Product Guides and Resources
Tips for Presentation Delivery
Presentational Speaking
- Construct the Message
- Put your thoughts into words, phrases and sentences that others can easily understand.
- Ensure your message is consistent with your level of expertise and the level of your audience.
- Choose the Channel
- Verbal Communication: Use for simple or urgent messages.
- Written Communication: Use for relatively complex directions or messages (i.e., new processes, strategic planning, project directions, etc.).
- Avoid Communication Barriers
- Unfamiliar Language: Culturally (different languages/dialects) or Professionally (industry/internal verbiage).
- Noise and Distractions in the Environment: ACT Proximity video suites offer a quiet and professional setting for conducting successful and efficient meetings.
- Attitude: Listen to all presenters equally before forming opinions of their contributions.
- Differences Between People: Understand personality and value differences between people, and find a common frame of reference to see the situation from other points of view.
- Relationship Between Presenter and Audience: Managers and technical staff should make the audience feel at ease by toning down complicated verbiage.
- Filtering: Ensure that all necessary information is being delivered in an unbiased and non-filtered way in order to have effective decision making. Look for nonverbal cues (wandering eyes, folded arms, leaning back in chair, etc.).
- Selective Perception: Present relevant points to the audience to avoid a lack of attention and selective perception. Dont present every detail.
- Voice Tones
- Be sure your voice tones reflect what you are trying to communicate (i.e., stronger voice represents a sense of authority and demands action; soft voice represents hesitation and does not reflect performance urgency).
Body Language and Gestures
- Openness is expressed in a relaxed position with arms at the side or open.
- A closed style, indicating the person may be uncomfortable in the situation, can be seen in arms close to the body and a greater distance from the other person.
- Hand gestures should support your verbal communications.
Engaging the Audience
- Encourage participation.
- Make the presentation entertaining.
- Give the audience a reason to listen.
- Instill motivation.
- Stimulate the audience with visual presentations.
- Stay with a few objectives.
- Change your presentation style with each new presentation.
- Include stories.
- Express your passion on the topic.
- Obtain and utilize presentational feedback.
