Presentation activity

Structure

A compelling presentation basically tells a story. It may not seem like it, but successful presentations all use the basic structure associated with stories. They have a beginning, a middle and an end. Planning with this in mind will help clarify what you wish to say, when you should say it, and how to tie the threads of your presentation together.

Beginning

The beginning shapes the rest of the presentation and grabs the attention of the audience.

Beginners should start their presentation with something that they feel confident will draw the audience’s attention. Don’t take any risks with your opening lines if you are already in unfamiliar territory. The audience’s reaction to your beginning could make or break the rest of the presentation. A good opener will put you, and the audience, at ease. A bad one may be misunderstood, and no matter how thick-skinned you may be it is hard to present when members of the audience look uninterested.

Good beginners

1. A funny story, if you feel able to deliver one with humour. Avoid religious, sexual, sexist or racist jokes.

2. A short video clip – make sure that it is less than 60 seconds.

3. Unusual or interesting statistics about your industry or about your audience. These should be well-researched. Members of the audience may know more than you. Getting the statistics wrong would make you look amateur.

4. A short animation. Cartoon-like shorts can be created easily with various graphic design programs or by professional designers. Alternatively, animations are available online ready for use.

5. A touch of suspense. For example, walk on with a cardboard box and place it in the middle of the stage – but don’t tell people what it is there for.

The middle

Organize the content of the presentation by arranging it from the most important details to the least. Commence with the strong points that will grab your audience's attention throughout the presentation and include a summary of the material. Take note of the time allocated for the presentation, and plan your presentation to match it.

Ensure the setup presents the information in simple steps that will not confuse the audience. Include the main points that you intend to expound on or diagrams. Make a handout for your audience with a summary of the presentation, which you provide before the presentation to enable them to have a reference.

Keep eye contact with your mock audience to get yourself used to looking at the audience.

Closing

So a good ending to the presentation is essential. There are a number of techniques that can work well, but they should link in to the main structure of the presentation.

Relating the end back to the beginning can be effective. If you opened with a funny story, remind the audience of the punchline and the point you sought to illustrate in telling it. If you brought an unusual object on stage to create suspense, then tell the audience why it is there. If you are really struggling for ideas and want to play it safe, you could simply recap the three main concepts that you put forward in the middle section.

Set aside time for questions from the audience; ensure you are knowledgeable on the subject to answer questions from the audience.

/after Internet sources/