Six Steps To A Better Presentation , Presentation
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Six Steps To A Better Presentation
I have a pet peeve that I didn't know I had until recently. Having been in education for along time, I've sat through my share of presentations. Most of the presentations have been on the positive side of tolerable, but there have been a few that left me with nothing more than a sense of relief when it was over. As I've considered the situations, I've discovered some characteristics that are common to good presentations. So, regardless of the setting—business, school, church, social organization, and so forth—here are some things to keep in mind next time you have to speak to a group of any size.
1. Know your material. Speakers should have confidence in their knowledge of the material they are presenting. You might have to rely on notes or note cards, but practice your presentation so that you don't have to read to those in attendance. When you start reading to me—whether from your notes or the PowerPoint presentation—I have flashbacks to my childhood and think it's nap time!
2. Engage the audience. Let's face it... some of the most knowledgeable people in the world make poor presenters because they don't know how to engage the audience. If you are bored presenting it, just imagine how bored those listening to you are! Engaging the audience can be accomplished through a variety of interactive techniques—asking good discussion questions, providing fill-in-the- blank handouts, hands-on activities, etc. Good presenters can read the audience and can tell if they have them engaged. Be prepared to draw them back in when you see their minds taking a field trip.
3. Connect to real life. Adults engage in educational experiences for a variety of reasons, but one of the most prevalent reasons is their desire to learn something that will help them in their day-to-day lives. Though you might be the foremost expert in your field, if you can't present material that matters to ordinary people, you haven't accomplished anything in your presentation. Check your ego at the door... or you might find that you are the only person in the room who is impressed with you!
4. Watch the time!
5. Don't waste time teaching the obvious or the unnecessary. Most of us have been around long enough to catch on to the obvious things in life. I bet that before you can say, "That's a picture of a clock,” most adults figured it out. On the other hand, you might be a clock-aholic... I'm not! So, I probably don't want the intricate details about the clock's construction.
6. Have a plan. View the presentation as a journey from point A to point B. Understand why the journey is important, the path you will select to make the journey, and the interesting details that are part of the journey. When you spend two hours clicking through slides sharing technical information in a monotone voice, you need to be put in time-out! That's not education; that's abuse!
We have this idea that all we need to be called an "expert” is a PowerPoint presentation and a captive audience. Try videotaping your next presentation. If you get bored or fall asleep while watching it, you need to review this article. People's time is too valuable for you to waste it! Think about it!
Dr. Terry Hadaway is an author, motivational speaker, university professor, and conference leader who is recognized as a leading authority on elearning, decision-making, and adult education. Visit his ecampus at http://www.rapidfirelearning.com
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