6. Presentation

A presentation is the best way of marketing of a new product or promotion of a new brand name.

A presentation is a report one gives to others. It can be short report, a long analysis, a narrative of any length, formal or informal. The presentation format should be clear and organized. A perfect presentation doesn’t have to be complicated, as long as the words are well chosen.

There is a standard set or items of a traditional presentation. They are the Introduction, the Body and the Conclusion. Presenter informs the audience about what he/she is going to talk and the background of the company in the introduction. The body is the main part of the presentation goes further. It should be divided up into ideas and examples or explanations. It is better to make a list of ideas. The conclusion is a final stage of any presentation which is a summary of everything above. In many cases at the very end of the presentation it is offered to relax having some refreshments and mixing informally.

There are 8 types of presentation: press conference, briefing, demonstration, product launch, lecture, talk, seminar and workshop.

Every presentation should be prepared very careful. It is necessary to find out about the audience, to find out about the venue and the facilities, to plan the content and structure, to prepare visual aids, to rehearse the presentation with friends or colleagues.

There are also some advices about timing: the presentation should be started and finished on time. The speaker should plan how long it should be spent on each point, and he or she shouldn’t digress from a particular purpose.

It is very important to gain the audience’s attention in a presentation. So the presenter should tell an anecdote, mention a surprising fact or statistic, state a problem or ask a question. Of course, it is important to respect the cultural expectation of the audience.

A good speaker uses various signals to help hold the audience’s attention and make the information clear.

One type of signal is to introduce a list. The speaker then says what that some things are and talk about each one.

Another signaling technique is to give a link between parts of the presentation; the speaker says where one part of the talk finishes and another starts. For example, a well-organized presentation usually contains different parts and progression from one part to the next must be clear.

Another type of signaling is sequencing of information. This usually follows a logical order, perhaps based on time. So a project may be described in terms of the background, the present situation and the future. Key words in sequencing information are first, then, next, after and so on.

Still another technique which helps to emphasize key points is careful repetition.

So that it’s very difficult to prepare the presentation. The speaker should try to keep the interest of the audience. A good speaker shows his or her enthusiasm on the subject. To make a good presentation means to speak about something that is strongly believed and something that is really enjoyed doing.