Presentation Skills

 

Written by Muhammad Qasim Nazar

Presentation Skills

Presentation skills can be defined as a set of abilities that enable an individual to: interact with the audience; transmit the messages with clarity; engage the audience in the presentation; and interpret and understand the mind-sets of the listeners. These skills refine the way you put forward your messages and enhance your persuasive powers.

The present era places great emphasis on good presentation skills. This is because they play an important role in convincing the clients and customers. Internally, management with good presentation skills is better able to communicate the mission and vision of the organization to the employees.

Importance of Presentation Skills

·         Interaction with others is a routine job of businesses in today’s world. The importance of good presentation skills is established on the basis of following points:

·         They help an individual in enhancing his own growth opportunities. In addition, it also grooms the personality of the presenter and elevates his levels of confidence.

·         In case of striking deals and gaining clients, it is essential for the business professionals to understand the audience. Good presentation skills enable an individual to mold his message according to the traits of the audience. This increases the probability of successful transmission of messages.

·         Lastly, business professionals have to arrange seminars and give presentations almost every day. Having good presentation skills not only increases an individual’s chances of success, but also enable him to add greatly to the organization.

How to Improve Presentation Skills

·         Development of good presentation skills requires efforts and hard work. To improve your presentation skills, you must:

·         Research the Audience before Presenting: This will enable you to better understand the traits of the audience. You can then develop messages that can be better understood by your target audience. For instance, in case of an analytical audience, you can add more facts and figures in your presentation.

·         Structure your Presentation Effectively: The best way to do this is to start with telling the audience, in the introduction, what you are going to present. Follow this by presenting the idea, and finish off the presentation by repeating the main points.

·         Do a lot of Practice: Rehearse but do not go for memorizing the presentation. Rehearsals reduce your anxiety and enable you to look confident on the presentation day. Make sure you practice out loud, as it enables you to identify and eliminate errors more efficiently. Do not memorize anything as it will make your presentation look mechanical. This can reduce the degree of audience engagement.

Types of Presentations

The first step in preparing a presentation is to define the purpose of your presentation.

The following is an overview of several common types of presentations and their purpose. Each presentation type requires a specific organization technique to assure they are understood and remembered by the audience. The suggested organizational structure is also provided.

1. Informative

Keep an informative presentation brief and to the point. Stick to the facts and avoid complicated information. Choose one of the following organizational structures for an informative presentation:

Time
Explains when things should happen
Works best with visual people or people who can see the overall organization or sequence of events
Use words like first, second, third, to list order

Place
Explains where things should happen
Works best with people who understand the group or area you are talking about
Use words like Region 1, 2, 3, or 4 to explain order

Cause and Effect
Explains how things should happen
Works best with people who understand the relationship between events
Use phrases like Because of ____________, we now have to ___________

Logical Order
Simply list items in their order of importance
Works best with people who are accustomed to breaking down complex data into components in order to digest the material

2. Instructional

Your purpose in an instructional presentation is to give specific directions or orders. Your presentation will probably be a bit longer, because it has to cover your topic thoroughly. In an instructional presentation, your listeners should come away with new knowledge or a new skill.

Explain why the information or skill is valuable to the audience
Explain the learning objectives of the instructional program
Demonstrate the process if it involves something in which the audience will later participate using the following method
Demonstrate it first without comment
Demonstrate it again with a brief explanation
Demonstrate it a third time, step-by-step, with an explanation
Have the participants practice the skill
Provide participants the opportunity to ask questions, give, and receive feedback from you and their peers
Connect the learning to actual use
Have participants verbally state how they will use it

3. Arousing

Your purpose in an arousing presentation is to make people think about a certain problem or situation. You want to arouse the audience’s emotions and intellect so that they will be receptive to your point of view. Use vivid language in an arousing presentation– project sincerity and enthusiasm.

Gain attention with a story that illustrates (and sometimes exaggerates) the problem
Show the need to solve the problem and illustrate it with an example that is general or commonplace
Describe your solution for a satisfactory resolution to the problem
Compare/contrast the two worlds with the problem solved and unsolved
Call the audience to action to help solve the problem
Give the audience a directive that is clear, easy, and immediate

4. Persuasive

Your purpose in a persuasive presentation is to convince your listeners to accept your proposal. A convincing persuasive presentation offers a solution to a controversy, dispute, or problem. To succeed with a persuasive presentation, you must present sufficient logic, evidence, and emotion to sway the audience to your viewpoint.

Create a great introduction because a persuasive presentation introduction must accomplish the following:
Seize the audiences attention
Disclose the problem or needs that your product or service will satisfy
Tantalize the audience by describing the advantages of solving the problem or need
Create a desire for the audience to agree with you by describing exactly how your product or service with fill their real needs
Close your persuasive presentation with a call to action
Ask for the order
Ask for the decision that you want to be made
Ask for the course of action that you want to be followed

5. Decision-making

Your purpose in a decision-making presentation is to move your audience to take your suggested action. A decision-making presentation presents ideas, suggestions, and arguments strongly enough to persuade an audience to carry out your requests. In a decision-making presentation, you must tell the audience what to do and how to do it. You should also let them know what will happen if the don’t do what you ask.

Gain attention with a story that illustrates the problem
Show the need to solve the problem and illustrate it with an example that is general or commonplace
Describe your solution to bring a satisfactory resolution to the problem
Compare/contrast the two worlds with the problem solved and unsolved
Call the audience to action to help solve the problem and give them a way to be part of the solution

How to Give an Effective Presentation

Keep the Audience in Mind

Giving an effective presentation means working with both the audience and the topic. It’s important to know how to relate to who you are communicating with in order to get through to them. A business conference usually calls for professional language, while a laid back style is more appropriate in some situations.

Think about the audience’s point of view and what they have in common when planning a speech. Appealing to emotions is a great way to convince and inspire action in others. Make the topic more personal by telling a touching story about another person or situation.

Stay Organized and Focused

Being organized is another important part of effective presentations. Using note cards with clearly written points is a good way to remember what you want to say and in what order. Practice using them beforehand, and make sure they’re in order to avoid shuffling around in front of the audience. They should include main ideas and prompts rather than the entire speech written out. Simply reading word-for-word makes it very difficult to look up at the audience, and eye contact is a big part of relating to the audience. Be familiar with any equipment or projector rental that will be used during the presentation ahead of time. If you’re especially worried about technical difficulties, consider hiring  a professional AV technician to remain onsite and  make sure everything runs smoothly.

Utilize Visual Aids

Visual aids can add another dimension to a speech, and they can be used for any topic. Pictures, PowerPoint presentations, and other types of props are a good way to hold the audience’s interest. They can help drive home an important point and make the subject matter more concrete. Make sure that the visual aids chosen are relevant to the subject of the presentation. For presentations with a Q&A session or where audience participation is required, a  great tool for increasing engagement  is  Catchbox. This padded, throwable microphone will keep the audience on their toes and allow you  to command more attention throughout the whole session.

Back Up Your Argument

To convince an audience of something, or to get them to listen to your point of view, it’s essential to back up your argument. People can tell right away when they are hearing a lot of fluff without much substance. One effective way to be believable is to use statistics and mention where they came from. Audiences usually respond to numbers and other solid information in speeches when it comes from a reputable source. The most credible sources are usually considered to be government agencies, universities, and other well-established organizations that are relevant to the subject matter.

Stick to a Logical Structure

Part of backing up an argument is giving a speech with a logical structure. People are more likely to be persuaded when topics are covered in an order that makes sense. Jumping around too much causes confusion, and it makes the audience more likely to tune out. Being able to stay on track with a beginning, middle, and end that include clear points makes the speaker sound more credible. Think of the five-paragraph essay structure that is taught in virtually every high school: Start with an introduction, then divide the presentation into main points with supporting arguments, and end with a conclusion. If you keep these tips in mind, you’ll be onyour way to giving a great presentation that is engaging, relevant, and well organized.

Effective Speaking

Speaking effectively is defined as speaking in such a way that your message is clearly heard and, if possible, acted upon. There are two main elements to speaking effectively: what you say, and how you say it.

What you say means your choice of words. The words you might use when chatting to a friend are likely to be quite different from those used in a formal presentation or interview.

Similarly, the way that you speak will also vary in different situations. However, there are also likely to be some common factors: for example, whether you naturally talk quietly or loudly, and how you use body language.

This page discusses aspects of effective speaking. It also suggests ways in which you can become a more effective speaker.

Aspects of Effective Speaking

Effective speaking means being able to say what you want to say in such a way that it is heard and acted upon.

Whether you are talking to a major conference about a new scientific discovery, your children about their behaviour, or your boss about a pay rise, you need to be able to speak effectively. This means considering every possible tool and aspect to ensure that nothing distracts or detracts from your message.

Choosing Your Words

What you say—the words you choose—matters.

If in doubt about your meaning, your audience will come back to the words that you used and double-check what you might have meant. It is therefore important to choose carefully, especially when you are saying something important. Things to consider include:

·         Your audience. The words you choose will be different if you are talking to 200 people at a conference, a trusted colleague, your boss, or your children. You need to think about your audience’s overall level of understanding of the subject, and also the type of language that you use.

·         Shorter sentences are easier to process and understand. Using shorter sentences also creates urgency.

·         Simpler words are also easier to understand. If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you have probably not understood it yourself. This is particularly important if your audience are not all native speakers of the language.

·         It is worth remembering, however, that words are only a part of your overall communication and message. The tone of voice and your body language also send strong messages.

Your Voice

Your voice can reveal as much about your personal history as your appearance. The sound of a voice and the content of speech can provide clues to an individual's emotional state.

For instance, if self-esteem is low, it may be reflected by hesitancy in the voice. A shy person may speak quietly, but someone who is confident in themselves will be more likely to have command of their voice and clarity of speech.

It is worth taking time to improve your command over your voice, especially if you find it hard to speak in public. It can even help to boost your confidence!

It is important to get used to the sound of your own voice. Most people are more relaxed in a private situation, particularly at home, where there are no pressures to conform to any other social rules and expectations. This is not the case in public situations when there are all sorts of influences exerted upon the way people speak.

Often people don’t like the sound of their own recorded voice - in the same way that some people don't like photographs of themselves - they can feel embarrassed.

Most of us are not used to hearing our own voices and these feelings are totally normal. Get past the initial, ‘Do I really sound like that?’ stage and develop a better understanding of your voice.

The more you get used to the sound of your voice functioning in a slightly more formal way, the easier it is when doing it 'for real'. In conversational mode, individuals tend to speak in short phrases, a few at a time. Speaking or reading aloud helps you to become used to the more fluent sound of your voice.

Anyone can improve the sound of their voice and the way they speak in a matter of days through a few simple exercises, like the one above. To improve you will need to maintain a certain commitment and practice regularly for a few minutes.

The Effect of Breath on Voice and Speech

The voice is responsive to emotions and sometimes gets 'blocked', which can prevent or hinder the expression of a range of feelings.

When under stress an individual's breathing pattern will change. When your muscles are tense you cannot use your lungs to their full capacity. When someone is frightened or nervous, a common symptom is tension in the neck and shoulders. This occurs because, when under pressure, we tend to breath faster. This means we inhale plenty of air, but there is not enough time to exhale fully and relax, so we do not get the full benefit.

Good breathing is essential for two reasons:

1.       By using full lung capacity the breath will support the voice and the voice will become richer, fuller and stronger.

2.       This will benefit individuals who have a small voice and who worry that they cannot be heard when speaking to a group of people. Volume is controlled in the abdomen not in the throat, so breathing to full strength will allow for greater control of the voice.

3.       Breathing deeply and rhythmically has a calming and therapeutic effect as it releases tension and promotes relaxation. People who are relaxed are more balanced, receptive and confident.

4.       It is no coincidence that many religions use rhythmic breathing techniques such as meditation, yoga and silent contemplation, and vocal release in the form of chants, mantras or hymn singing as aids to their devotions. By easing physical tension, mental stress decreases and the mind is effectively freed to follow creative pursuits.

Vocal Production

The following three core elements of vocal production need to be understood for anyone wishing to become an effective speaker:

Volume  -  to be heard.

Clarity  -  to be understood.

Variety  -  to add interest.

Volume

This is not a question of treating the voice like the volume control on the TV remote. Some people have naturally soft voices and physically cannot bellow. Additionally, if the voice is raised too much, tonal quality is lost. Instead of raising the voice, it should be 'projected out'. Support the voice with lots of breath - the further you want to project the voice out, the more breath you need. It also needs to come from the diaphragm, not the throat.

When talking to a group or meeting, it is important not to aim your talk to the front row or just to the people nearest you. Instead, you need to consciously project what you have to say to those furthest away. By developing a strong voice, as opposed to a loud voice, you will be seen as someone positive.

Clarity

Some people tend to speak through clenched teeth and with little movement of their lips. It is this inability to open mouths and failure to make speech sounds with precision that is the root cause of inaudibility. The sound is locked into the mouth and not let out.

To have good articulation it is important to unclench the jaw, open the mouth and give full benefit to each sound you make, paying particular attention to the ends of words. This will also help your audience as a certain amount of lip-reading will be possible.

Variety

To make speech effective and interesting, certain techniques can be applied. However, it is important not to sound false or as if you are giving a performance. Words convey meaning, but the way that they are said reflects feelings and emotions. Vocal variety can be achieved by variations in:

Pace: This is the speed at which you talk. If speech is too fast, then listeners will not have time to assimilate what is being said. It is also a good idea to vary the pace - quickening up at times and then slowing down – because this will help to maintain interest.

Volume: By raising or lowering volume occasionally, you can create emphasis. If you drop your voice to almost a whisper (as long as it is projected) for a sentence or two, it will make your audience suddenly alert. Be careful not to overuse this technique, though, or it will lose its impact.

Pitch - Inflection - Emphasis:  When speaking in public, try to convey the information with as much vocal energy and enthusiasm as possible. This does not mean your voice has to swoop and dive all over the place in an uncontrolled manner. Try to make the talk interesting. Remember that when you are nervous or excited, your vocal chords tense and shorten, causing the voice to get higher. Emphasise certain words and phrases within the talk to convey their importance and help to add variety.

Pause: Pauses are powerful. They can be used for effect to highlight the preceding statement or to gain attention before an important message. Pauses mean silence for a few seconds. Listeners interpret meaning during pauses so have the courage to stay silent for up to five seconds – dramatic pauses like this convey authority and confidence.

Body Language

A considerably amount of communication—some estimates suggest over 50%—is non-verbal. Tone of voice, pace and emphasis are all part of non-verbal communication.

However, your body language is also important. This includes how you stand, your facial expressions, the way you use your hands to emphasise your speech, and even whether and with whom you make eye contact.

There is more about how to use body language to communicate effectively in our page on Body Language. This includes considering how far away you are from your audience, and therefore whether you need to exaggerate your gestures to make them clearer.

The importance of congruence

Perhaps the most important aspect of effective communication is congruence.

For communication to be effective, your non-verbal communication needs to reinforce your words: the two must say the same thing. Non-verbal communication is much harder to disguise than verbal—if you see that someone’s body language is giving a different message from their words, it pays to listen to the non-verbal communication first as it is more likely to reflect their real views.

You may therefore need to put some thought into how you want to use body language and other non-verbal cues. This is particularly important if you are trying to get across a difficult or unwelcome message.

 interview 

An interview is essentially a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers. In common parlance, the word "interview" refers to a one-on-one conversation between an interviewer and an interviewee. ... An interview may also transfer information in both directions.

 

Face to face Interview:

Face-to-face interview is a data collection method when the interviewer directly communicates with the respondent in accordance with the prepared questionnaire. This method enables to acquire factual information, consumer evaluations, attitudes, preferences and other information coming out during the conversation with the respondent. Thus, face-to-face interview method ensures the quality of the obtained data and increases the response rate.

Face-to-face standardised / semi-standardised interview is a quantitative research tool. Therefore, it is applied in national or certain region population inquiries, consumer, and customer or reader surveys. Furthermore, this method is practised when performing Omnibus and Ad Hoc researches.

6 top tips for a successful face to face interview

What is a face to face interview?

Face to face interviews, sometimes abbreviated to 'F2F interview', or 'face-to-face interview' or just 'face-to-face', are usually the final stage in the job interview process.

They will often follow a successful telephone interview. In a face to face interview, you could be speaking with the Hiring Manager, CEO, MD, or the person who might be your Line Manager. Often, when you interview face to face, it will be more than one person who interviews you; in a graduate job interview it's often the team leader, and the Hiring Manager.

Though sometimes there might be a presentation involved, usually a F2F interview means running through your graduate CV, discussing your skills and experience, and finding out more about your interest in the role.

If you've reached the face to face interview stage, this means you're on track for success; so here are 6 top tips for interview success at the face to face interview stage.

 

6 top tips for interviews

 

1. Use your face to face communication skills

The face to face interview is when the employer will decide if they think you’re right for the job, and the right fit within their company. But it’s also a chance for you to decide if you think you would want to work for their company.

A face to face interview is the perfect opportunity for you to show off your communication skills. Employers will be looking out for what you say, but also how well you answer their questions and how you communicate your response.

One of my top tips for interview is to make sure you speak clearly and try not to go off on tangents about things that aren’t relevant. You want to convey enthusiasm, sound upbeat and keen on the job role that’s being offered. If you want to know how to be successful in an interview, this starts with how well you communicate yourself, and demonstrate your relevant skills and experience.

2. Do your research

This one sounds obvious; but it’s surprising how many people neglect to do this when they are preparing for a face to face interview. Make sure you’ve read through the company’s website and have a few snippets of information about it ready to drop into the conversation – this might be case studies that you really liked, or a particular blog that resonated with you.

Not only does this show that you’re proactive, but it also shows that you really are interested in what the company does (and you’re not just applying to any graduate job). It’s also a good idea to research the employer too, so don’t be scared to look them up on LinkedIn.

When preparing for a face to face interview, make sure that you’ve also read the job description a number of times, and try to mention the requirements in your answers as much as possible. One of the best interview tips I can give is to do your preparation - make sure you've prepared your answers to common interview questions, too.

3. Use real-world examples in your answers to interview questions

You can almost guarantee that you’ll be given some situation-based competency interview questions, like ‘tell me about a time you had to deal with a stressful situation’.

These questions are your chance to shine and prove that you are suitable for the job, based on experience and skills you have gained in previous graduate jobs or through your education.

Make sure you prepare some examples for these sorts of interview questions and have some experiences to hand that you can talk about. For example, if you worked part-time while at university in a restaurant, you could talk about when you had to deal with stressful busy times in the restaurant and what you did to ensure full customer satisfaction.

As a rule, don’t ever say ‘I don’t know’ or ‘pass’. One of the best tips for interview is to ensure you're ready for all types of interview questions, and know how to an face interview head on.

4. Ask the employer questions

At the end of a graduate job interview, an employer will always ask "Do you have any questions for me?" Your answer should always be ‘yes’ and you should always ask at least three questions. Some good questions to keep in your back pocket include:

‘What are the next steps?’

‘What’s your most and least favourite part of your job’

‘What’s your company culture like?’.

As a general rule, avoid asking basic questions like ‘Can I wear what I want to work?’, ‘What does your company do?’ and ‘How long until I’m promoted?’. Top tips for interview success, especially in a face to face interview, is to show you are engaged and interested; asking the employer interview questions is a great way to demonstrate this.

Read the full guide to answering the question 'Do you have any questions for me?' here.

5. Wear a smart interview outfit

Unless an interviewer tells you that it’s okay to dress casually for an interview, you should always make sure that you’re dressed smartly. This is the first time that an interviewer will see you, and you want to make the right impression.

Looking sloppy or like you haven’t made any effort will give the wrong impression straight away. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just an outfit that looks clean, smart and tidy. You only need one outfit that you can wear to any graduate job interview.

This is one of my top tips for interviews - never underestimate the power of a first impression!

6. Be yourself in a face to face interview

My final top tip for interviews; you’ve made it this far because the company likes you and your experience, so it’s really important to be yourself.

It might also be the only time you meet those in the company face to face before starting the job, so you want them to buy into the authentic version of you, rather than a fake, interview-only version.

Then, if you don’t get on, you know it’s not going to be the right job for you anyway - and there are plenty of other graduate jobs out there. Going into a face to face interview with this knowledge should help to reassure you that you don't have to try and be someone you're not; this is one of the most important tips for a job interview.

Different Types of Interviews

Formal? Informal? Panel? Telephone? .... Getting ready for an interview as a designer or creative? Take a read of these different types of interviews and make sure you're ready for your next time to impress.

So you’ve got your foot in the door and it’s time to shine at your first interview. All you have to do now is prepare. Easy! If you know how…

The more you know about the style of the interview, the better you can prepare.

The Telephone Interview

Often companies request an initial telephone interview before inviting you in for a face to face meeting in order to get a better understanding of the type of candidate you are. The one benefit of this is that you can have your notes out in front of you. You should do just as much preparation as you would for a face to face interview, and remember that your first impression is vital. Some people are better meeting in person than on the phone, so make sure that you speak confidently, with good pace and try to answer all the questions that are asked.

The Face-to-Face Interview

This can be a meeting between you and one member of staff or even two members.

The Panel Interview

These interviews involve a number of people sitting as a panel with one as chairperson. This type of interview is popular within the public sector.

The Group Interview

Several candidates are present at this type of interview. You will be asked to interact with each other by usually a group discussion. You might even be given a task to do as a team, so make sure you speak up and give your opinion.

The Sequential Interview

These are several interviews in turn with a different interviewer each time. Usually, each interviewer asks questions to test different sets of competencies. However, if you are asked the same questions, just make sure you answer each one as fully as the previous time.

The Lunch / Dinner Interview

This type of interview gives the employer a chance to assess your communication and interpersonal skills as well as your table manners! So make sure you order wisely (no spaghetti bolognese) and make sure you don’t spill your drink (non-alcoholic of course!).

All these types of interviews can take on different question formats, so once you’ve checked with your potential employer which type of interview you’ll be attending, get preparing!

Here’s a list of interview formats that you should prepare your answers for;

Competency Based Interviews

These are structured to reflect the competencies the employer is seeking for the particular job. These will usually be detailed in the job spec so make sure you read it through, and have your answers ready for questions such as “Give me an example of a time you worked as a team to achieve a common goal.” For more examples of competency based questions click here.

Formal / Informal Interviews

Some interviews may be very formal, others may be very informal and seem like just a chat about your interests. However, it is important to remember that you are still being assessed, and topics should be friendly and clean!

Portfolio Based Interviews

In the design / digital or communications industry it is likely that you will be asked to take your portfolio along or show it online. Make sure all your work is up to date without too little or too much. Make sure that your images if in print are big enough for the interviewer to see properly, and always test your online portfolio on all Internet browsers before turning up.

The Second Interview

You’ve passed the first interview and you’ve had the call to arrange the second. Congratulations! But what else is there to prepare for? You did as much as you could for the first interview! Now is the time to look back and review. You maybe asked the same questions you were asked before, so review them and brush up your answers. Review your research about the company; take a look at the ‘About Us’ section on their website, get to know their client base, search the latest news on the company and find out what the company is talking about.

General Interview Preparation

Here’s a list of questions that you should consider your answers for when preparing…

• Why do you want this job?
• Why are you the best person for the job?
• What relevant experience do you have?
• Why are you interested in working for this company?
• What can you contribute to this company?
• What do you know about this company?
• What challenges are you looking for in a position?
• Why do you want to work for this company?
• Why should we hire you?
• What are your salary requirements?