Deciding on a Format

Deciding what format your presentation will take will largely depend on what you feel your audience will most warm to. Again, consider the message you are trying to convey when you think about format. A more technical approach has its advantages if you are delivering to technically minded people, but don’t feel pressured into using equipment that you don’t understand. Often the simplest presentations can be the most effective. If you have a lot of technical information that is very dry, consider providing this in a handout that you can leave with the audience to read if they are interested. Don’t let it make your presentation boring, or interfere with your message.

Visual aids can be useful – studies have shown that the human brain is able to learn faster when aided with a visual stimulus. But don’t over-do it. We’ve all seen presentations that have been ruined through “death by PowerPoint” – people can become obsessed with fancy graphics and slide transitions. If you have put together a pretty PowerPoint show, you haven’t necessarily got a good presentation.

Structure:

The structure of your presentation will also depend on your message and your audience – however an age old adage is:

“Tell them what you are going to tell them – tell them – then tell them what you have told them”

A clear introduction which summarises the content of your presentation will let your audience know what to expect – they’re less likely to get bored if they know what’s coming. Make sure your key message is included in your introduction.

Then cover the main bulk of your presentation, which will include the information which supports your message.

Finally, provide a clear summary at the end – recap on what you have covered, and re-iterate how it supports your message.

Related posts:

1. Preparing Your Presentation

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Related posts:

1. Preparing Your Presentation

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good presentations, learning, Presentation Skills, Training

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