Brush Up Your Presentation Skills

Being in BMS we all know that in those three years we will breathe presentation, eat presentation and sleep presentation. No BMSite can escape it as all the years to come we are trained to be how we can explore the manager in ourselves,the leader that wants to break through the cage of negativity. All of this can’t happen if you don’t know how to place your opinion in front of others. For this you should know how to present your thoughts in public.

The first presentation means so much to us just because all of us practice it to extremity. Yet for some it is a massive success but others it is like another hurricane in ocean. For me my very first presentation was peachy or I can say pretty decent. Some of the do’s and don’ts you can keep in mind while charming away the audience are below:

DO’S:

1. Rehearsals are the main key so that you do not make a fuss of yourself in public: You need to rehearse and then warm up. Feeling comfortable and practiced will help calm your nerves and keep you from freezing onstage.
2. Start with the purpose for why you need to give this presentation: Always begin a presentation by explaining purpose of presentation. For instance, if you are giving presentation define the problem and provide a worthwhile solution, you will be more likely to impress the audience.
3. Be interactive and let the communication be a two way process:Presentations are meant to educate and intrigue, not to bore. Give your audience enough information to pick their interest and then make it interactive for you can acquire knowledge from your audience too.
4. Minimize words population with unnecessary words: If you are using PowerPoint, put no more than 10 words on each slide. Minimizing text on the slide also minimizes distractions, allowing your audience to focus on your speech.
5. Relate to the audience. Use personal stories and examples to help your audience relate to you. Remember, they should not zone out , so make your speech interesting by asking question in a manner that will increase their curiosity.
6. Follow up: Once the presentation has ended, don’t let your communication skills fall flat. Be sure to follow up with any individuals who have any query or doubt.

DON’TS

1. Don’t go off track focus on what you want to deliver. Don’t waste time trying to execute a stunt that has nothing to do with your speech, spend those precious minutes talking about what you actually have to deliver.
2. Don’t Leave your personality backstage: Don’t try to imitate anyonebe yourself.
3. Don’t ever dare to read your slides: Do not ever do this. Even the well-practiced presenter comes off sounding monotonous and boring when reading slides. Plus, breaking eye contact with your audience is a sure way to lose their interest.
4. Practice, but don’t memorize and don’t read word for word: If you mess up or stumble, that’s okay. If anything, it brings out is that human element the audience is seeking.
5. Don’t waste their time: People attend presentations with a specific objective in mind: to learn. Don’t waste their time by talking about irrelevant information or showcasing unnecessary “flair.”
6. Don’t forget to prepare for questions: Often speakers focus on the presentation so intently they forget to prepare for the Q&A session afterwards. Don’t be that person. Try to anticipate the kinds of questions they might have and be prepared with answers. A poorly planned Q&A session can overshadow even the most successful presentation.

Now some catch up lines you can use while giving presentation:

• Introduction:

ü  Let me start by giving a brief outline of my talk.

ü  First I’ll like to talk about……..

ü  Then I’ll discuss……

ü  I’ll briefly touch on…..

ü  Finally I’d like to look at…

ü  Please feel free to ask questions as we go along.

ü  I’ll be happy to answer queries at the end of the talk.

• Using charts and diagrams:

ü  As you can see from the diagram….

ü  This slide shows….

ü  The next chart clearly shows….

ü  If you look at this graph, you can see that…

ü  This diagram clarifies….

• Moving between points:

ü  I’d like to move on to my next point.

ü  I’ll return to this in more detail later.

ü  The next question to consider is…

ü  Turning now to my next point…

ü  To recap…

• Conclusions :

ü  I have tried to explain/argue that…

ü  To sum up…

ü  To conclude,

ü  In conclusion, I’d like to leave you with this question…..

ü  Thank you very much.

ü  I’ll be happy to answer any questions

ü  Does anyone have any questions?

• Dealing with the questions:

ü  Could you repeat your question, please?

ü  I’m not quite sure what you mean by….

ü  That’s a good point.

ü  Can I get back to you on that, later?

ü  I think it would be better if we discussed that this after this session.

BY BASMAH ANSARI