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Being
prepared means thinking about who's going to be listening to your
presentation, how it will be structured and what practical considerations
there might be.
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It's
difficult to give a good impression if you're not sure about what
you're going to say. And that thinking beforehand includes creating
a structure that's logical - especially for the people in front
of you, who are hearing what you're saying for the first time.
It's
also easier to sound enthusiastic, which suggests confidence, if
you're able to put in something from your direct experience. Where
you've been, what you've done, how you felt, why you made a certain
decision - all of those make straightforward facts more interesting.
TIP
WARNING
Thinking
about the audience
In
the case of getting a job, the audience is mainly interested in
how well
you present. But what you say is still important. It's easy when
we're
talking about a favourite subject to get too involved. Listening
is easier
if they don't have a struggle understanding what you're talking
about.
EXAMPLE
Thinking
about the structure
It
may seem obvious that a presentation should have a beginning, a
middle and
an end. But it's surprising how many presenters ignore that simple
rule.
- The
beginning should introduce the subject and give a brief idea of
what's
to come, like chapter headings.
- The
middle should be those chapter headings
in more detail - three will usually be more than enough in a short
presentation.
- The
end is what the audience will remember most easily. So it should
be a
summary, not of everything that's gone before but of the main
idea running through
it - why you enjoy playing a musical instrument, for example,
or the strongest
memory you have of the place you visited.
Thinking
about practical things
You
might believe you're safest with all the words written down. But
that's
very likely to end up like a reading rather than a presentation.
Make
a set of notes instead - for a short presentation, one side of paper
ought
to be enough. Then practise with those as your prompts.
TIP
WARNING
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The
aim here is to be as natural as possible, rather than to act. But
presenting
is still an artificial situation, so there are some points you need
to be aware of
Voice
Speaking
softly, particularly at the end of sentences, is seen as a sign
of
nervousness - and is also irritating if it makes what you say difficult
to hear.
When you practise, make sure you aren't swallowing any words.
Body
If
you're standing up, lots of small movements will make you look nervous.
Once you're in a comfortable position, facing the audience, let
your
head and your hands do the moving.
Hands
Difficult
though it sounds, the best advice is to forget your hands. (We
don't think about them in conversation, after all.) If you ignore
them, your hands
will do what they normally do - match your voice to provide emphasis
for
important words.
TIP
Eye
contact
You're
talking to the audience, not to your notes. So you need to look
up
as much as possible - and look around, so that everyone feels you're
speaking
to them personally.
TIP
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