How to Give a Good Presentation

Even the most confident people can get tongue-tied when making a presentation. Here’s how to get it right from the start…

If you watched this season’s The Apprentice, you’ll have seen what a mess even the most confident people can make of presentations. Those budding business wannabes who dominated the show can certainly talk the talk – they all boasted about their ability to give great sales pitches and presentations – yet when it came to it, most of them fell flat on their faces. Why? Because they hadn’t prepared properly.

When it comes to giving a presentation, preparation is everything, says Elizabeth Kuhnke, an Executive Presence Coach and Founder of Kuhnke Communication. “Preparation is the key,” she says. “This is your chance to be seen and heard by your peers and managers so take the time to think through your presentation. Visualise yourself as you want to be perceived and determine what you have to do to create that impression.”

This includes researching your topic and investigating the best methods of communicating to your audience – what technology is available that will create the right impression? Do you want to use handouts? Interactive displays? Any other props? You will also need to consider your own presentation skills – do you come across as confident or are you more inclined to mumble and talk down to your feet? If you want to make the right impression, practise your techniques in front of a mirror or to friends so that you appear calm and in control.

As well as thinking about how you want to come across to your peers, it’s important to think about what your audience wants to hear. This will help you to understand what the essential points of your presentation should be – are you giving a general overview of a subject, in which case, you can talk in more general terms, or are you highlighting a particular element, in which case precise details are more important to the audience.

“Consider your audience,” agrees Elizabeth. “Assess their needs and concerns and address those points in your presentation. Are they primarily ‘Big Picture’ thinkers or do they want lots of detail? By knowing what kind of information your audience responds to, you can structure your presentation in a way that resonates for your listener.”

When it comes to structuring your presentation, there is a simple formula that Elizabeth suggests:

Break down your presentation into four parts:

1. Introduction

2. Main Body

3. Summary

4. Action Steps

When it comes to your introduction, follow the ‘ABCD’ approach.

• Capture the listener’s Attention right from the start.

• Tell your audience the Benefits of your presentation

• Establish your Credibility

• Lay out the Direction your talk will take

By following that formula for your opening, your audience will feel confident that you know what you’re doing and will pay attention to what you have to say.

A presentation that is well structured and that follows a definite thread will have much more impact than something that jumps around all over the place – think about a good magazine article that you may have read, or consider your old essay writing lessons from school – the clearer the thread of argument, and the more defined the beginning, middle and end are, the more engaged the reader is. This clarity is even more important with presentations as the audience has only one chance to follow what is being said – there is no opportunity for them to re-read passages they don’t understand, as you can with a magazine article.

The way you finish your presentation will inevitably leave the most lasting impression on audiences. It’s a chance to summarise your main points, to engage the audience, and to let your audience leave on a positive note. “When you reach the end of your presentation summarise the main points you want your audience to remember and finish with a call to action,” says Elizabeth. “What do you want your listeners to do as a result of your presentation? What will you do? By ending your presentation in a proactive way your audience will leave feeling inspired and ready to put plans into action.”

Lesson 3

TELEPHONING

The telephone; it is part of us. What would we do without it? It is as common as apple pie and summer sunshine. As much a part of our lives as learning to walk and talk and perhaps that is why we, at most times, give it little thought.

But making and receiving telephone calls is one of the hardest skills in English. As we can't see the person we're speaking to, we can't use the usual non-linguistic signs (gestures, facial expressions etc) to help us understand the other person.

However, we often use standard phrases during a phone call, and learning these will help you not only understand what the other person is saying, but also direct the telephone conversation so that you can communicate your message successfully and concisely.

Remember that it's perfectly acceptable to speak more slowly than in normal speech. Your main objective is to be able to understand – and be understood, so don't worry if you sound unnatural. Try to speak clearly, avoid speaking too fast, and be as concise as you possibly can.

Here is a list of useful telephoning phrases. As a suggestion, print them out and keep them by the phone for handy reference.

Introducing yourself Good morning / Hello. This is (name) from (company).

My name is…

Asking to speak to someone Could I speak to X please?

I'd like to speak to X please.

Could you put me through to X please?

When you answer the phone Good morning / Hello. Sarah Jones speaking.

if the caller has asked for you by name, say "Speaking!"

Asking for caller identification May I say who's calling?

Could I have your name please?

Who's calling please?

Saying why you are calling I'm calling to… / about ….

I'm phoning about….

Saying that someone is not available I'm sorry, but (name)… … isn't here at the moment … is out of the office … away from his/her desk …. is in a meeting I'm sorry, but the line is engaged / X is on another call.

Offering to take a message Would you like to leave a message? Can I take a message? Can I take your name and number?

Leaving a message Could you ask X to call me back please? Can I leave a message for X?

Promising action I'll give X your message as soon as he / she comes back I'll pass your message on

Saying goodbye Thank you for calling.

If you don't understand what the other person is saying Sorry? / Pardon? Could you repeat that please? Sorry, I can't hear you. Can you spell that please?

USEFUL PHONE PHRASES

Here are some general phrases that you can use on the phone to make communication easier.

Bad line / bad time Can I call you back? Can I give you a call back? Can you call me back?

When you don't understand Sorry, but I don't really follow you. I'm not sure I understand. Sorry, what was that? Sorry, what did you say? Did you say …..? Can you say that again please? Can you repeat that please?

Asking the other person to slow down Could you speak more slowly please? I didn't get the last thing you said. It's a really bad line. Can you say it again more slowly please.