The Basics of Oral Presentations Guidelines for giving a successful speech Elizabeth Tebeaux Professor of English

Know your Audience and your Purpose  Know who you are addressing.  Know what the audience expects from you.  Know your purpose and the amount of time you will have.  Remember that your audience will determine what you say.  Keep your presentation as concise as possible.

Plan Your Presentation  Develop an interesting title that will focus your audience’s attention.  Avoid excessive detail. Stick to important points.  Remember: listening is harder than reading.  Avoid trying to cover too many topics.  Again: watch the length of your presentation! Nearly everybody hates long speeches.

Use a 3-Part Structure  Introduction--Tell the audience your topic, the points you will cover, and the reason your topic is important to them.  Body--Discuss each point. Accentuate each point.  Conclusion--Repeat the key ideas you want your audience to remember. Repetition of ideas is critical!

The Introduction  Attempt to establish rapport with your audience & interest them in your topic.  State the main purpose of your presentation.  Explain the importance of your presentation as it relates to your audience.

Main Section  Limit your presentation to main issues.  Announce each topic as you come to it.  Use visual aids, like PowerPoint slides, to help listeners follow your explanation.  Use illustrations to help listeners visualize your ideas.  Keep your explanation simple. Don’t over explain!

Conclusion  Restate the key points you want your audience to remember.  Help listeners visualize your message and then remember your main points.  At this point, you may want to give readers a copy of your presentation for later reference.

Structure of the Presentation  Throughout the presentation, accentuate your movement from one point to another. Help the audience know when you have completed the introduction. Help them know when you have completed one topic and are beginning another. Help them follow your plan.

Delivery Techniques--1  Be sure everyone can see you.  Begin speaking with no visual aids. You want people to focus on YOU.  Avoid notes. Use PowerPoint, or at least an outline. Speak from the outline. Use a laser pointer, but don’t wave it.  Watch people as you speak. You can tell if you are not “coming through.”

 Always use some kind of visual aid, unless your presentation is very short.  Make all visuals readable and colorful.  Do not place too much information on any single visual.  Introduce each visual at the appropriate time in the presentation. Delivery Techniques--2

 Keep your body erect.  Keep your eyes on the noses of your audience.  Don’t be afraid to use your hands for gestures.  Move your body deliberately at major transition points in your presentation. Delivery Techniques--3

 Rehearse your presentation, but don’t memorize it. Trying to memorize your speech will likely cause you to forget what you are saying!  Save all handouts until the end of the presentation. You want the audience to listen to YOU, not read. Delivery Techniques--4

The Four Goals  As a speaker, you want to be remembered as one who is knowledgeable prepared well-organized and honest.

In short...  Plan,  Organize,  Prepare, and  Practice, Practice, Practice.  Be sure the handout of your presentation makes sense by itself.