15 Strategies for Giving Oral Presentations
More than death and taxes, the thing
people fear most is speaking in public. Needless to say, college students are
not immune from this terror, which, for you psychology hounds, even has a name:
gloss phobia. Unfortunately, in college, it's not always so easy to avoid
public speaking. Some schools have required courses in speech. And even in
colleges where speech isn't a subject, there often is a broad variety of
courses that incorporate presentations or reports–and sometimes full-length
seminars–into the regular class activities. Still, there's no need to lose your
breakfast (or lunch or dinner) over your upcoming presentation. Our 15 tips for
improving your public speaking will make even a garden-variety speaker into a
real Cicero:
1. Do your homework. Nobody can give a good presentation without putting in
some serious time preparing remarks. Many gifted speakers look as if they're
just talking off the cuff, saying whatever comes to mind. But, in truth,
they've spent considerable time figuring out what they're going to say. You
should, too.
4-Star Tip. It's always a good idea to try out your presentation on
your professor (or TA) before giving it in class. Office hours work well for
this.
2. Play the parts. Good presentations are structured in sections. Many
presentations need only two or three main points. Organizing your points into a
few main parts and telling your audience what these parts are–both before and
as you go through your presentation–can be the difference between a winning
presentation and a loser.
3. Do a dry run. It's always good to do a run-through (or even a couple of
run-throughs) the night before the presentation. This can help with both your
timing and your manner of presentation. Be sure to make mental notes if you
went on too long or got nervous or stuck. Some people find it useful to have a
friend pretend to be the audience: He or she can build up your confidence and
maybe even ask a question or two.
4. Look presentable. No need to wear a suit, but it's hard for people to take a
presentation seriously when you look like someone who just rolled out of bed.
5. Talk; don't read. Nobody enjoys seeing a speaker burying his or her face in
a script, reading stiffly from a piece of paper. Try to talk from notes, or, if
you use a written-out text, try to look down at it only occasionally. It's less
important that you capture the text word for word than that you present the
main ideas in a natural and relaxed way. (Your practice sessions should help you
here, since they enable you to better remember what you want to say.)
6. Take it slow. The single biggest mistake inexperienced speakers make is
going too fast. Remember that your audience is hearing the material for the
first time and isn't nearly as familiar with the topic as you are.
Extra Pointer. If you find yourself running out of time, either drop or
briefly summarize any leftover material. If your presentation includes a
discussion period, gesture at the points you haven't fully covered and suggest
them as things that could be discussed later.
7. Use aids. For certain sorts of presentations, visual aids–such as
PowerPoints, handouts, even things written on the board–can help your audience
locate and grasp the main points. Just be sure to explain these materials fully
in your presentation: No one is happy to see an outline that can't be made
heads or tails of.
Extra Pointer. Some presenters find the "speaker notes" feature
useful in PowerPoint (you see a pane with your notes that the audience doesn't
see). It sure beats flashcards.
8. Don't bury the crowd. Including massive numbers of quotations or unfathomable
amounts of data can overwhelm even the most attentive audience.
9. Be yourself. As important as the content you present is your
authenticity in presenting it, so don't try to be someone you're not. You'll
never succeed.
10. Play it straight. There's no harm in including a little humor in your
presentations, especially if you can carry it off well. But in most college
presentations, clowns will get C's.
11. Circle the crowd. A very important part of public speaking is to make eye
contact with people seated in all parts of the room–even those nodding off in
the back. That shows people that you're interested in communicating with
them–not just getting through this experience as quickly as possible. And it
wouldn't hurt to go out from in back of the podium or desk and walk around the
room a little. Sharing space with the audience can also communicate your
interest in sharing your results with them, something you surely want to do.
12. Appear relaxed. You don't have to actually be relaxed–few speakers are–but
at least try to appear as relaxed as possible. Bring along some water or a
drink, take short breaks from time to time, and think pleasant thoughts. No one
enjoys speakers who are trembling and sweating bullets.
Professors' Perspective. Some professors throw up before having to lecture. It
doesn't happen often–thankfully–but take consolation in knowing that even very
experienced speakers find it tense to give a lecture.
13. Finish strong. Always be sure to have a satisfying conclusion to your
presentation in which you make clear to the listeners what they now know. It
creates a warm feeling in the minds of your listeners and shows them that
they've really learned something from your talk—which they probably have.
14. Welcome interruptions. Some speakers are terrified that someone will interrupt
them with a question or comment. Actually, this is one of the best things that
can happen, because it shows that someone in the audience has engaged with what
you're saying, and, if you have the time to offer a brief response, it can
actually lead to genuine progress on the point you were making. And two-way
conversation (assuming you're minimally good at it) is always a
tension-reducer.
15. Know when to stop lecturing. Certain
presentations–especially in advanced or upper-division classes or seminars–can
require you to present some material, then lead a discussion. Be sure to
attentively listen to any comments or questions your classmates might raise
before starting on your answer. And in a discussion period, never lecture (only
discuss), and be sure to answer exactly the question asked (don't offer up more
canned–but irrelevant–material). In many classes, how you discuss is as
important as how you present.
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