Professional Presentation Skills Part One: Preparation ITC/ILO December 14- 18 2009 Young Trade Union Leaders Victoria Munsey

Powerful Presentations Preparation knowing your listeners identifying your purpose organising your presentation Performance speaking clearly controlling nervousness choosing language controlling non-verbal behaviour using & designing visuals handling questions putting final touches

Preparation Where? Who? When? Why? How? What?

Why & What: Identifying Your Purpose to inform: gives information in an unbiased manner to persuade: gets listeners to accept a specific point of view to motivate: move listeners to a specific action

Why & What: Identifying Your Purpose your goal or purpose is your objective it is why you are there can have only one the result you want to achieve state in one sentence Be brief

Who: Know Your Listeners what do they know? what would they like to know? what are their attitudes & behaviours likely to be? why are they listening? why am I speaking to these listeners?

Knowing Your Listeners: Checkpoints Don’t take anything for granted plan this event according to the last one Do speak to the co-ordinators of the event visit the site determine the listeners’ level of technical knowledge use the Audience Profile & Listeners’ Checklist

How: Organising Your Presentation Four-Step Outline 1. tell what you’re going to tell them 2. tell why they should listen 3. tell your message 4. tell what you told them

Middle Beginning Ending

The Beginning capture interest relate subject to them give purpose be brief

The Middle -have 3 main points -takes 80% of the time - they will not remember more than 3 points! -takes 80% of the time -have signposts and summaries

The Ending -summarize main points -relate conclusion to them -don’t present new ideas -be interesting: one human-story is more powerful than hundreds of arguments and facts & figures -be brief

How - Technology power-point overheads whiteboard/blackboard flipcharts cards

Rehearsal -rehearsal is the most important part of preparing -run through your presentation at least twice -check timing

Timing “I must apologize for making a rather long speech this morning. I didn’t have the time to prepare a short one!” Winston Churchill

Timing “ I do not object to people looking at their watches when I am speaking - but I strongly object when they start shaking them to make certain they are still going.” Lord Birkett

He who fails to prepare is preparing for failure - so