Presentation Skills

Introduction
Presentations are a way of communicating ideas and information to a group. A good presentation has: Content - It contains information that people need. Unlike reports, it must account for how much information the audience can absorb in one sitting. Structure - It has a logical beginning, middle, and end. It must be sequenced and paced so that the audience can understand it. Whereas reports have appendices and footnotes, the presenter must be careful not to lose the audience when wandering from the main point of the presentation. Packaging - It must be well prepared. A report can be reread and portions skipped over, but the audience is at the mercy of a presenter. Human Element - A good presentation will be remembered much more than a good report because it has a person attached to it. But you still need to analyze if the audience's needs would not be better met if a report was sent instead.

The Voice
The voice is probably the most valuable tool of the presenter. It carries most of the content that the audience takes away. One of the oddities of speech is that we can easily tell others what is wrong with their voice, e.g. too fast, too high, too soft, etc., but we have trouble listening to and changing our own voices. There are four main terms used for defining vocal qualities: Volume: How loud the sound is. The goal is to be heard without shouting. Good speakers lower their voice to draw the audience in, and raise it to make a point. Tone: The characteristics of a sound. An airplane has a different sound than leaves being rustled by the wind. A voice that carries fear can frighten the audience, while a voice that carries laughter can get the audience to smile. Pitch: How high or low a note is. Pace: This is how long a sound lasts. Talking too fast causes the words and syllables to be short, while talking slowly lengthens them. Varying the pace helps to maintain the audience's interest.

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There are two good methods for improving your voice: Listen to it! Practice listening to your voice while at home, driving, walking, etc. Then when you are at work or with company, monitor your voice to see if you are using it how you want to. To really listen to your voice, cup your right hand around your right ear and gently pull the ear forward. Next, cup your left hand around your mouth and direct the sound straight into your ear. This helps you to really hear your voice as others hear it...and it might be completely different from the voice you thought it was! Now practice moderating your voice.

The Body
Your body communicates different impressions to the audience. People not only listen to you, they also watch you. Slouching tells them you are indifferent or you do not care...even though you might care a great deal! On the other hand, displaying good posture tells your audience that you know what you are doing and you care deeply about it. Also, a good posture helps you to speak more clearly and effective. Throughout you presentation, display: Eye contact: This helps to regulate the flow of communication. It signals interest in others and increases the speaker's credibility. Speakers who make eye contact open the flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth, and credibility. Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm, and approachable. Smiling is often contagious and others will react favorably. They will be more comfortable around you and will want to listen to you more. Gestures: If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be perceived as boring and stiff. A lively speaking style captures attention, makes the material more interesting, and facilitates understanding. Posture and body orientation: You communicate numerous messages by the way you talk and move. Standing erect and leaning forward communicates that you are approachable, receptive, and friendly. Interpersonal closeness results when you and your audience face each other. Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided as it communicates disinterest. Proximity: Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with others. You should look for signals of discomfort caused by invading other's space. Some of these are: rocking, leg swinging, tapping, and gaze aversion. Typically, in large rooms, space invasion is not a problem. In most instances there is too much distance. To counteract this, move around the room to increase interaction with your audience. Increasing the proximity enables you to make better eye contact and increases the opportunities for others to speak.
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Vary your voice. One of the major criticisms of speakers is that they speak in a monotone voice. Listeners perceive this type of speaker as boring and dull. People report that they learn less and lose interest more quickly when listening to those who have not learned to modulate their voices. Nerves The main enemy of a presenter is tension, which ruins the voice, posture, and spontaneity. The voice becomes higher as the throat tenses. Shoulders tighten up and limits flexibility while the legs start to shake and causes unsteadiness. The presentation becomes "canned" as the speaker locks in on the notes and starts to read directly from them. First, do not fight nerves, welcome them! Then you can get on with the presentation instead of focusing in on being nervous. Actors recognize the value of nerves...they add to the value of the performance. This is because adrenaline starts to kick in. It's a left over from our ancestors' "fight or flight" syndrome. If you welcome nerves, then the presentation becomes a challenge and you become better. If you let your nerves take over, then you go into the flight mode by withdrawing from the audience. Again, welcome your nerves, recognize them, let them help you gain that needed edge! Do not go into the flight mode! When you feel tension or anxiety, remember that everyone gets them, but the winners use them to their advantage, while the losers get overwhelmed by them. Tension can be reduced by performing some relaxation exercises. Stand with your feet about 6 inches apart, arms hanging by your sides, and fingers unclenched. Gently shake each part of your body, starting with your hands, then arms, shoulders, torso, and legs. Concentrate on shaking out the tension. Then slowly rotate your shoulders forwards and the backwards. Move on to your head. Rotate it slowly clockwise, and then counter-clockwise. Mental Visualization: Before the presentation, visualize the room, audience, and you giving the presentation. Mentally go over what you are going to do from the moment you start to the end of the presentation. During the presentation: Take a moment to yourself by getting a drink of water, take a deep breath, concentrate on relaxing the most tense part of your body, and then return to the presentation saying to your self, "I can do it!" You do NOT need to get rid of anxiety and tension! Channel the energy into concentration and expressiveness. Know that anxiety and tension is not as noticeable to the audience as it is to you. Know that even the best presenters make mistakes. The key is to continue on after the mistake. If you pick up and continue, so will the audience. Winners continue! Losers stop!

Questions
Although some people get a perverse pleasure from putting others on the spot, and some try to look good in front of the boss, most people ask questions from a genuine interest.
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Questions do not mean you did not explain the topic well enough, but that their interest is deeper than the average audience. Always allow time at the end of the presentation for questions. After inviting questions, do not rush ahead if no one asks a question. Pause for about 6 seconds to allow the audience to gather their thoughts. When a question is asked, repeat the question to ensure that everyone heard it (and that you heard it correctly). When answering, direct your remarks to the entire audience. That way, you keep everyone focused, not just the questioner. To reinforce your presentation, try to relate the question back to the main points. Make sure you listen to the question being asked. If you do not understand it, ask them to clarify. Pause to think about the question as the answer you give may be correct, but ignore the main issue. If you do not know the answer, be honest, do not waffle. Tell them you will get back to them...and make sure you do! Answers that last 10 to 40 seconds work best. If they are too short, they seem abrupt; while longer answers appear too elaborate. Also, be sure to keep on track. Do not let off-the-wall questions sidetrack you into areas that are not relevant to the presentation. If someone takes issue with something you said, try to find a way to agree with part of their argument. For example, "Yes, I understand your position..." or "I'm glad you raised that point, but..." The idea is to praise their point and agree with them. Audiences sometimes tend to think of "us verses you." You do not want to risk alienating them. Keep cool if a questioner disagrees with you. You are a professional! No matter how hard you try, not everyone in the world will agree with you!

"To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail."

Preparing the Presentation A good presentation starts out with introductions and an icebreaker such as a story, interesting statement or fact, joke, quotation, or an activity to get the group warmed up. The introduction also needs an objective, that is, the purpose or goal of the presentation. This not only tells you what you will talk about, but it also informs the audience of the purpose of the presentation. Next, comes the body of the presentation. Do NOT write it out word for word. All you want is an outline. By jotting down the main points on a set of index cards, you not only have your outline, but also a memory jogger for the actual presentation. To prepare the presentation, ask yourself the following: What is the purpose of the presentation? Who will be attending? What does the audience already know about the subject?
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What is the audience's attitude towards me (e.g. hostile, friendly)? A 45 minutes talk should have no more than about seven main points. This may not seem like very many, but if you are to leave the audience with a clear picture of what you have said, you cannot expect them to remember much more than that. There are several options for structuring the presentation: Timeline - Arranged in sequential order. Climax - The main points are delivered in order of increasing importance. Problem/Solution - A problem is presented, a solution is suggested, and benefits are then given. Classification - The important items are the major points. Simple to complex - Ideas are listed from the simplest to the most complex. You want to include some visual information that will help the audience understand your presentation. Develop charts, graphs, slides, handouts, etc. After the body, comes the closing. This is where you ask for questions, provide a wrap-up (summary), and thank the participants for attending. Notice that you told them what they are about to hear (the objective), told them (the body), and told them what they heard (the wrap up).

And finally, the important part - practice, practice, practice. The main purpose of
creating an outline is to develop a coherent plan of what you want to talk about. You should know your presentation so well, that during the actual presentation, you should only have to briefly glance at your notes to ensure you are staying on track. This will also help you with your nerves by giving you the confidence that you can do it. Your practice session should include a "live" session by practicing in front of coworkers, family, or friends. They can be valuable at providing feedback and it gives you a chance to practice controlling your nerves. Another great feedback technique is to make a video or audio tape of your presentation and review it critically with a colleague. Habits We all have a few habits, and some are more annoying than others. For example, if we say "uh," "you know," or put our hands in our pockets and jingle our keys too often during a presentation, it distracts from the message we are trying to get across. The best way to break one of these distracting habits is with immediate feedback. This can be done with a small group of coworkers, family, or friends. Take turns giving small off-thecuff talks about your favorite hobby, work project, first work assignment, etc. It talk should last about five minutes. During a speaker's first talk, the audience should listen and watch for annoying habits. After the presentation, the audience should agree on the worst two or three habits that take the most away from the presentation. After agreement, each audience member should
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write these habits on a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper (such as the word "Uh"). Use a magic marker and write in BIG letters. The next time the person gives her or his talk, each audience member should wave the corresponding sign in the air whenever they hear or see the annoying habit. For most people, this method will break a habit by practicing at least once a day for one to two weeks. Eleanor Roosevelt was a shy young girl who was terrified at the thought of speaking in public. But with each passing year, she grew in confidence and self-esteem. She once said, "No one can make you feel inferior, unless you agree with it."

Tips and Techniques For Great Presentations

If you have handouts, do not read straight from them. The audience does not know if they should read along with you or listen to you read. Do not put both hands in your pockets for long periods of time. This tends to make you look unprofessional. It is OK to put one hand in a pocket but ensure there is no loose change or keys to jingle around. This will distract the listeners. Do not wave a pointer around in the air like a wild knight branding a sword to slay a dragon. Use the pointer for what it is intended and then put it down, otherwise the audience will become fixated upon your "sword", instead upon you. Do not lean on the podium for long periods. The audience will begin to wonder when you are going to fall over. Speak to the audience...NOT to the visual aids, such as flip charts or overheads. Also, do not stand between the visual aid and the audience. Speak clearly and loudly enough for all to hear. Do not speak in a monotone voice. Use inflection to emphasize your main points. The disadvantages of presentations is that people cannot see the punctuation and this can lead to misunderstandings. An effective way of overcoming this problem is to pause at the time when there would normally be punctuation marks. Learn the name of each participant as quickly as possible. Based upon the atmosphere you want to create, call them by their first names or by using Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms. Tell them what name and title you prefer to be called. Listen intently to comments and opinions. By using a lateral thinking technique (adding to ideas rather than dismissing them), the audience will feel that their ideas, comments, and opinions are worthwhile. List and discuss your objectives at the beginning of the presentation. Let the audience know how your presentation fits in with their goals. Discuss some of the fears and apprehensions that both you and the audience might have. Tell them what they should expect of you and how you will contribute to their goals. Vary your techniques (lecture, discussion, debate, films, slides, reading, etc.)
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Get to the presentation before your audience arrives; be the last one to leave. Be prepared to use an alternate approach if the one you've chosen seems to bog down. You should be confident enough with your own material so that the audience's interests and concerns, not the presentation outline, determines the format. Use your background, experience, and knowledge to interrelate your subject matter. When writing on slides use no more than 7 lines of text per slide and no more than 7 word per line (the 7 7 rule). Also, use bright and bold colors, and pictures as well as text. Consider the time of day and how long you have got for your talk. Time of day can affect the audience. After lunch is known as the graveyard section in training circles as audiences will feel more like a nap than listening to a talk. Most people find that if they practice in their head, the actual talk will take about 25 per cent longer. Using a flip chart or other visual aids also adds to the time. Remember - it is better to finish slightly early than to overrun.

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Developing self confidence

Self confidence is hard for most people to develop. We all struggle with low self esteem at sometime or other. Here are some ways to increase your self confidence. S is for Self-Confidence Success starts with self-confidence. The wonderful thing about success and self-confidence is that they feed off each other. So recognize each small success in your life and your confidence will grow. Use that confidence every time you try something and your chances of success will increase, Self-confidence makes the possible probable. You can do anything you want to do. We're not talking about impossible dreams just realistic, achievable goals. Go just one step further than you've ever gone before and your confidence will blossom. Feel Good about Yourself Lacking in self-confidence and looking for ways to give yourself a boost? The tips given below will perk you up and help you walk tall. 1. If you must examine your "faults", do so with the mirror, not a magnifying glass don't allow them to get out of proportion. For example, restate, "I'm buried in debt," as, "I owe Rs.20000 on credit cards." 2. Learn to do without the word "should". Instead of telling yourself, "I should have finished that job on Friday," substitute the word "could". Realize you have the option of exercising your own choice. 3. Rethink your "mistakes" as lessons learnt, which will help you to prevent future ones. 4. Next time somebody compliments you, don't automatically protest, but gracefully accept. 5. Discard the myth of perfection. Nobody does everything perfectly. 6. Brooding never fixes the problem. To let go of something that's nagging you, give yourself 15 minutes of worry time, then move on. 7. Never compare yourself with others; the point is to improve on your own past performance. 8. Keep a written list of all your accomplishments, however small. Next time feelings of inadequacy threaten to dampen your spirits, you'll have something to look back on and be proud of. 9. Give yourself time to feel good. When you reach an objective, allow for a period of celebration before going on to the next goal. 10. Keep a diary to validate all your thoughts and feelings. 11. Spend time with a friend who cares about you and lets you know it. Friends are an important source of support and objectivity. 12. Make the list of all the people and things in your life for which you are grateful. Recognizing that you are deserving of all these good things will make you feel good about who you are and what you've done.
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13. Plan an escape. For example, on a sunny day, rent a convertible and take a drive with the top down. 14. Become more interesting by being more interested (in people, new hobbies, current events, etc). 15. Give yourself a pep talk. Encourage yourself just as you do your best friend, or as a best friend would do for you. 16. Look at old photographs and reflect on the richness of the events or relationships depicted and how they have enhanced your life. Then plan how you can add more of these events or relationships to your life. 17. Wake up happy. Begin each day with a fun routine. Sing in the shower. If you're not already in a cheerful mood, put on your favorite upbeat tape or CD; load it into the stereo the night before. 18. When you break a negative habit, replace it with a positive one. This way your life won't see emptier. For instance, if you give up your daily chocolate block, either put the money saved towards a weekly bouquet of flowers or a visit to the cinema. 19. Start each morning with a vision of yourself doing all the right things at work, at play and at home. Mentally rehearse the act of winning, just as the professional athletes do. 20. Tell yourself that you are brave as well as likeable. Next time you fell tempted to say hello to a person in a queue, go right ahead. 21. Have a clean out and pass items you no longer use to those who need them. It's amazing how, by getting rid of those old possessions, you make space for wonderful new ones, thoughts and even experiences. 22. Learn a new skill such as dancing, preparing gourmet cuisine or pottery. Learning the basics will give you a taste of success. 23. Spend a weekend at a deluxe hotel and have breakfast in bed. Pamper yourself by the pool. 24. Have a fabulous new haircut, or perhaps a manicure and facial. 25. Take risks. You'll accomplish more and feel good about being brave. 26. Set easy-to-meet, incremental goals. Don't say, "I'm taking charge of my career." Instead, join a professional group or take on a work-related course. You'll feel so good about the results that taking the next step will be much easier. 27. Don't wait to get sick to take care of your health. Order a salad for lunch. Sign up for an exercise class. Snack on fruit instead of junk food. 28. Even if you're not feeling confident, act as if you are. Soon you will realize you're no longer faking it. 29. Affirm your power to change or to remain the same. If you aren't ready to give up a bad habit such as smoking, accept that at this time you choose this habit as a method of coping, and that you can eventually choose to replace it with a healthier one. 30. Make a collage of what you want to create in life. Cut out pictures of things you want (a car, a child, a garden), the things you want to do (travel, learn tennis, do charity word) and words or images that represent qualities you want more of in life (love, adventure).

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Learn to Like Yourself It's a strange idea, isn't it? That you have to like yourself and that you might need to learn how to do it. Maybe you are quite happy with the kind of person you are and the image you present to the world. If so, good for you! But if you can't honestly say "like myself" or if you are not sure this is vital. Ask yourself: If I don't like myself, how can I expect anyone else to like me? When you like yourself, you are able to say "I wish I had someone like me as a friend". So how do you learn to like yourself more? It's all about feeling good about yourself, and that starts with feeling good about the way you look. Feel Good Look Good The two are intertwined, change one and you can change the other. Start with the way you look, if only because that's the easiest way to break our cycle of failure. Remember how you feel when you've just had your hair cut, or just bought new clothes that suit your perfectly? You should feel that good everyday. If you look miserable, you'll get sympathy if you look positive, you'll get support. Even when you are down, make yourself look your best and people will respond to your positive image, which will in turn lift your spirits. Your appearance tells people how you feel about yourself, so don't shackle yourself to a drab exterior. The first thing to do is look in a mirror. Make a list of all the things you don't like about your appearance. Now go through them one by one and make the best of what you've got. Have your hair done, buy new specs or switch to contact lenses, get your teeth fixed, trim your beard, improve your make-up every bit helps. D is for Determination You have to work at this as if it were a mega-budget project. After all, you want to end up feeling a million dollars. Be trying, you are already succeeding. Doing nothing is the greatest failure. Wear the right colors you come alive. Knowing what colors to wear, you never waste money on "wrong" clothes. Once you've discovered your best colors, revamp your wardrobe. Many large department stores have fashion consultants who will help. You don't have to change your whole wardrobe at once. Just wearing the right colored scarf or tie can make the difference. Each small step is an improvement. Every time you buy an item of clothing, make sure it is the right color. Or dye older clothes to the right shade. In the Mirror Every day you should look in the mirror and like what you see a little more. Start by taking a good long look at yourself. Do you think you're too fat or too thin? Do you feel sluggish and tired? To be at your best you need to eat well and to exercise. There's no need to join a health club or become a gym junkie. Walking, swimming or cycling will do just as well. Try getting off the bus or train a stop or two further away from your workplace, or park your car further away. That walk in the morning and at night will make all the difference. There's no need to go on a crazy cash diet either. All you need to do is to use a little common sense, you only get one body look after it and it will last you a lifetime! Eat less fatty food and more fresh fruit and vegetables. It's that easy. When you start eating better food, you'll feel brighter, stronger and healthier. You will be in better shape too.
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Every Step you Take Each change makes the next easier. A friend was very down, physically and emotionally, until she went to a color consultant. Wham! She realized that part of her own problem was that she was trapping herself in the wrong colors. She changed her wardrobe, then her hair color. She looked better, felt better and was inspired to lose weight. This woman, a dietitian, had been so miserable that she had become a junk-food junkie. But once she'd broken the vicious circle by making herself look good, she felt good and didn't want to eat rubbish any more. As you change, and appreciate the power you have to change yourself, your confidence will grow. You will look good. You will feel good. Everything will begin to get better. Succeeding with Others If you like yourself, others will be more inclined to like you. Friends who once felt sorry for you will feel admiration and envy and by being positive and liking yourself, you will be more likely to choose friends who are positive. Liking yourself gives you the confidence to make friends and business contacts on your terms. Personal and work relationships will thrive as you lose the need for reassurance. People will respect your judgment more, especially when you disagree, because they will know you are not driven by the need to boost your ego. Start Thinking Don't expect everyone to like you. Life is a lot of things, but unless you are a politician or a movie star it is not a popularity contest. That doesn't mean you should go out of your way to be disliked there will always be people who will dislike you, regardless of what you do or say. Some people simply don't like anybody. But that's their problem. Liking yourself is enough. And it gives you one true friend for life. Self confidence is often hard to come by. Many people suffer from low self esteem. We are always much harder on ourselves than we are on others. We kick ourselves for seemingly small mistakes. We believe others are prettier or smarter or better than we are. Ironically, others can think that we are wonderful, but we cannot see ourselves that way. Low self esteem can be damaging and can inhibit our lives. Fortunately, time and experience are good teachers. As we grow and mature physically, we usually grow and mature mentally, emotionally and spiritually, as well. We usually learn, out of want or necessity, to live with ourselves, then like ourselves, then love ourselves. And the truth is, that we cannot fully love another until we learn to love ourselves.

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Points from the film Making Winning Presentations

1. Know your attitudes towards making presentations. Set goals in your weak areas 2. Tune out negative self-talk and perception: Stop manufacturing negative selftalk. Technique: Thought stoppage. Replace negative thought with a positive thought. 3. Build your personal credibility by: 1. Expertise: From study and preparation 2. Trustworthiness: Audiences believe sincerity 3. Composure: Be calm and composed 4. Be lively: Be animated, outgoing and compelling 4. Be realistic about your intent: Ask Yourself:1. What can I reasonably expect from my presentation? 2. What specifically do I want from my audience? 5. Build speaking confidence through preparation: 1. Research 2. Fine tune writing 3. Outline your remarks 4. Practice aloud 5. Ask for feedback 6. Make the best use of all materials available to you: 1. Check physical environment 2. Check audio-visual aids. Double-check them 3. Organise your notes 7. Remember that you and your listeners need each other. Audience is not your adversary. 8. Understand your listeners level of understanding. Do audience analysis. 9. Anticipate what your listeners want to know: 1. Determine listeners interest 2. Find out what they want 3. Do research on similar groups with similar interests 10. Assess what your listeners expect 11. Build your presentation around listener questions: 1. Anticipate, list all possible questions and answers Include these in your presentation 12. Be clear about your central theme and key ideas: 1. Prepare a summary statement of what you want your audience to know, do or think. 13. Use a variety of support for key ideas: 1. Comparisons 2. Analogies 3. Examples 4. Statistics 5. Expert Quotes 14. Arrange your ideas for clarity and impact: 1. BIF: Big Idea First Main points you want to convey
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2. BILL: Big Idea a Little Later 3. If your group will buy it, put Big Idea First 4. Put Big Idea Later if its bad news

IT IS NOW TIME TO START TALKING

15. Relax: Prepare. Practice your presentation for confidence 16. Use Physical techniques to reduce anxiety: 1. Take slow deep breaths before speaking 2. Relax your shoulders, neck and any tight muscles with neck movements 3. Greet your listeners as they come into the room 4. Smile at them and make eye contact with them 5. Speak conversationally. Avoid making your voice sound like a formal announcer. Be natural 17. Use beginnings to create expectations and introduce your message 1. Get listeners attention 2. Tell theme of your presentation 3. Show expertise in that area 4. Good beginnings i. Include something powerful ii. Statistics to reinforce the message iii. Quotations iv. Stories v. Rhetorical Questions- thought provoking questions, not meant to be answered vi. Include audience participation in the opening by a game or Quiz vii. Avoid dull beginnings 18. Deliver messages like a professional Looking professional 1. Appearance: Dress and grooming appropriately 2. Gestures and body movement. Avoid repetitive gestures 3. Eye contact 4. Smile 5. Be upbeat, enthusiastic 6. Be aware of voice cues is it a breathy. whining voice? 7. Avoid rapid fire, bombastic style 19. Be idea-conscious and not self-conscious 1. Focus on your message 2. You cant consciously think of body gestures while speaking. They need to come instinctively, spontaneously and naturally with practice 20. Avoid overuse of notes: 1. Use as little pre-written notes as possible 2. Use Cue cards i. Put just a few key words ii. Brief outline iii. Know your subject and prepare- you will need very few notes
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21. Avoid ineffective language. Use easy, natural and conversational words, not long, difficult words. 22. Use bridges and transitions to show how your ideas fit together 1. Recapping 2. Suggesting, implying or stating whats coming next 3. Leading into the conclusion 4. Transitional words: i. Meanwhile ii. However iii. Thus iv. To summarise v. For now vi. Lets move ahead now vii. In conclusion 23. Create a conversational circle with your listeners Conversational circle: 1. Its o.k to ask questions 2. Reward for thoughtful answer and thank the questioner 3. Look for nonverbal feedback- observe posture, eyes, expressions 4. Be a good listener 5. Never be little or embarrass your listeners 6. Test for understanding ask them how they intend to apply what you have taught them 24. Be open to feedback: 1. Listen. Dont justify 2. Encourage feedback 3. Ask for details 4. Thank those providing feedback 25. Continuously adjust to your audience throughout the presentation; 1. Check for attentiveness, restlessness, excitement or apathy 2. If you negative vibes, make changes quickly 26. Plan to use a check-up. To find whether audience have understood you Ask: i. Review questions ii. Thought provoking questions iii. Your audience to summarise or demonstrate what you have been saying 27. Use frequent summaries Restate points 28. Use Action endings to tell listeners what they need to remember a. Action Endings: i. Summarise key points ii. Restate central theme iii. Give action steps iv. End on a powerful note- dramatic, motivating, poignant or humorous v. Follow-up effectively
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29. Give your listeners an assignment Ask them to : i. Review their notes and summarise ii. Implement ides iii. Recommend other sources of information articles, books etc., 30. Give listeners something to take home samples/outline/charts/.photos and brochures.

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Presentation skills - Seven Strategies for Handling Difficult Questions- What to Say When You Don't Know the Answer
by Mary Sandro Honesty is the only policy when presenting to a group. However, blatantly admitting, I dont know, in response to a direct question from an audience member can be disastrous. The solution is to be honest and maintain credibility at the same time. No one can know the answer to every question. Its how the inevitable situation is handled that separates great presenters from amateurs. Study the following seven strategies and keep them in your back pocket so that you can field even the toughest questions with confidence.

1. Reflection
Repeat the question and toss it back to your audience, Does anyone here have any experience with that? When you allow the audience to help you, they will save you without ever realizing it. In fact, the audience will revere you because adults love to be involved and share their knowledge. After you have fielded all of the contributions, be sure to summarize and add your own ideas if any have been sparked by the interaction. Summarizing at the end helps you to maintain control and authority. Always repeat questions before answering for the same reasons.

2. Ill Get Back to You

This is an old standard and it works well if you do three things. First, write the question down. Be conspicuous. Make sure everyone knows you are writing the question down. I go so far as to tell the audience, I am writing this question down. Second, tell the questioner exactly when you will get back to them. Be honest. Then do it. Can you get back to them by the end of the day? If it is an all-day program, can you get back to them after lunch? Third, be sure to get the questioners contact information if you dont have it. All of these things make this strategy very powerful. It is not smoke and mirrors. It is an opportunity to go the extra mile, expand your knowledge, and impress your audience.

3. Defer to the Expert

This is a more sophisticated version of the Reflection technique. Sometimes a question is legitimately outside of your area of expertise. You may be a marketing expert and someone asks a question about the engineering aspects of a product. This is a question that requires an engineer. If there is an engineer in the room you could say, Kamath, youre an engineer. Do you have any insights into that? If there are no engineers in the room, state that you will confer with an engineer and get back to them. Notice I have just combined two techniques.
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4. Compliment the Questioner

For this to be effective, the compliment must be sincere. Sometimes I get lulled into thinking I have seen and heard it all on a particular topic. It never fails though, someone comes out of left field with a question I have never thought of and I say, Thats a great question. Ive never thought about it that way. Does anyone here have any ideas on that? (I have just combined two techniques.) When I use this strategy it is usually not a conscious decision. Its a reaction. Thats how sincere it needs to sound. It always works when its sincere because audiences love to be complimented. I might also combine this technique with Ill Get Back to You.

5. Answer a Question with a Question

Sometimes questions are too narrow or too general to answer. Reserve the right, as the expert, to open a question up or close it down by asking a question in response. Once upon a time I was a software trainer. One day a woman asked me a very specific question, What does that button do? I had no idea, but I didnt confess, I dont know. Instead I asked her a question, What is your goal in pushing that button? She elaborated for me and explained what she wanted to accomplish. I knew a way to help her and it didnt involve pushing that button. She was happy. I was honest, credible, helpful, and very happy.

6. Parallel Answer
If you dont know the bulls eye answer to a question, offer what you do know quickly to demonstrate some credibility and then combine with a previous technique. When I was a software trainer I used to be an expert in the Lotus spreadsheet package. However Microsofts Excel began to gain popularity and I had to learn it so I could teach it. In the beginning I was on a learning curve. Sometimes I would be asked a question about Excel that I didnt know the answer to, however I did know the answer in Lotus. Quickly I would say, I know that is possible in Lotus. Im not sure if that is available in Excel. Im writing this question down. Ill research it at the break and get back to you. Refrain from droning on and on about your parallel knowledge. Brevity is the key to this technique.

7. Set the Rules

You can avoid many difficult questions simply by setting rules for questions in the beginning. Whenever you present to a group, you are the leader. You are accountable for everything, so lead. My experience is that if you set rules and follow them, the audience respects you. If you make rules up as you go along, you lose credibility. The number of rules you set will vary depending on the topic. When I taught technical subjects, I set lots of rules because I knew the questions would be many and varied. I would start a software seminar by saying, I welcome general questions at any time about anything on the agenda. If you have a specific question about a project you are working on or a subject outside of the agenda, please see me at a break for a private consultation. Because
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we have limited time together, I reserve the right to stop taking questions and comments. This is not personal. It is to make certain we cover every topic today.

Summary
You cant know the answer to everything. Its how you handle yourself. Study these seven strategies and use them to maintain credibility and confidence.

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POINTS TO BE NOTED WHILE GIVING

FEEDBACK ON PRESENTATION
I. 1. Introduction 2. Points, Ideas, Speech 3. Logic, sequences 4. Recapitulation 5. Participation

Content

: I) Clear ii) To the purpose

II.

Delivery 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Poise, confidence, Composure Eye contact Posture, Gesture Articulation : Able to express ones thoughts Voice : Volume, pitch, pronunciation, modulation, speed & pace 6. Attitude : Enthusiasm/conviction

III.

Use of visual aids 1. Simple, neat 2. Technique 3. Use of projector 4. Use of board Closing conclusion Handling questions & replies Any other specific comments

IV. V. VI.

Please contact me for any further clarification and help related to the topics discussed during the programme. Email: prabanandan@gmail.com Phone: 94449 92762 ; 044-45548665

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