Mastering Presentations: Strategies for Engaging Audiences and Achieving Success

Abstract

Presentation 1. 1.1 a) Delivering a presentation provides an opportunity for the presenter to share knowledge or impart information to the participants. b) The different types of presentation include; Presentations to a small group of people A presentation involving one person who is the decision-maker A presentation to a large group of people, and Team presentations where more than one person delivers the content. c) Overview Table Delivery What To consider Planning an Approach 1)How do I plan on delivering the session? 2) Do I need DVD’s or audio? If so, have I got a back-up in case the equipment doesn’t work? 3) Will I be using PowerPoint slides? 4) What equipment do I need? 5) Will I be talking most of the time? 6) Do I need to prepare handouts? Advance preparation Preparation involves researching and understanding your presentation's content, understanding the target group, and what they hope to get out of the presentation you are delivering. The presenter should be organized, professional, and appear confident. Communication skills Sharing and communicating our opinions and ideas with others Communicating so that our needs can be met Communicating so that the needs of others can be met Influencing people to take further action d) when dealing with nerves, it is essential to make the presentation work to your advantage by using adrenalin to make the presentation more inspiring and energetic. e) an indicator of a successful presentation is when it is finished, and all the participants have agreed to do something or take further action f) the “6 x P’s” of Presenting are; Prior Preparation Planning Prevents Poor performance g) to avoid something going wrong; prepare well in advance know the subject matter have a contingency plan in place check the venue know the audience test the equipment 1.2 a) the types of client and customer presentations include; A presentation to one person (usually the decision-maker) A presentation to a large group of people Team presentations, where more than one person is delivering the content presentations to a small group of people b) the different presentations include; presentation with a specific aim or intent. This presentation informs others of a new product, service, or something else that could be relevant to their needs. The information conveyed needs to be accurate, reliable and easily understood. Presentation with a specific aim and intent to win a sale or gain new business. It involves creating trust with a client to motivate them to do business. Delivering a one-to-one presentation for a specific client or prospect. It involves skills such as questioning techniques, pace change, and delivery methods. Presentation to provide general Account Management to a client or customer. The presentation is deemed professional and less pressured, for it belongs to an existing client. c) the Strategies include; Verbal presentations Case studies Roleplays Demonstrations Group or work discussions d) As a presenter, you should ask yourself; How much time do I have available for my presentation? How can I ensure I make the best use of the time available to me? What do I want the clients or participants to get out of this presentation? What do I need them to know? What do I want to inspire them to do once they leave the presentation? How can I best achieve this? Will everyone can understand the point I am trying to make? Have I got a contingency plan in place in case something goes wrong? If I am demonstrating something, will everyone be able to see it? Have I allowed for questions to be answered? What resources do I need? Is the location suitable for the presentation and the delivery methods and strategies I plan on using? Who else will be involved? Do I need to allocate another presenter? What other stakeholders are involved in the presentation or have a vested interest in the presentation? e) What to consider on the audience include; What is their motivation for being at my presentation? Do they have special needs, for instance, disabilities, are they from non-English speaking backgrounds, do they have physical limitations? What are their language, literacy, and numeracy levels likely to be at? Are they highly specialized, i.e., will they get bored if I don’t use the correct terminology? What is the current skill level of the participants? What industry are they working in? Can I use relevant terminology that they will understand? What is their likely level of formal education? 1.3 a) the ‘Rule of 6’ entails repeating something six times before it is embedded in the participant's minds. b) learning principles that apply to adults include; Their need to know what they will gain from attending a presentation and will always be tuned into WII FM – “What’s in it for me?” They have an experience that can be shared with the rest of the group They are self-directed in their learning They will often need to feel included and valued by participating in case studies, role-plays, discussions, and other activities where they can refer back to their own previous experience They will feel resistance if they believe they are being imposed or forced to accept ideas or concepts They will almost always be relating past experiences to current experiences c) Learning Styles; Visual- seeing, looking, and imagining Auditory- lectures and stories Kinaesthetic- exercise, demonstrations, and team activities. My learning style is auditory. I like listening to stories and music and learn from them. d) Group Discussion or brainstorming; this involves trying to get participants to work together to achieve a common goal. It consists of the issue of structured exercises, which creates self-discovery in participants. Brainstorming provides a powerful method to influence the understanding of the concepts and ideas if used correctly. e) Role Playing or Case Studies; this provides an excellent opportunity for the participants to practice new skills by applying conceptualized ideas within a role-play or case study situation. The participants analyze a situation and describe a problem. f) Extra resources include training aids such as visual aids, handouts, workbooks, equipment, and other methods used to convey a message. g) opening methods of a presentation include; Skits Stories Case studies Humor Games A bold statement Shocking statistics A movie/audio clip Brainteasers Play an inspiring speech Silence (as a demonstration) Using a guest speaker Tell a relevant news story Take bets Have a human treasure hunt. Have a list of fun questions for the group to answer h) What are some grand closing statements for your presentation? Provide topics for review A quick quiz A short film Talk about personal experiences Draw up a visual chart or mind map Case study Feedback form Stretch or another physical activity Action items Open-ended questions lucky prize draw Tell them a story Homework What next? Statistics i) A great body of content entails what is told to the participants during the opener. It tells the participants that you understand the problem. It explains how your product can help them find the solution they have been looking for. It also identifies a situation and shows the participants how to handle it. j) the three main pointers are; Tell them what you are going to tell them Tell them Tell them what you have told them. 1.4 a) they include; Guest speakers Admin staff Venue Staff Management Participant representatives b) Before delivering a presentation, the presenter should check the facilities the day before to ensure everything has been set up correctly. c) Theodore Roosevelt was an American president who assumed office after the assassination of William McKinley. His words were;” the most important single ingredient for success is knowing how to get along with people." 1.5 a) to evaluate your presentation, it involves; Feedback sheets from the participants – this includes pre-written comment sheets and general ad hoc comments from the participants Written comments – include unsolicited comments from participants Surveys and questionnaires – this can be done straight after or a short time after the presentation Focus group interviews – these can be conducted in groups of participants with target questions Friends and family – ask a family member or friend to sit in on the presentation and give you constructive and honest feedback b) Design a feedback sheet that you could use for a presentation Assessment Feedback What worked well? What didn’t work well? Was the timing adequate? What areas will I need to improve for the next time? What other comments can I think about relating to the presentation? 2. 2.1 a) it is essential to let the participants know why they are expected to attend the presentation to determine what is in it for them b) The session outcomes include; Your expectations; as a presenter, you should let the participants know what is expected of them during the session. This is to minimize wrongs by participants, for instance, switching off phones, returning from breaks, and questions at the end of the session The ground rules; these rules should be written and discussed together. The presenter should indicate their own and include those obtained from the discussion. Their expectations; The presenter should let the participants give their expectations to provide ownership and support for the presentation. Timing; the participants should stick to time limits in breaks. The presenter also should keep time to avoid losing respect from the participants. Rules for the Questions; presenters should set boundaries on questions. Some are happy with questions throughout the presentation, while others prefer to keep them to the end. 2.2 a) when using presentation aids, it is essential to consider how available the resources and materials are, how effective they will be, and how relevant they are to the presentation. b) Presentation aids include; Photographs of the product Printed material...