentation should be known to the audience - The language used should be able to retain the attention & interest of the audience Body Language- -effective use of body language is necessary for effective presentation -the speaker should make eye contact, use positive gestures & strong movement to have more impact in the receivers mind.

Answering Questions- -Presenter s skill in handling questions at the end of presentation is necessary for effective presentation -The speaker s response should be positive & impersonal & complete in all respects.

Principles of O.P. Or Giving Effective Presentation Effective presentation requires certain skills like public speaking skills, skills to use technological aids, proper planning, proper analysis of purpose and audience analysis skills. So every successful and effective presentation has to go through the following stages-

STAGES in Oral Presentation 1. Strategy-It involves the following -Plan out the presentation in advance -Determining the general purpose of presentation -Analyse the audience beforehand in terms of demographics, social context, level of knowledge & psychological needs & interests -Deciding the time, date and place of your presentation & prepare accordingly.

2. Structure- Decide the style and content of presentation Collection of information data books, journals, interviews, surveys etc. & organize it in a logical order Prepare an outline of your presentation in 3 major parts- a. Introduction b. Main Body c. Conclusion Plan out the conclusion in advance because the success of presentation depends on the final response.

Outline of the Presentation -Attention gaining opening statement -Introduction of the main theme/ topic -Body of the presentation into sections/parts, illustrate with examples -Review & summing up the topic -Concluding remark & Observation

Support- Presentation can be made more effective with the use of supporting materials and Visual-aids. -Use of visual aids can make presentation illuminating, interesting, emphasize certain points and create impact. -It delivers information more accurately & quickly -But the visual aid selected should suit the style & content of your presentation. -Some of the supporting materials & visual aids include white boards, hand outs, flip charts, OHP PPTS, LCD projectors, video tapes etc.

Speech- Delivering the Presentation - To hold the attention & interest of audience the presenter has to keep an eye on manner of presentation, positive body language, vocal inflections, perfectly timed pauses, facial expressions, gestures etc. - The presenter must know how to say or present the information with enthusiasm. - There should be certain degree of formality & spontaneity with lively sense of communication - Combination of visual, verbal & vocal elements - There should be a question & answer session for clarification of doubts - There are 4 modes of delivery (Method) for making presentation

Manuscript- - Here the speaker write out the entire beforehand and read them out before the audience. - The advantage of this is accuracy because the speaker can read out everything he has written. - But this method sometimes become dull & monotonous & speaker could hardly make eye contact with audience

Memorised - Here the speaker memorizes the entire speech and recites the word for word from memory - The disadvantage of this method is that if the speaker misses any points it spoils entire effect of his speech

Extemporaneous -This is the most popular & effective method of presentation -Here the speaker carefully plan the speech well in advance and present it spontaneously to audience - The speaker neither writes or memorizes the speech. Impromptu- A speech made with little or no preparation or forethought, unprepared extemporaneous speech.

Visual Elements- -Smart formal dressing -Confident & positive body language -Maintaining eye contact Verbal Elements- - Use of exact words & pronunciation - Use of short sentences avoiding figurative expressions Vocal Elements- - Speak in enthusiastic & loud voice - Keep note of intonation pattern