5.
Breathe
Breathing is usually one of those things we forget to do properly because it is usually done
automatically. Bad breathing, however, can affect our voice and our expression, especially when
our presentation might take a considerable amount of time. Every effective presenter
recommends taking a few deep breaths before starting. You can also use pauses throughout
your presentation to ensure maintaining comfortable breathing patterns.
6. Drink
It is natural for our throats to dry up when we are speaking. This is why having water available
can help prevent this problem. It is recommended to use room-temperature water (never cold; it
affects the quality of the voice), and some people recommend a warm (not hot) cup of tea to
ease your vocal chords and throat before you start. When you are organizing an event and your
guests will give lectures or speeches, it is well appreciated if you provide them with water to help
ensure their thirst remains quenched throughout their presentation.
1.2 Planning, Developing of Contents and Activities
Now that you have taken into consideration the first steps in preparing yourself for a
presentation, it is time to move onto another very important subject: your contents and
activities, and how to make the best of them. Let’s review the Ten Steps to Prepare an
Effective Presentation that Princeton University suggests (Princeton University, 2014) so that you
can be sure that you are taking all the necessary preparations into consideration. As we saw in
the last topic, contents are essential but preparation and practice can be the key to a successful
presentation.
H. Other Presentations
And as we stated earlier, there are other types of presentations that try to achieve specific goals:
sales presentations, a combination of arousing and decision-making presentations, or the ones
used in entertainment that use goodwill strategies.
1. Determine the purpose of your presentation and identify your own objectives.
Of the various factors that can affect the design of your presentation, the most important are your
objectives and audience. So, as a start, you must know exactly what you want to achieve and
what it is that you want your audience to take from you. Your strategic choices should match the
tone of your presentation. A classroom speech in your University is not the same as a public
speech to raise awareness on an environmental problem. The following questions can help you:
● What are the key points that you want your audience to understand?
● After they hear you, do you want them to do something specific? What?
● What is the best way to prepare and deliver your presentation so that it achieves
specific goals?
We’ve been saying you have to keep your audience receptive to your interpersonal
communication, which we can summarize in the three V’s: Visual, Verbal and Vocal. Do not
forget: it is not always what you say but how you say it! Facial expressions influence
impressions.
On the Visual side, clothes are of utmost importance. Even before you open your mouth, people
have already established an impression of you based on how you look. Your outfit and
accessories are also part of the presentation. Be sure your clothes fit you well and are
comfortable enough to allow you to move and interact. And of course, don’t forget the other
elements we stated before, the importance of non-verbal communication.
On the Vocal side we had also stated in a previous topic some important matters to consider
(volume, pitch, rhythm & tempo and the timbre). We may add here that you must use proper
diction. Search for the right pronunciation and meaning of words. If you are not certain, do not
use them. Finally, on the Verbal side, “There are three verbal communication rules to remember:
Use descriptive, simple language, short sentences and avoid buzz words and jargon (Brody,
1999).”
To learn more about delivery check out the following video:
5.1 Using Audiovisual Tools
There is a well-known aphorism that says: “A picture is worth a thousand
words”. With all the technological advances we have witnessed in multimedia over the past two
decades, we can be assured that today’s presentation is much more than pictures. A visual
presentation is an essential part of your speech, enhancing your objective and, when used well,
can help you create the energy and impact we’ve been discussing so far. If you are trying to
explain something or even persuade someone, accompanying your words with images and
sounds makes a huge difference.
Audiovisual tools can be as simple or as complex as the presenter needs. They have to appeal
to the imagination of your audience. There are two reasons for using audiovisuals in a
presentation:
● Your image or video can help you save words
● The impact will be greater than if you used just words.
You have a truly wide range of choices to integrate into your presentation such as photographs,
illustrations, drawings, tables, diagrams, charts, key words in large sizes or video and audio
sequences. The sky is the limit. Take caution, though, not to overuse these elements, as they
need to flow naturally and not draw attention away from the content, or even from you!
