DESIGNING AN EFFECTIVE ORAL PRESENTATION

The ability to speak effectively is as crucial as the ability to write effectively. During a routine week, you probably spend more time speaking than writing: talking on the phone; conversing with friends, professors, and other students; working in groups; and even sometimes speaking-either formally or informally-in front of a group. Like becoming an effective writer, becoming an effective speaker requires you to: Understand the context of your presentation. Analyze your audience. o How much do my audience members already know about my subject? o What is their attitude toward my subject? o What is their educational/ cultural/ ethnic/ economic background? o What are their political and religious views? Understand and be able to articulate your presentation's purpose. Choose and shape your presentation's content. Organize your presentation. Choose an appropriate speaking style and practice delivery.

CONTENT
Preparing an oral presentation often requires the same kind of research needed for a written report. In selecting content, consider a variety of information types: statistics, facts, examples, and narratives can all contribute to your overall presentation. You will want to choose information that will appeal to your audience-particularly their attitudes, interests, biases, and prejudices about the topic. Helping your audience follow your message requires that you build an effective structure by having an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion in your presentation. In the introduction, you "tell them what you are going to tell them." In the main body, you "tell them." In the conclusion, you "tell them what you already told them." This kind of deliberate repetition helps your audience follow and remember the main points you are making. (Readers can reread text, but listeners cannot "rehear" oral remarks.) It can help to include "signpost" words like "First," "Second," "Third," and "Finally," especially if you've told your audience at the beginning that you will present four main points.

STYLE
How you sound when you speak is crucial to the success of your presentation. You may have effective content, excellent ideas, and accurate supporting statistics. However, if the style you use in speaking is inappropriate to the occasion, the audience or the purpose you're trying to achieve, your content will more than likely be ineffective. In general, you should aim to sound respectful, confident, courteous, and sincere. Style in writing refers to your choice of words, the length and structure of your sentences, and the tone, or attitude you express toward your audience. Style in delivering oral presentations is defined by these same characteristics plus many nonverbal cues that can either enhance or detract from your

presentation. While the style you use will vary with the audience, topic, and context, the following guidelines can enhance your delivery style: Use sentences that follow natural speech patterns. Use short, active voice sentences. A void excessively long, complex sentences, since listeners may have difficulty following your ideas . Use shorter phrases (and pauses) within sentences and a variety of sentence lengths. Avoid overuse of abstract, polysyllabic words. Instead, try to use concrete language that your audience can visualize or connect with something they already know. Avoid overuse of jargon, unless (a) you are sure that your audience will be readily familiar with all specialized terms, or (b) you defme necessary terms for them. The most effective style is usually a conversational one: in other words, speech that suggests to your audience that you are really talking to them. If you concentrate on getting your point across by having a conversation with the audience, using a natural communication style will likely come easily.

GENERAL TIPS Speak slowly-but also confidently and enthusiastically. Build in pauses for emphasis after important points-and between main points . (If you need to write these into your presentation as reminders, then by all means do so.) Make eye contact with people in your audience, but don't look at any one person too long . Use gestures to accentuate points. Move your body deliberately to announce major transition points. In short, avoid standing transfixed before your audience or idly moving your hands, feet, or playing with your hair, notes, etc. Note cards may be more useful (and less obtrusive) than printed pages. If you use full pages, do not staple them (to minimize shuffling at the podium). Make sure to number your note cards or pages in case they get out of order (if you drop them, get flustered, etc.). Rehearse your presentation until you are comfortable. Rephrase ideas that are difficult for you to say-these will likely be hard for your audience to follow as well. Be sure to time your presentation so that it does not exceed the time limit. Know your topic well; you will be (and will appear) more relaxed . If you fmd that you get nervous when speaking in front of a group (and almost everyone does), remember: o Your audience understands your nervousness; they know what you are feeling and will forgive it. Similarly, they will forgive honest mistakes. o Nervousness is usually invisible; most will not notice the small changes in your voice or occasional mistakes. Most speakers who describe themselves as nervous appear confident and calm to the audience. o Be yourself. Speak naturally, clearly, and in your regular voice. Imagine that you're having a conversation. o Take a deep breath or two to steady your nerves. o Practice ahead of time so that you're confident in what you're conveying.
No matter what type of presentation you are giving, the success of the presentation and your ultimate success as a speaker depends on you developing an understanding of your topic and your audience. Guidelines for planning, structuring, and delivering presentation are important because they can aid you in this process. However, no amount of planning and organization will substitute for practice, which builds confidence. And confidence gained in this way allows your ideas-and their value-to take the spotlight as you're giving your presentation!