What is a good presenter? “A presenter should be like a mini skirt: Long enough to cover the vital parts, and short enough to attract attention.”

This is the basic structure of a talk: 1. Introduction 2. Main part (body) 3. Conclusion 4. Question & Answer session Plan your presentation carefully This means that you need to plan every part carefully. Your presentation must tell a story. At this stage you are like a screen-writer, someone who is writing a play.

Introduction Introduction is probably the most important part. The Purpose of the introduction is “to tell the audience what you are going to tell them.” You should remember that there is no second chance for a first bad impression. If you start off badly you will spoil everything. During the introduction you need to achieve the following aims: Gain A ttention attract I nterest create D esire stimulate A ction

Getting started - greeting the audience Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to my presentation. It’s very nice to see you all here today. Can we get started? Let me say just a few words about my background... What you need to do first is to greet your audience. Here are some useful phrases: Then you proceed to the introduction to your topic

Making an effective opening Give them a problem to think about (Suppose you... Why is it that...) Give them some amazing facts. (Did you know that...) Give them a story or a personal anecdote (stories always atract attention) Use a citation (if you want to start on a more philosophical note) Make a funny remark (but be careful with humour, not all jokes work well) Record a music piece perhaps (if appropriate for the topic) There are several ways to attract the audience right from the beginning. Think of one of the following techniques to introduce your talk:

Possible Introduction Scheme: 1.Quotation A quotation from a well-known person can be a very effective opening.

Rhetorical or Survey Question Asking a question immediately engages the minds of the audience members as they attempt to answer it in their heads or by a show of hands. “How many of you have ever considered plastic surgery?”

Declarative Statement Opening with a bold, powerful statement is another good way to grab the audience’s attention. A startling statistic or bold claim can jolt them and set the stage for an educational or informational talk. “In the time it takes for me to speak to you tonight, twenty men will be diagnosed with colon cancer.”

Scenario This type of opening usually begins with “Imagine…” and the goal is to create a scene for audience members to visualize in their minds. “Imagine yourself in Tahiti, sitting on a beautiful, secluded beach, a gentle breeze blowing…”. Remember that audiences rarely remember the words you say; they remember the pictures you paint for them.

Anecdote You’ve probably already heard somewhere that you should never open a speech with a joke. That’s true, but it is okay to open with a short, amusing story, as long as it is both short and amusing

Language matters: Spoken vs. Written Style The language of presentations is different from the language that is used in publications or course books. You should make your language as simple and clear as you can. Apply the KISS principle: Keep it Simple Stupid.

Ending your talk When you come to the end of your presentation, you need to indicate this to the people. Don’t just end up abruptly without giving a conclusion. The purpose of the conclusion is to “tell the people what you have told them”. Follow this scheme: summarise facts give recommendations give proposals Thank the audience Invite questions

Ending your talk : useful phrases Thanking the audience & Inviting questions Thank you for your attention, and if you have any questions I’ll be pleased to answer them. I’ll be happy to answer any questions. Are there any questions you’d like to ask? Wrapping up This brings me to the end of my presentation. Let me just run over the key points again… To sum up briefly… To conclude … As we’ve seen… So, my recommendation is …. I would welcome any suggestions.

Rehearsal Rehearsal is a vital part of preparation. You should leave time to practice your speech two or three times and also practice with a small audience. In this way you will… – become more familiar with what you want to say – identify weaknesses in your presentation – be able to practice difficult pronunciations – be able to check the time that your presentation takes and make any necessary modifications So practice, practice, practice! Prepare everything: words, visual aids, timing, equipment. Rehearse your presentation several times and time it. Is it the right length? Are you completely familiar with all your illustrations? Are they in the right order? Can you give good comments to your visuals? How will you answer difficult questions? Do you know the room? Are you confident about the equipment? When you have answered all these questions, you will become more confident.

Consider this in preparing your presentation: Simplify the text. Focus your material. You can’t say everything. Use transitions to move smoothly. Use examples, anecdotes or statistics to support your message. Use a lot of visuals to reinforce the message. Consider timing. Apply the KISS principle. Practice alone and with a small audience. Conclusion