Here is a useful checklist to help you prepare an effective and successful presentation
CHECKLIST
1. PLANNING
- Start early
- What are your aims?
- What is the focus of your presentation?
- Less can be more
- What visual aids will you use and why?
- Put yourself in your audience's shoes- who are they? How does this impact on content, style, approach? Why is your topic important (to them)?
2. PREPARATION
- Start working on structure ( Intro, main body topics, conclusion)
- Check logical flow and links between ideas - and flow between team members
- Who is doing what ( group presentation) - Work as a team - meet regularly, share ideas, problem solve together
- Set achievable deadlines and targets
- Write a good introduction - you need to grab attention right away
- Think of a hook - (e.g. ask a question, a fascinating fact, a relevant and short anecdote or story, highlight an important issue)
- Write a good ending - Recap, Summarise and Conclude
- Work on your visuals - keep them simple - images and headings / key words only, check spelling and grammar (DON'T READ OUT THE INFO ON YOUR SLIDES)
- Predict questions and how you will answer them
- Check pronunciation of technical/difficult vocabulary
- Consider the 'what ifs' - What if the technology fails? What if a team member is ill on the day? What if I get stage fright?
- Check out the presentation room beforehand ( if you can) - for layout, technology, and to familiarise yourself with the environment
- Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse - Record mock presentations on your phone, ask friends and/or class members to be your audience
3. PRESENTATION ( & how to develop confidence)
- Prepare first line and last line ( But don't memorise whole presentation like a script)
- Practise your delivery - eye contact, body language (what are you doing with your hands and feet?), pace, pauses between sentences, intonation, speak slowly and clearly, chunk ideas together - allow your audience time to consider complex ideas.
- DON'T READ FROM NOTES ( OR YOUR SLIDES)
