How to make a good presentation?

When William Shakespeare declared that "All the world's a stage," he could have been talking about business in the 21st century. In a world where electronic communications are ever-present, the art of giving a compelling presentation in person has become increasingly important.

When you make a presentation, the first stage is to plan it. You should start by thinking about your audience- who they are, what they know about the subject and what they expect from you. Think also about what their attitude will be to you. Will they be interested, enthusiastic, cooperative or perhaps critical? Are you presenting to a group from your own culture or to people of different cultures? All these factors will influence the way you approach the presentation. If possible, try to visit the room where you are going to give the talk. Check the equipment and make sure your voice carries to the back of the room if you dont use a microphone. Look at the seating arrangements and make sure they are what you want. You also want to feel comfortable and relaxed when you are presenting.

You are now ready to prepare what you are going to say. Stage one is the opening. A good opening is essential as you will be nervous and you need to grab the attention of the audience. You start by introducing yourself and then you use a technique to get the audience's interest. This is called the 'hook' which focuses the audience's attention on what you are saying. You can do this in various ways. You can: ask a quastion; use a famous quotation; use a striking visual image; appeal directly to the audience's interests or needs.

Once you have the audience's attention, you should tell them the structure of your presentation. You give them a map of the talk, with signposts along the route, so they know what you will cover in your talk.

After the opening and a brief introduction of your subject, you come to the main body of your presentation. Then you have a conclusion during which you summerise your key points, and give your final opinion and recommendation. After that, it's the question and answer session.

In conclusion, I'd like to say that making a presentation is very difficult task. But I want to give some advice about how you deliver the presentation and make it memorable, enjoyable and informative.

Firstly, keep good eye contact with your audience at all times.

Secondly, vary the speed of your voice- a pause is often very effective and vary your intonation and volume of voice.

Thirdly, dont use jargon unless your audience understand it.

Moreover, generally present concrete facts rather than abstract ideas. Also give examples to support your points. And the last, but not the least is you need to build a rapport with the audience, and to develop a warm and friendly relationships with them. Enthusiasm is important. If you are enthusiastic, your audience will be too.

Remember, a presentation is a performance. What you say is vital, but how you say it is even more important.

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