HOW TO GIVE A GOOD PRESENTATION

What are some tips for making a good presentation?

A presentation is a speech or talk in which you show and explain an idea, a new product or a piece of work to an audience. Giving a presentation is therefore one of the most important leadership skills everyone needs to learn. Yes, you are certainly a leader in your own field of specialization: you certainly need the presentation skill in order to communicate your ideas with clarity and charisma.

To make a good presentation, you have to first identify the purpose of the presentation and the audience to whom you’re going to give the presentation. Are you going to show and explain an idea, a new product, or a piece or work to the audience? Is your presentation meant to inform, educate, entertain, persuade, or inspire your audience? Or is it meant to solve certain challenges? What is the topic of your presentation? These are the fundamental questions you need to answer at the first stage of your planning and preparation. This first stage is concerned with brainstorming and generating ideas for the presentation.

In brainstorming, you jot down the ideas as they naturally occur to you. Having jotted down all the ideas occurring in your mind, coupled with the ideas you get from other relevant sources, you have to create an outline that spells out the structure of your presentation, the main points you will discuss, and how you’re going to discuss them. The following are essential features of a good presentation:

1. OPENING:

A. Greet the audience

B. Introduce yourself

C. State your topic

D. Specify your purpose and outline your key points

E. Mention the time and procedure for taking questions from the audience

2. BODY OF THE PRESENTATION:

A. Discuss the key points one by one

B. Use transitional words and phrases as you move from one idea to a new section of the presentation

C. Elaborate on arguments and ideas

D. Provide supporting evidence

E. Show images and graphics where necessary

3. CONCLUSION:

A. Indicate you’re about to round off

B. Re-emphasize your key points

C. Sum up

D. Move on to Questions and Answers.

For a more detailed audiovisual explanation of the tips for making a good presentation, watch the following video lectures:

1. HOW TO GIVE A PRESENTATION
2. HOW TO WRITE A DEBATE
3. HOW TO WRITE A SPEECH