1st Bac - Presentations

Giving successful presentations: The Eight Ps

How do you feel when you have to talk in public or give a presentation? Many people get very nervous and they don’t know where to start. There are a few key things to remember to help you to give a good presentation. If you follow these, hopefully you won’t be too nervous.

The first thing to think about is the people who will listen to your presentation – your 

audience

. This is important as some people are 

specialists

 and know a lot about a topic and for other people it might be completely new. So, you need to make sure the content of your presentation is suitable for the audience.

The second ‘P’ is for purpose. What is the aim of the presentation? What is the message you want to give the listeners? Think about the audience and the time you have for the presentation and choose the most important things to talk about.

The third important point is place. If the talk is planned for a lecture theatre with a lot of people you will need to use a microphone. You may want to use other technology such as a projector. You can even ask people to use Twitter and ‘tweet’ questions and comments to a big screen on the 

stage

. Whatever you decide, you need to think about the 

equipment

 you need in the place you are giving your presentation.

The fourth ‘P’ is 

preparation

. You will be less nervous if you 

prepare

 well. A good idea is to start with a plan of how you will explain your key message and ideas. From there you can write a detailed script and think about the language you want to use. When you are happy with the full script, make a set of cards to remind you of the important points you want to make. You can check these when you give the presentation, so you don’t forget any important points.

I have included phrases as the fifth ‘P’ to think about. There are some typical phrases to help the audience follow your presentation – this is called 'signposting' language. These words and phrases are used to explain ideas and show how different points relate to each other.

The most important ‘P’ is 

practice

. Many people prepare well, but they forget to 

practise

. When you rehearse your presentation, you can check the timing is correct and make sure everything is clear. The best thing is to practise in front of a friend or colleague. They can tell you how easy it is to follow the presentation and give you advice to improve it.

On the day of the presentation, you need to think about the 

performance

. If you have done the right kind of preparation, you will be more 

confident

, but even expert presenters can be nervous. Remember to speak slowly and clearly and talk to the audience. Try to be 

enthusiastic

 about what you are talking about.

Finally, it is helpful to 

plan

 for the questions that the audience may ask. Think ahead and write a list of questions they could ask. Try to prepare your answers for these questions so you are ready for anything!