A final point regarding floor plans where your audience is an unknown quantity is that you may find it helpful to remove the back row of seats.
This avoids the common problem where the audience filters in and head for the seats furthest from the presenter. By placing potentially surplus seats at the sides of the room, latecomers can help themselves to a seat and join at the back.
When planning any pre-presentation food and drink think carefully; you don’t want to spend a lot of money on lavish food and drinks just to put your audience to sleep. As with your own personal preparation, light snacks and sandwiches are best and it is advisable to avoid alcohol where possible.
If possible, hold over part of the catering - such as desserts and any alcoholic drinks until a post presentation gathering.
Depending on the size and level of formality of your presentation, it may be a good idea to welcome members of your audience as they arrive. If you are present but wait impassively, or are preoccupied, as the audience filters in this can create a cold and unwelcoming atmosphere that can be difficult to overcome - regardless of how good your presentation is.
Getting Started: There are two key points about any presentation. Firstly, it is important to start well and inform your audience of the presentations overall structure and the style of interaction you would prefer. Secondly, you should then Focus on delivering your message and avoiding self-analysis during your presentation.
When your presentation actually begins, if you find that you are suffering from last minute nerves, you can calm yourself by not speaking immediately. Consciously deepen your breathing as you take in your audience, holding eye contact with two or three of them for 3-4 seconds.
Then when you feel ready, start speaking as you maintain eye contact with one individual before moving on to another.
This is the time to switch your focus firmly onto the message. This does not mean that body language, eye contact and interaction with your audience are not important - they are. These vital presentation skills are dealt with in the next section.
Any presenter who asks he or she ‘how am I doing?’ is liable to deal his or her own presentation a critical blow. You cannot perform real-time self-assessments in mid-presentation. The human mind can only cope with one major task at a time and delivering your message should become that all encompassing task once your presentation has started.
8.8 Summary
For a good presentation the introduction will help to establish your credibility and will give the audience a clear expectation of what you are about to tell them. If you are being introduced, it may be worth clarifying your personal details, such as any relevant qualifications or experience that you possess, with the person who will introduce you.
Ideally, your introduction will inform your audience how long you will be speaking for, so that they can adjust their anticipated concentration span
presentation, and to mention the style of audience interaction you would prefer. For example you might welcome any question from the floor, as and when they arise, or you might prefer to proceed uninterrupted until a formal question and answer session at end of your presentation.
Make sure that you start by speaking confidently and at a natural pace. Try not to refer to your notes more than once or twice in your opening segment.
A confident opening style should establish you as a credible and authoritative speaker who is open and friendly. One very useful tip for generating a relaxed and friendly presentation style is to speak to your audience, regardless of its size, as though you were chatting to a friend in a far less formal environment.
Try to look at all of the members of your audience - so that they feel included, and hold brief eye contact with a handful of them. It can be worth seeking eye contact in a methodical way - by switching from the rear right corner of your audience to the center to front left, then back to rear left and so on. Adopting this approach should ensure you cover all areas of your audience. One final point regarding your opening is that you should make it crisp and telling - giving your audience something to think about right at the start. This will have the effect of gaining their attention; it is then your job to make sure that you keep it.
Presentation Styles: The presentation style that you adopt should be influenced by the size of your audience together with the level of formality that is appropriate. The following classification divides presentations into one of four broad categories:
Examples of this type of presentation would be: a committee meeting, a sales pitch or an interdepartmental presentation. Here you should establish eye contact with each member of the audience early on and remain facing them at all times, in order to hold their attention.
Type 2
Examples of this type of presentation would be: the introduction of new products to established suppliers or the briefing of work colleagues. Here it is often best to interact with the audience by soliciting questions and letting individuals make meaningful, but brief, contributions.
Type 3
When presenting at large formal events such as a conference or a corporate AGM, check early on that all sections of the audience can hear you clearly. Punctuate your presentation with links, clear summing-ups and by repeating your main points.
Type 4
An informal presentation to a large audience is relatively rare, but might for example occur if you were asked, at very short notice, to contribute from the floor when attending a conference or similar event. In this case, make sure that you keep your message simple and speak slowly with clear enunciation. Only expand on your general point if requested to do so.
♦ Communication Skill: It is a skill like any other skills that requires practice. The skill enhancement is a gradual process through practice that differentiates a skill from one form to other forms of knowledge.
♦ Presentation Skill: You should be clear on the aim of your presentation, identify the personality types in your audience and adjust your presentation accordingly.
♦ Presentation Journey: Think of a presentation in terms of a journey;
designed to take an audience to a pre-planned destination.
8.10 Self Assessment Questions
1. "The speaking and public presentation skills are primary requirements for a successful manager." Discuss the statement.
2. "Communication is the sum of all things one person does when he wants to create understanding in the mind of another through public presentation." Discuss and elaborate the statement.
3. Write a note on the need and importance of public speaking in business communication.
4. What are the precautions a presenter should keep in mind while going for non-verbal communication with three different groups of audiences?
8.11 Suggested Readings
1. Pal, Rajendra and Korlahalli, J. S., Essentials of Business Communication.
2. Kaul, Asha, Effective Business Communication.
3. Lesikar, R. V. and Pettite J. D., Business Communication.
4. Sharma, R. C. , Business Communication and Report Writing.
5. Shinha, P., Business Communication.