Giving a Presentation

A quick guide

Giving good presentations is a requirement of university study and of work. Almost every RMIT subject will require you to give a presentation of some kind, and then when you graduate and move into your chosen career, you will need to give presentations to both clients and colleagues. So, developing good presentation skills is important. This guide covers the very basics of good presentations.

In this handout Presentation objectives Structure Audience Visual Aids Delivery

Seven points to consider when giving a presentation

1) Purpose of the presentation Having a well-defined purpose will mean that your presentation is clear and focussed. It is not necessary, or desirable, to say everything you know about a topic. What do you need to achieve with your presentation? Is the presentation to inform, persuade, entertain or demonstrate? What should the presentation include or omit? 2) Structure of a presentation A presentation should have three parts: Introduction: Say what you are going to say. Body: Say it. Conclusion: Say that you said it.

This may seem needlessly repetitive, but people have a tendency to remember the first and last things said to them (the theory of primacy and recency) so the most important message should be stated at the beginning and the end, with the body acting as the logical justification for the position being presented. In the introduction, you should: Tell your audience who you are and why you are giving this presentation. Tell them what the presentation is about. Tell them what your objectives are. Tell them what the background to the presentation is. Tell them what they can gain from listening to you. Ask some closed (yes/no) questions as this will get the audience involved right at the start.

In the body, you should: Give details of your topic in a logical and coherent order. Use anecdotes and real examples to illustrate your points (this will allow your listeners to relate to you and your experience). Tell them how this information applies to them. Back up all the claims that you made at the start (if you cant support it, dont say it!).

In the conclusion, you should: Summarise your key points and explain how you have achieved the stated outcomes of your presentation. Give the audience your contact details in case they require further information. Invite questions. Try to end positively. Avoid saying Thats all! or just trailing off into silence.
Learning Skills Unit Saigon: Level 4 In the Library / Hanoi: 1.2.010 In the Library learningskills.sg@rmit.edu.vn / learningskills.hn@rmit.edu.vn

3) The audience When planning a presentation you must take into account who will be in the audience and why they are there. Members of the audience will be at your presentation for a reason and this will be different in different contexts. Do you know what those reasons are? Will you meet their expectations? You should think about what the audience already knows about the subject. Assuming too much prior knowledge on the part of the audience will result in confusion. On the other hand, telling people things they already know may cause them to feel bored and patronised. 4) Body language The success of your presentation will be affected by your body language. Below is a table of good, positive body language, and also body language to avoid. Positive body language Standing up straight and facing the audience. Holding your head up high, with your chin up. Using your hands to emphasise and reinforce your points. Varying your gestures. Nodding your head and smiling to emphasise what you are saying. Making proper eye contact. 5) Tone of voice It is important to vary the volume, speed and intonation of your voice. If you are talking naturally, this shouldnt really be an issue. Problems occur when presenters memorise their presentation or read from a script. Both of these approaches cause unnatural speech patterns and make the audience feel alienated because they are not being involved. If you memorise or use a script, there is no way to adapt your presentation to the needs of your audience. Remember, a presentation is like a conversation where most of the talking is done by one person. You would never recite a memorised speech to your friends, would you? When doing a presentation, you should think of it as a conversation with your friends and this will help you to present in a relaxed and successful manner. 6) Handling questions This is always difficult, but it is important to be prepared. Look through your presentation, identify the key messages and think of questions that could be asked about each point. Remember if you get questions you cant answer, be honest and admit that you dont know. Tell your audience you will investigate the question and get back to them with an answer. Another option might be to ask experts in the audience for the answer. 7) Visual aids Visual aids are an essential part of any presentation, but they are very easy to get wrong. If you are using PowerPoint, be careful that the slides dont compete with you for the audiences attention. Use one font throughout. Dont put too much text on the slides. Dont use clashing colour schemes such as green text on a red background. Dont use too many animations or sound effects. Keep the information simple and easy to follow. If you use a graph, highlight the information that is relevant. Dont show everything. Give handouts at the end, or as appropriate during the presentation, not at the beginning.
(Adapted from ELAS 2008, Academic Skills Sheets, Brunel University, London)

Body language to avoid Continuous eye contact or staring. Constantly rubbing an eye, nose or ear. Continuously clearing your throat. Clenching your hands or pointing. Crossing your arms or legs. Shuffling your feet and swaying.

Learning Skills Unit Saigon: Level 4 In the Library / Hanoi: 1.2.010 In the Library learningskills.sg@rmit.edu.vn / learningskills.hn@rmit.edu.vn