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Communication: Spoken English | 215

PRESENTATION SKILLS

Introduction
Presentations are a way of communicating information and ideas to a group
of people. It is a potentially effective means of bringing people together to
plan, raise issues, present problems, monitor, and review the progress of any
project on hand. In many ways they are like reports, except that they are
delivered in person rather than on paper.
A presentation has a logical beginning, middle and end that are well
sequenced and structured so that there is absolute clarity in communica-
tion to the audience. Reports have footnotes and appendices. The reader has
the opportunity to read and re-read till every aspect is clear. But in an oral
presentation the audience is completely at the mercy of the presenter. We
can say that one of the major components of any presentation is the speaker
himself/herself who is the source of the message. Therefore, the speaker’s
motivation, credibility as a speaker and style of delivery matter a great deal
to make a good presentation.
If the audience too is motivated and inspired, it is much easier to influ-
ence, prevail over and convince them. It also encourages them to ask ques-
tions and initiate a discussion. In such a situation the audience could also
help to provide valuable input to your decision-making at the end of the
presentation.

The Objective

The very first step to be taken care of before you plan, research or organize
a presentation is to determine the precise objective of the presentation. You
must have a very clear and focused objective before you begin. In order to
decide on your objective you need to ponder about:
a. Why you are giving this presentation

You should at the very beginning be absolutely clear about the purpose of
the presentation. Is it to convince the audience of a particular idea, or is it to
bring people together to plan and review the progress of a particular project
or are you seeking approval for a new project and emphasizing on its innova-
tive aspects.

b. Who is it aimed at
Then you should consider who it is aimed at. You must have a fair idea of the
intellectual level of the audience and accordingly structure the presentation.
It is indeed a task to consider the audience to determine how best to achieve
your objectives in the context of these people During the presentation, you

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