Presentation Skills

Presentation Skills 

 

Presentation skills are the abilities one needs to deliver compelling, engaging, and informative presentations. There are different types of presentations skills we require to deliver the right presentation, like: - 

 

Visuals 

 

When presenting you are required to ensure that the audience is engaged with the content. This can be done by ensuring to include visual elements along with the written content in the presentation. We must also make sure the visual aids that you provide in your presentation should be visible to the audience and the audience should not be trying to read and listen at the same time. Visual aids should be used only to highlight points. For example, In an informal setting, you could use photos and video as a visual aid, whereas, in a formal setting, you could use charts and graphs as a visual aid. 

 

 

Body Language 

 

Body language is one of the most important presentation skills, as it’s a way your body communicates without the use of words. A strong and positive body language would help build credibility and connect with the audience. A good posture would show that you are a confident and interesting presenter. Bad body language can break one’s presentation and make you lose the connection with the audience and not keep them engaged. Good body language would be required in both formal and informal settings, however, the intensity of it can differ in the setting. Good body language must include, good posture, no slouching, making use of the space around you, ensuring that you speak clearly and confidently, and maintaining eye contact with the entire audience.

 

Verbal 

 

What you say can be one of the most important things while presenting. So, verbal communication skills are important to have while presenting in front of an audience, as you want them to understand what you are conveying. There are a few to keep in mind to make sure you can communicate to the audience like, must project your voice according to the setting you are presenting by speaking clearly, and confidently, varying the pace of speech, using pauses, use languages with would be accessible and appropriate to the audience. 

 

Planning 

 

Planning is an essential skill to deliver an effective presentation. To ensure that your presentation runs smoothly, you would need to plan and rehearse your presentation beforehand. If in a formal or informal setting, you would be given a specific amount of time to speak, so, ensure that you speak within that time limit. 

 

Technology 

 

The use of technology tends to make your presentation more engaging, and you can interact with your audience. However, there can be issues with using technology while presenting, so, you’ll have to make sure you are familiar with the technology you are using and have practised with the same. Using all types of technology is not necessary, you must ensure that only those which support what you are saying are used while presenting. 

 

Presentation styles 

 

 

A presentation style would depend on the subject you are discussing, the audience members and the setting you are presenting.  There are different types of presentation styles, however, we’ll be talking about only 4 styles which include: - 

 

Visual Style 

 

This type of style includes a ton of visual aid/ elements to support what one is presenting or discussion point. It is mostly used to complement your talking points. We usually use this style more often with large audiences with broad interests in order to engage them. For example, Steve Jobs presented a new product launch along with visual elements, including photos, videos etc. 

 

Freeform Style

 

This type of style is more of an impromptu presentation and doesn’t require any slides. In this form of presentation style, the speaker would rely on stories and familiar subjects. Moreover, this presentation style is used during elevator pitches, networking events and impromptu meetings. 

 

Instructor Style 

 

This type of presentation style allows you to deliver complex messages using figures of speech, metaphors, and a lot of content. However, this is only used if you are comfortable presenting and are familiar with the subject matter. Using high-impact visuals would be beneficial to get your point across while using this style of presentation. 

 

Storytelling style 

 

In this type of presentation style, the speaker would rely on anecdotes and examples to connect with their audience. They use stories to bring learning points to life. This is usually used for conference speaking, networking, and sales pitches where you have time to tell stories. As stories tend to engage audiences and evoke empathy leading the audience to gain trust and motivating action. Using storytelling style tends to be more effective in persuading the audience to value your ideas. 

 

 

 

 
Formal Presentation 

 

A formal presentation is an effective way to present to individuals or groups. Moreover, a presentation is considered formal when you have been asked to share ideas with an individual or group and you have been given time to prepare. However, there are a few things you are required to ensure before conducting a formal presentation would be, firstly, to ensure you know the audience to tailor your presentation to meet their needs. Secondly, A formal presentation requires you to be more formally dressed. Thirdly, A formal presentation usually doesn’t involve any audience interaction during the presentation, so, it is essential to ensure that you have time at the end of the presentation to engage with the audience. A formal presentation could be done in various settings, for example, A formal sales pitch would be Steve jobs presenting a product launch, this can be seen as a formal presentation regardless of him presenting in informal clothes, as there isn’t any audience interaction and is an informative presentation. 

We can also see a formal presentation in an educational setting like a lecture, where there isn’t any audience interaction, and the lecturer single-handedly has planned and decided the course of the lecture. Ted Talk can be seen as an informal presentation, but it is a form of formal presentation as it includes rehearsed and scripted content, and the speaker doesn’t engage with the audience. 

 

Informal Presentation 

 

An informal presentation is a presentation which is usually prepared in a short amount of time and does not require the same organizational method as a formal presentation. An informal presentation is usually an impromptu presentation. This is more likely to be like a conversation and the speaker would be speaking to a much smaller audience. These are seen as more engaging and have a lot more audience interaction as compared to formal presentations. An informal presentation can take place in various settings, Firstly, a Sales pitch at a store could be an informal presentation, where the retail assistant is pitching the product to you, mostly in a storytelling form. Secondly, In an educational setting, a seminar can be seen as an informal presentation, as in a seminar the audience interaction is high, a usually it’s a smaller audience as compared to a lecture. Thirdly, Entertainment setting, A comedy set could be seen as an informal presentation where the presenter is presenting their set and looking to engage, get reactions and interact with the audience.