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Effective Presentation Techniques

Deepa Kartha
Anxious about presenting a seminar next week? Learn some important techniques that will help you to make an effective presentation.
Presentations are an integral part of today's world. From a high school student to a business executive, everyone has to give one.
These can be given for business, educational or entertainment purposes. However, this does not mean that you can bore your audience with long speeches. These are some ways to make your presentation effective, memorable, and enjoyable.

Planning and Preparing
These are the crucial stages of developing it effectively. One can begin by doing a detailed research on the topic. You can plan your data and focus on interests of your audience. People do not like the presentation that goes on forever. Make it short and emphasize the key points. Time it, to you finish before the stipulated time.
Visuals have a long-lasting effect on the memory of human beings, so prepare slide shows that support your skills. However, making a visual presentation does not mean that you can bombard the slides with colorful pictures and graphics, rather add only relevant ones. Choose a common theme for all the slides, and do not use more than 2 - 3 colors.
Listening is a more tedious task than speaking. You can ensure that no one dozes off during your presentation by making it dynamic and interesting.

Practice
The golden word essential for delivering an effective presentation is practice. You may have an excellent script and visual aids, but lack of practice can ruin the show.
Practice well, and before the actual deliverance, make it a point to perform in front of a live audience (friends, family, or colleagues) and ask them to give appropriate feedback. During the presentation, you not only exhibit your ideas but also yourself.
So, it's vital to dress formally, as your physical appearance reveals your attitude towards the whole affair. Also, reaching early at the location will help you plan where to position yourself, and check other details like the working of your slides. On the whole, it can be divided into 4 sections: introduction, main body, conclusion and the question hour.

Introduction

You can start it by introducing yourself and the topic. Beginning with a significant short story or anecdote may help in arousing the curiosity of the audience. You can also give a gist about its structure. Likewise, handouts could be given, listing the main points.

Main Body

This section focuses on the major part. You should speak clearly and loudly, adding appropriate pauses. Your body language should reflect your confidence and attitude. One should stand straight, without leaning or tapping and use hand gestures to explain a point.
Keeping eye contact with audience helps hold their interest. If it's a visual presentation, ensure it's in sync with what you are saying. You can carry notes for reference; do not read from them.

Conclusion

It should leave a strong impact on your audience. Do not end your presentation abruptly; the listeners should realize that you are about to conclude.
Utilize this section to summarize the key points and re-emphasize the purpose. You can end on a dramatic note (quoting someone or asking a question), motivating the audience to think about it.

Question Hour

Interaction between you and the audience can make a presentation lively. You should encourage them to ask questions, and try to deal with each of them confidently. Feedback form is another alternative, where you can ask them to jot down their queries and comments on various highlighted aspects.
Finally, every presenter has to develop his or her own style. Preparing well in advance will surely enhance the quality of your presentation. The idea of speaking before a large audience can make a person nervous. Yet, you can emerge as a winner by putting in your best efforts.