Preparing the Presentation

Preparation for the Different Types of Presentations

We said earlier that presentations tend to fall into 5 broad categories. Preparation of script will differ, depending on the type of presentation that you intend to do.

Persuasion

This type of presentation is designed to influence opinions or urge people to adopt a certain line of action. It could contain the following elements:

• Dramatic facts or statistics to grab attention
• Negative scenarios if nothing changes
• Positive scenarios if changes occur
• Your main ideas (the change which is required) and their supporting arguments
• Anticipated objections and your responses to them
• Description of desired future
• Action plan

Challenge

This type of presentation reveals what people must face up to or dare to do or significantly improve. It could contain the following elements:

• Description of the current situation, in detail, as graphic and as vivid as possible.
• Vision of the desired future, equally as bright and clear.
• Steps to be taken.
• Action plan.

Information

People need to be updated with news, facts, figures, decisions, and many other types of information. Such a presentation could contain the following elements:

• Overview of the topic (tell them what you’re going to tell them).
• Main ideas and the supporting arguments (tell them).
• Relevance to the audience (Radio WII FM).
• Summary and conclusion (tell them what you’ve just told them).

Instruction

This type of presentation is similar to a training or coaching session. Such a presentation could contain the following elements:

• Outcomes
• Learning content delivered in small chunks for easier assimilation and in a logical sequence
• If skills are involved, demonstrate them
• Allow adequate time for practice
• Give feedback during the practising
• Check understanding by asking participants to re-phrase, demonstrate, give their own examples or to prove understanding by any means other than your asking, "Do you understand?"
• Test against the outcomes
• Indicate in what way their learning is to be used after the presentation

Bad News

If people must hear bad news, bear in mind:

• Head straight in, don’t beat about the bush.
• Be accurate and truthful.
• Recognise that what you are saying may cause sorrow, anguish, fear and/or anger and let them know that you acknowledged this.
• Outline the way forward and any genuine good news on the horizon.
• Be encouraging and supportive.

Preparing the Script

Know your Topic

When faced with the task of giving a presentation, the first step you need to take in your preparation is to do research. Whether you are an expert on the subject or know only a little about it, you need to do some research to come up with the right material for your lecture.

Researching Involves:

• Identifying sources of information
• Going to the library
• Meeting people
• Watching videos
• Listening to tapes
• Reading Reports
• Internet

Before starting the research, consider the following points:

• How much do I know about the subject?
• Who is the audience?
• What is the time allocated?
• Decide on the content

Writing the Script

Don’t try to achieve perfection, because you may never be satisfied with any of the results and end up spending more time than you anticipated without achieving the goals. However, this should not be an excuse for a poor presentation. Do make sure that you have some extra time available in your schedule for last minute changes such as a new idea, which may come to light after you’ve written your script.

Now that you know what to include, it is time to start writing a script for your presentation. You may decide to read the script or memorise it, depending on your skills and abilities. Whatever you choose to do, it is very important to write a script. When writing something down, it is easier for you to establish your weaknesses or mistakes and try to correct them. Having a script helps you avoid improvising in your lecture, which is a dangerous risk to take as a presenter, experienced or not.

When all the changes are complete, you will have the final script of your presentation. It is now up to you to familiarise yourself with the script and learn it off by heart if you are intending to give the lecture as a talk with cue cards. Whatever you decide to do, try to be as natural as possible when you are presenting. Now that the words are ready, it is time to back them up with some pictures, posters or slides.

A presentation plan is an essential piece of equipment for the presenter. It serves to guide you in the correct sequence and ensures that all relevant material is covered during the presentation.

It provides a check to see if objectives are being met, if relevant. It can be checked by others to see if the lecture plan and objectives are both working in the same direction and not against each other.

Tips for Script Writing

Consider the following when writing your script:

Written vs Spoken Language

• Keep the use of language simple.
• Written language is more informal.
• Keep it understandable and let the use of words make the statements you would like it to.
• Spoken language do not use the third person, but he first e.g. The user will…, vs You will…
• Do not use words that sounds oddly formal, stilted or literary.
• Keep the sentences short!

Word Order: When reading you can go at your own pace, you can go back and pause to consider. When listening to a presentation this is not possible. Therefore, information should not only be delivered clearly, but also in the best order for assimilation e.g. “Socrates, Dickson, Henry V, King Leo and John Beckham all had beards” vs Socrates had a beard, so had ...

Signposting: For the same reason as above, one should avoid listing many events without giving proper time for assimilation, e.g. John Craft climbed the Himalayas, rowed the Atlantic, crossed the Saharan Desert, ran from Paris to Hamburg and shot the Niagara Falls on canoe – all in one year. Allow space between the activities for it to be assimilated.

Plant your Facts: The rhetorical question could be put to good use to “dig a whole to plant a fact into”. It’s easier to remember a fact if you wanted to know it – than just being presented with it. Example: “That flat rock is probably where Honnibal spent his third night, because Livy says they made about five miles on the third day and John said they camped on a high flat rock” vs “Now we can work out where Honnibal spent his third night. Levi said they made about five miles and John indicated that they camped on a high flat rock." By now your audience is ready to put it together.

Avoid Abstract Nouns: Because your audience does not have the opportunity to stop and go back to a sentence, one should keep the language simple. Use concrete nouns rather than abstract nouns. Abstract nouns might be impressive in writing but could be an obstacle in understanding in spoken language, e.g. “we will give special attention to the provision of adequate sound reception facilities” vs “we will make sure that you can hear it properly”.

Use of Examples and Analogy: A well-chosen parallel/example from within the audience’s experience is often worth more than visual aids or lengthy explanations.

Different Levels of Knowledge:

When you write an article for a journal, readers will read it at the pace at which they can assimilate it – some fast, some slow and attentively and some just glance through it. This poses a challenge to the presenter – if you suspect that most of your audience will be knowledgeable about what you have to say, you would still have to provide basics for the part that is not informed, and vice versa.

In doing so never over-estimate your audiences’ knowledge and never under-estimate their intelligence.

Drop background/basic facts casually and inoffensively, rather than lining it up formally, e.g. “Nelson Mandela was the first president of post-apartheid South Africa. Prior to that he was held captive on Robben Island for 27 years on treason charges. He managed to lead the post-apartheid South Africa through a period of transformation. At the same time, he managed to re-establish our international trade opportunities.” Vs “What a remarkable man Mr Mandela is. After having been held captive for 27 years, he managed to, as president of South Africa, lead the country through transformation whilst re-establishing the international trade links."

Main Ideas

It is fine to start with the body of the presentation first and do the introduction and conclusion later, because once your ideas are developed, you will know what it is you are introducing and concluding! Keeping in mind what it is you want people to do after your presentation, make a list of important ideas in achieving your objective. Categorise your list into main ideas, others which support them, and ideas which can be discarded. Two to five main ideas will be enough.

Support each main idea with a few supportive comments. These may be explanations, research data, anecdotes or other relevant ideas which add substance and merit to the main ideas.

You are telling your audience a story, and it is important to repeat the main points for them to remember throughout the lecture. Use the following guidelines:

• Every point must have a clear beginning, middle and end to it.
• Smooth transition from one point to the next.
• Audience will absorb a limited amount of information; don’t data overload.
• Jokes must be highly-relevant.
• Avoid the use of unnecessary words.
• Phrase your ideas in the form of questions.
• Use appropriate analogies and things of an interesting nature.
• Maintain the level of energy and enthusiasm.
• Summarise regularly.
• Fit contents within the allocated time.

Introduction and Conclusion

Now that you know what your presentation is about, you can introduce and conclude it!

In your Introduction you must grab the interest and attention of your audience. You should also try to space out additional attention-getters approximately 10 minutes in the body of your presentation to keep the interest of your audience. The fact is that every speaker needs some sort of acceptance from the audience: if they are to accept what you say, they need some grounds for believing that:

• you’re in most ways the same sort of person as they are, and
• you will present new and interesting perspectives/information on the topic.

Structure your introduction as follow:

Greeting

Capture the audience attention - Start with something interesting or unexpected, like:

• Humour
• Anecdote
• Short story
• Statistics
• Shocking facts/allegation
• Quotation
• Relevant example or illustration

Motivate the audience to listen to you

• Opportunity statement: Give the reasons why they must listen to you and how they may benefit from the lecture.
• What is in it for them?

Introduce your topic

• This is a short summary of the content of the lecture.
• Must be logical.
• What can they expect?

Logical transition to the message

The Conclusion:

• Your Conclusion must not introduce new material or ideas. It is a wrap-up of what has gone before – the same ideas but perhaps expressed in different words.
• Hillaire Belloc spoke these famous words, "Tell them what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, and then tell them that you’ve told them."
• Clearly summarise the main argument, reinforce the benefits and remind your audience of the first step of the action plan. Try to find a punchy ending for your closing words.
• Your closing will include the conclusion, that is, the summary of your argument. However, try to find an inspiring, challenging or moving phrase or sentence as a last thought which also encapsulates whatever it is you originally wanted people to do because of attending your presentation.
• Hold the silence after your last word, without stepping down or away. Wait for and enjoy the applause and acknowledge it with a simple: Thank you.
• Don’t bow even though you may experience a peculiar desire to do so!