Presentations: How to make effective presentations

Research by executive communications consultancy Aziz Corporation indicates that 98 per cent of UK directors believe good communication and presentation skills are vital to a successful business career. Yet, rather worryingly, 67 per cent find public speaking more daunting than any other business activity.

Sharpening your public speaking proficiency should therefore be a priority for ambitious HR professionals looking to gain a competitive edge, increase their effectiveness and improve their career prospects.

Where do I start?

Consider what you want to say and the most appropriate way of communicating it to your audience. The purpose of your message and the venue play a part, but the make up of the audience should have the greatest influence.

As Aziz Corporation's chairman Khalid Aziz points out: "Obviously, what you say and how you say it is important, but a careful analysis of the audience will give the best clue as to how the presentation should be conceived and pitched.

"A golden rule to remember is 'do not insult an audience's intelligence, but never overestimate their knowledge'."

How much time should I set aside for preparation?

Begin your research and information gathering several weeks in advance to allow sufficient time to familiarise yourself with the material. Get a draft under way at least one week before the event, and make sure you have plenty of free time to practice. Ideally, rope in a colleague who can critically assess your performance.

Whether you are presenting to your team, inter-departmentally or at a seminar, always place the same level of emphasis on practice. And if you are using props, arrive early on the morning of the event for a dry run to confirm that everything is functioning as it should.

Should I limit the number of key points?

There is no set formula to the number of key points a presentation should contain and it will vary according to the duration and format of the presentation.

If you want the audience to remember a key point you must grab their attention. To achieve this, Aziz suggests changing the focus of the presentation roughly every five minutes.

Anecdotes and stories can help influence the audience as can humour, but beware of using it or other metaphors inappropriately. Repeat key points frequently during the course of the presentation.

Still feeling anxious?

Stage fright is a perfectly natural response, and even veterans of the conference circuit can suffer from presentation jitters. The adrenalin rush can heighten alertness and hone your concentration, but too much is too much. It's a matter of finding the right balance as it's important to be sufficiently relaxed so that you can be yourself. There is no shortage of presentation courses that will help you to develop your skills, but you may wish to take a more leftfield approach and try hypnotism or neuro-linguistic programming to quash your fears.

Where can I get more info?

Books

- Successful Presentation Skills, Andrew Bradbury, Kogan Page £7.99. ISBN 0749432594

- Presentation Skills for Managers Jennifer Rotondo, Mike Rotondo Jr McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN 0071379304

Articles

- How to…present to the board www.personneltoday.com/goto/17220

Course

- Masterclass Presentational Skills Held in London 30-31 July (2 days) JSB Training and Development £1,150 plus VAT Tel 020 8371 7010 www.jsbonline.com

CD-Rom

- Get Ahead in Presentations & Public Speaking Interactive Training Technologies £14.99

Websites

www.azizcorp.com  Aziz Corporation

www.personneltoday.com  The site's directory includes a select list of neuro-linguistic programming providers

www.nlpinfo.com  Includes a directory of UK-based neuro-linguistic programming providers.

If you only do five things...

1 Allow ample time for research

2 Always think of your audience

3 Draft your presentation at least one week prior to the event

4 Practice, practice, practice

5 Repeat key points

Experts view: Khalid Aziz on the importance of well-rehearsed delivery

Khalid Aziz is chairman of the Aziz Corporation, a leading independent executive communications consultancy.

How important is it to ensure you end a presentation memorably?

Ending a presentation memorably with a joke or snappy strapline is all very well, but surely you want listeners to remember the whole speech, not just the 'if you take anything away from this presentation, make sure it's this…' sentence.

A conclusion that summarises all the key points is a good way of finishing. It alerts the listeners to the fact that the end of the presentation is near, which gets their attention, and allows you to repeat the thrust of your argument with everyone concentrating on what you are saying.

What's the best way of dealing with a hostile audience or questioning?

Never be forced into saying something that you shouldn't, it will come back to haunt you and could be very damaging. If, for commercial or legal reasons, you do not wish to answer a question, rather than simply saying 'no comment', explain that for legal reasons you cannot at this time breach confidentiality or that after the conclusion of negotiations you should be able to offer more information. If hostility takes the form of heckling, then just keep calm - most of the audience will be on your side.

What's the worst presentation you've ever sat through?

Once I was asked to give a vote of thanks to a successful charity fundraiser. I prepared a glowing 15-minute speech in which I praised her many achievements. No one was prepared for 45 minutes of complete immodesty as she rattled through all of her accomplishments. This is not the way to win the affections of your audience.

Three top tips

- If you are feeling jumpy take a moment to stand still and relax. Take a deep breath, look at your audience, smile, and then in a clear voice begin your well-rehearsed presentation.

- Don't speak too fast - but don't speak too slowly either. The optimum speed at which the human brain understands speech is only three words per second.

- Practice makes perfect. Practice in front of someone who will offer constructive criticism.