Oral Communication

 Presentations and Speeches

 You will be required to give presentations either as a student or as a professional on the job. A student presentation has several purposes such as advocacy, teaching-learning, informing, and assessment of the student’s progress in the course. Student presentations also aim to prepare them for future professional life. Business presentations have become one of the important forms of communication as they allow one to exchange and obtain information efficiently. A large number of audiences can receive information at the same time and provide feedback during a presentation. 

Whether formal or informal, short or long, the effectiveness of the presentation depends on how well you plan, organize, and deliver it. The following steps will help you develop the necessary skills for delivering powerful presentations:

1. Planning

2. Organizing

3. Designing visual aids

4. Delivering the presentation

Planning a Presentation

Usually, presentations are pre-announced communication events. So, in most cases, you will have adequate time to plan ahead. Planning not only allows you to prepare and assess the effectiveness of your presentation but also boosts your confidence. Like in written communication, planning a presentation entails basically three steps: identifying the purpose, managing time, and analyzing the audience.

Identifying the Message and the Purpose

 Most importantly, the topic should interest the audience and be suitable for the occasion. Once you have carefully decided on the topic, the first step is to determine the overall message you want to convey during the presentation. 

The next thing to consider is the purpose of the presentation. Consider what you want to accomplish during the presentation. Is it to inform the audience? Is it to persuade them? Is it both? 

What is my presentation all about?

What is the purpose of my presentation?

What do I want my audience to take out of this presentation?

Purpose Statement

In this presentation, I want to talk about ____ (message content), so that at the end of my presentation, you (audience) will ____ (purpose).

The purpose statement also helps audience connect the details of the main message and understand the presentation better.

Planning and Allocating Time

Managing time is the most important aspect of a presentation. Excessive preparation or insufficient time allocation can lead to poor performance. 

Longer presentations not only tire the audience, they also tend to lose focus.  In a shorter presentation, you want to be selective and focus on key points.

Rehearse your presentation well in advance. Always remember to allocate time for going through notes and slides before the presentation. 

Analyzing the Audience

Like in writing, you must have a clear sense of who your audience is: their age, gender, and level of education. Knowing your audience allows you to adapt the presentation to your audience’s needs. Once you have a fair idea of your audience, you can plan your content, adjust the delivery, and use appropriate tone.

The audience’s feedback is an important clue to assess your performance accordingly.

Organizing the Presentation

Once you have identified the purpose and the audience of your presentation, your next step would be to organize your ideas. Basically, you can think of the introduction, body, and closing as the three important stages of a presentation.

Introduction

 Beginning the presentation with formal expressions (“my name is… and my topic is…”) or apologies (“I am not an expert in this area…”). The introduction makes the first impression.

Get the Attention of the Audience

Use attention-grabbing strategies to get the audience engaged in the presentation. You can begin with:

A question that makes the audience think about the topic.

A shocking statement or data related to the issue.

A hypothetical situation.

A real event that highlights the importance of the subject.

Non-verbal Cues and their Usage

Non-verbal Cues Meaning What to Do

A demonstration of an object or a process.

A personal story or anecdote.

\A rhetorical question to get the audience to think.

Whatever strategy you choose to begin the presentation with, you want to make sure that it is relevant to the topic. However, you should avoid unrelated humor.

Build Rapport with the Audience

You should show enthusiasm, confidence, and positive body language to create a good impression and connect better with your audience. Maintain eye contact, smile when appropriate, and use gestures naturally. Be aware of your tone of voice and avoid sounding monotone

State the Purpose and Preview the Main Ideas/Points

In oral communication, the audience has to rely on memory to retain information. Therefore, the presenter can help the audience understand the message by clearly stating the purpose and previewing the main ideas at the beginning. Laying out the big picture of your entire presentation allows the audience to follow the structure easily.

You can present the main ideas by listing them categorically, for example: first… second… third… and finally, I will conclude… Consider the introduction of a sample presentation below.

(Sample Presentation Box)

Good evening everybody, I am Ropesh. I am a software engineer by profession. On behalf of Mercantile Bank Limited, I am excited to present a new software for banking. I will be discussing the new banking software, its features, benefits, and how it helps to get work done faster. Finally, I will conclude by explaining how easy it is to use the software.

Body of the Presentation

The body is the most important and longest section of your presentation. Normally, you have more time allocated to this section. In this part, you present your main ideas in detail. The body section can be divided into several main points. For example, if your topic is about a new software, you may present features, advantages, and how to use it.

Description and Categorization

Based on the topic and the purpose, points and supporting details can be grouped into categories. A presenter discussing the impacts of foreign aid in Nepal, for example, may organize ideas into categories such as economic impacts, social impacts, and technological impacts, and then deal with each category with descriptions and details.

Order of Importance

The presenter can sequence the points and ideas in order of importance, moving from a less important idea to the most important one. Such a sequence gradually builds interest and maintains audience engagement during the presentation. In this type of organization, each piece of information works as the background for more important information to follow

Chronological

Information can also be organized in terms of time sequence—moving from past to present. Chronological order is useful when you need to describe the history or development of an idea, business, or technology. For example, you might explain how a company has been doing financially over the decades. Chronological order is most ideal for historical data.

Problem–Solution

Many business and professional presentations may have the purpose of proposing solutions to problems. In such a presentation, you can first introduce the problem, then explain the problem in detail, evaluate the possible solutions, and finally present the proposed solution, highlighting its merits.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Another way of organizing the content of your presentation would be to focus on the advantages and disadvantages of a particular idea, product, or proposal. Providing balanced information helps the audience come to a well-informed conclusion.

State the Purpose and Prove It

A presentation that aims at convincing the audience of a cause or an idea can follow the “state the purpose and prove it” approach. That is, you first state the purpose (what you believe) and then elaborate, explaining why it deserves consideration.

General to Specific

This is the most common, used and low-risk approach, and it works for a broader topic to more specific points. In such a presentation, you move from general ideas to more specific points. For example, a presentation on education may begin with general ideas about education, and then move to specific ideas like the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic, or a particular issue in a specific country.

Close

The closing of a presentation is as important as the introduction. Avoid ending the presentation abruptly. Summarize the key points you have discussed. This is often referred to as the “recap.” You can end with a strong and memorable closing statement. The conclusion should reinforce the main message and leave a lasting impression on the audience.

Designing and Using Visual Aids

With the availability of technology, the use of visual aids such as slides, charts, and diagrams has become very common. If used effectively, visual aids can support your message and help the audience understand complex ideas more easily. They can also make your presentation more engaging.

However, visual aids should not distract the audience. What is seen is more impactful than what is heard, so poorly designed visuals can reduce the effectiveness of your message.

Criteria for Effective Visual Aids

Clarity: Visuals should be simple, clear, and easy to understand.

Visibility: Text and images should be large and distinct enough for the audience to see clearly.

Simplicity: Avoid complex designs, crowded text, or unnecessary details.

Relevance: Include only information that supports your message.

Consistency: Use uniform fonts, colors, and layout throughout the presentation.

An effective visual aid enhances the speaker’s credibility and professionalism.