PRESENTATION STRATEGIES

Today it is necessary for us as a student, researcher, a job-seeking person or a manager of a business organization to know how to develop a presentation on a specific subject. Our ability to deliver the communicating your information clearly. Secondly, it creates a very good impression about us as a speaker. Our impact as a presenter is immediate and our confidence & readiness of mind stands out as attributes of our personality.

What is Presentation? A presentation is a live mode of sharing information for a selected audience. Its a form of oral communication in which a person shares factual information with a particular audience. To present the facts or information in well organized structured & formal manner is presentation. Presentation is a medium to possess or to develop good public speaking skill. Key point of this skill is that it should be effective constant practice is necessary to acquire this skill. Lenny Leskowski has said Half of the world is composed of people who have something to say but cant & the others half who have nothing to say & keep on saying it.

 Purpose of Presentation : The purpose of presentation is not only to decide the content & style but it effects the interaction of audience. Purpose of any presentation is :1. To Inform & Instract 2. To Persuade 3. To Analyse It needs a lot of on the spot thinking & deep knowledge because audience interaction & reaction also plays important role in fulfilling the purpose of presentation.

A. Analyzing the Audience

& Locale : Audience are at the

receiving end of any presentation, so the nature of audience has a direct impact on the presentation. It is necessary to have some prior knowledge of the audience. To analyse the audience presents should know about the size of the audience, their level of understanding education, cultural background likes, dislikes, age, range etc. one should structure his presentation so that audience may feel comfortable also. After having an overall understanding of audience the speaker should also have the knowledge of place locale. It implies physical environment every location has its unique physical environment. The speaker should know about :-

1. Place of presentation 2. A table or podium 3. Seating arrangement, room tempreture & lighting etc. 4. Availability of public address system. 5. Visual aids are available or not, whatever suits to that environment. Organizing Content : People vary in this ability to speake confidently in public. If material is not edited the audience may get confused. So the systematic arrangement of ideas & facts should be followed in presentation. The content of presentation is organized into 3 main parts. 1. Introduction 2. Main Body 3. Conclusion Introduction : It is the opening of presentation. It comprises aim & the layout. It can be a question sincere greeting or a starting statement. This catches the attention of audience & prepares them to listen to the rest of the presentation. After introduction, the purpose of presentation should be started clearly & precisely. Main body : The main body supports the aim or specific purpose of presentation the major points are expended here which are highlighted already in the opening.

The main body requires its own arrangement of material. The theme & the purpose of presentation, order of the main content to be organized. Conclusion : The conclusion sums up the presentation by reviewing the main points. Conclusion often has an echo of the beggining. It can be made interesting by using some quotations etc. Question are invited from the audience at the end of presentation. In conclusion the speaker should remind the audience briefly about the purpose of presentation. It can be to pursuade them or to motivate them. No new idea should be introduced in conclusion ending should be memorable.

Preparing with outline : An outline is a mechanical framework which are fitted by the bits & pieces of the presentation material. It serves as a guide to show a light path to the presentation. It saves the presentation from being lengthy or grumbling. It helps us to be restricted in the predesigned track. Outline can be in form of words phrases or sentences. It helps us to be prepare in response to audience feedback. Audio-Visual Aids : Spoken words are not long lasting as soon as they come out of ones mouth, they evaporate into the air so speeches need strong visual & support such as handouts, slides computers, tables, charts, film etc.

Our society it visual oriented. Seeing is believing audience likes to hear as well as see the information. Audio visual aid can make our presentation more effective. It stimulates the audience & they take more interest in presentation. The selection of audio visual aids depends on the topic of presentation and the adaptability of the audience to it. Audio visual aids help to :1. Increase audience interest. 2. Illustrate key points. 3. Increase impact of message. 4. Help in listeners retain information. 5. Help in presenting the ideas without depending on notes. 6. For intensives audience with the language as accent of speaker.

The visual should be neatly designed accurate easy to grasp & balanced in no. Large font must be used according to the mental status of the audience the speaker should make his visual colourful, factual or figurative and so on. Audio visual aids enhance the values of our presentation, it is will said things seen retain longer in the memory than only heard. Too many visual or crowded visuals can spoil the

presentation so, the speaker should choose the most appropriate according to two the presentation. Modes of Delivery : Only the content of presentation is not important the manner of putting is also more important. Having something to say is not enough we must know how to say it. Good delivery conveys ideas clearly interestingly & without distracting the audience. Good delivery of an presentation holds the attention & interest of audience. Manner of presentation, vocal inflection perfect time pause gesture, facial expression are the part of an expert delivery. Mostly audience prefer the delivery that combines a good conversation directness spontaniety, vocal & facial expression and a lively sense of communication. There are four method to make the presentation :1. Extemporaneous 2. Impromptu 3. Memorization or without script 4. Manu script or with script

Extemporaneous : In this mode the presentation is made with the help of an outline. This is very popular mode. The speaker prepares the notes on a card or sheet & presences with the help of supporting material. It makes the presentation quite effective & spontaneous if it is well rehearsed. It enables the speaker to move freely with ease.

Advantage : 1. Presentation sounds natural & spontaneous because of more eye contact. 2. The speaker can be flexible in language. 3. The presentation can be best structured. Disadvantage : 1. Too much use of notes can lost the spontaneity of the presentation. 2. Inadequate presentation can be uncomfortable & speaker can get lose. Impromptu : In this mode the speaker has to deliver an informal speech without presentation. In this presentation content should be proper and brief but it can be supported with examples & quotes. It should be natural. Advantage : 1. It sounds natural. 2. The speaker says what be feels Disadvantage : 1. This mode looks organized development of ideas because of shortage of time. 2. Chances of grambling are very high. 3. The presentation fails because vocalized inadequacy of language.

Manuscript : In this presentation material is written & read aloud. For effective use of this mode the speaker should go through the material several time he should know what is written where. He should be good in reading with tone variation & gesture to make the presentation interesting. Advantages : 1. It is a permanent & accurate record of what we say. 2. The material is organized & developed systematically. 3. Language gets polished. Disadvantages : 1. Lack of proper eye contact because of reading. 2. There is not much scope of non-verbal communication. 3. Interaction & conversation with audience is not possible easily.

Memorization : This mode stands b/w extemporaneous & manuscript speech is written out before than memorized & finally delivered by memory. This method seems difficult for most of the people.

Advantage : 1. Speaker can easily move & make use of non-verbal communication. 2. It makes very easy to maintain eye contact with the audience throughout the speech.

Disadvantage : 1. It takes too much time to memorize. 2. No flexibility is possible during the speech.

Non-Verbal Communication : In face to face communication the message is conveyed on two levels simultaneously one is verbal & other is non-verbal. Non-verbal communication refers to all communication that occurs without the use of words either spoken or written. Non-verbal communication enhances the impact of verbal

communication. The level of non-verbal communication as high as 80% of all communication. According Albart Mahabion total impact of message 7% communication comes from spoken words 38% from the vocal & 55% from body language. Non-verbal communication is concerned with as follows :1. Kinesics (bodily movment or body language) 2. Proximics ( space language) 3. Paralinguistic (Vocal features) 4. Chronemics( time management or time dimension) Kinesics : It is study of body movement to judge inner state of emotion. It is the way what the body communicate without the words & through various movements of its parts. All bodily movement are guided by thoughts & emotions.

By nodding our head, blinking

our eyes, waving our hands,

shrugging our shoulders & various other ways we send out our signals & messages that often speak louder than words. Important element of kinesics are: personal appearance, posture, gesture, facial expression, eye contact, hand shake etc. Personal Appearance : It plays an important role to communicate effectively. People see us before they hear us, so the speaker should plan his appearance in the same way. Personal appearance includes clothes hair, jewellary, cosmetics & so on. All these should suit the occasion. Appearance communicates how we feel about ourselves & how we want to be viewed. Postures (Body Position): It is a way how we carry our slaves when we walk, stand or sit. A right posture can encourage the audience to participate. Ones postures reveals ones confidence or nervousness spirit or lack of it. Standing, sitting or walking in a relaxed way is a positive posture. Pacing constantly, bobbing the shoulders, fidgeting the notes jingling coins, standing rigidly, shifting weight from one foot to another constantly are undesirable postures.

Gesture : It is a physical movement of the body parts like hands, arms, legs, shoulders, head etc. A well timed gesture enhances the impact & adds great value of the message. Gesture play an important role to convey the message effectively. An ungainly gesture like (playing with ring or button, twisting the key chain, clasping the hand tightly or cracking the knuckles) can spoils the effectiveness of message. Right gesture make our presentation more lively. Gesture should not divert the attention & distract from the message. Gesture should be quite natural & spontaneous.

Facial Expression : The face is the most expressve part of the body. Appropriate facial expression add effective impression to our words. A smiling face is the best introducer. A smile stands for friendliness, a frown for discontent, raised eyebrows for disbelief,

tightened jaw, muscles for anger etc. A sad, tense or blank face spoils the smooth flow & positive interest of the presentation. For sustaining the interest & response of the audience, the facial expression should be meaningful. Eye Contact : Eyes reflect the mind of a person & reveal more than words. Eye contact should be familiar & pleasant. It counts not only to look at the audience but how to look at them.

The eyes are considered to be the windows of the soul. Eye contact reveals the speakers identity looking in to the eyes the speaker helps to find out his truthfulness, intelligence, attitude & feeling. Looking directly at audience builds a rapo. Its a signal for confidence & sincerity. Eye contact helps in getting the desired response or feedback. Hand Shake : Hand shake conveys crucial message about power, status & concern for the person we meet. A firm & strong handshake conveys warmth & confidence whereas bending the wrist or gripping only the fingers gives weak & wrong signals. Proximics : It is the study of space around us, how we communicate with it or how we use space around us to communicate the message. It is the study of physical space b/w two person engaged in the act of communication. Space is related to behavioural norms. Space around us & its content conveys a definite meaning. The best situation is to ensure that non of the parties feels uncomfortable. Nobody is made to feel that he or she is being imposed upon by the listener. Distancewise space language can be classified as: intimate, personal, social, public. Intimate : This zone starts with personal touch & extends to 18 inches. Members of the family, spouses, lovers, relatives & parents come under this zone.

Other closeones when they want to congratulate, sympathies or console. A handshake, a pat on the back or a hug all come into this zone either silence or most whispered words are used for this communication. Personal : This zone starts from 18 inches to 4 feet. Though it is personal it is quite relaxed & casual place. Close friends colleagues peers etc. come under this zone. Instead of whispering sound or utter silence normal talk takes place. It permits spontaneous & unprogramed communication. It gives the impression of friendliness & warmth. Social : Social distance starts ranging from 4 feet to 12 feet. It is used for formal & official relationship. This distance is most suitable for our business & professional dealings. More planning & cautiousness is required in social space language. Public : This zone starts from the distance of 12 feet & may extend to 30 feet or as far as we can see or hear. In this zone the speaker has to raise his voice to communicate or use a microphone. It is more formal. The audience views whats happening as an impartial observer. Public figures mainly communicate through this zone. They have to maintain this distance because of security reasons.

Paralinguistic : It means like the language but not actually the language only. Paralinguistic features are non-verbal cues that help us to give impression effect & practice to our voice. A good speaker needs naturally correct pronunciation, right accent proper variation in volume & pitch, well regulated rate of speech with necessary pauses. Voice modulation makes all the difference b/w a presentation and mere reading or repeating the pre-set text. This skill can be improved by constant practice. Vocal characteristic such as voice, volume, rate, pitch, pause, pronunciation etc. help to express & reflect speaker attitude. Voice : Voice is or trademark. Voice gives extra life to our presentation. Each one has a distinguished voice. It adds human touch to our words. It may be rich and resonant, soft, hoarse & husky, harsh & irritating. Its quality can be improved by constant practice. Volume : Volume is the loudness softness of the voice. Volume

depends on the place where we have to deliver the speech, if we speak in a large & open place the volume should be high if the place is small & enclosed the volume should be low. The speaker should vary his volume to make is voice clear & audible.

Rate/Pace : Rate is the no of words which we speak per minute. It varies from person to person & ranges from 80 to 280 words per minute. The normal rate is 120 to 150. A well paced presentation suggests enthusiasm, self assurance & awareness of audience. Pitch : It refers to the no of variation per second to our voice. The rise & fall of the voice conveys various emotions as low pitch indicates sadness, shock, dullness, guilt etc. & high pitch indicates joy, anger excitement. A well balanced pitch results in a clear & effective tone. It helps to the attention of listeners. Pause : A pause is a short silence between the words. Its a natural process to give a break. It helps the speaker to glide from one thought to another. Voice Modulation : It is the way to regulate, vary or adjust the tone, pitch and volume of the sound. Voice modulation helps to avoid being too much sounding & monotonous. Pronunciation : It is to speak out sounds in a way that is generally accepted. The speaker should be careful to pronounce sound alongwith words according to the set norms. Chronemics (Time dimension or time management) : It is the study of how human beings communicate through their use of time. What

does time mean to us? How do we attempt to control time? How the speaker should use time as an effective communication tool? In the professional world time is a valuable commodity. So to use time as an effective communication tool, the speaker should attempt to control & manage the time. People have their own time language. Time language also varies from culture to culture but awareness of schedule is a chronemic element. Good timing is crucial because staying within time limit is a mark of courtesy & professionalism. The speaker must reach at right time for the presentation. It is discourteous to keep audience waiting. It may affect them adversely. The speaker should respect the time allowed for presentation. He should manage to complete it within the time. Careful planning & rehearsals can help in the management of time.