A presentation is a means of communication that can be adapted to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team. A presentation can also be used as a broad term that encompasses other ‘speaking engagements’ such as making a speech at a wedding, or getting a point across in a video conference. A presentation requires you to get a message across to the listeners and will often contain a 'persuasive' element. It may, for example, be a talk about the positive work of your organisation, what you could offer an employer, or why you should receive additional funding for a project.

Presentation skills are the skills you need in delivering effective and engaging presentations to a variety of audiences. These skills cover a variety of areas such as the structure of your presentation, the design of your slides, the tone of your voice and the body language you convey. To be an effective presenter, step-by-step preparation and the method and means of presenting the information should be carefully considered.

Planning your Presentation

It can be helpful to plan your presentation in terms of key steps, as follows:

a)  Set your objective. A simple sentence can be a good means of defining your purpose in giving the presentation, and will begin to determine the content.

(Objective is a short statement which tells what you plan to achieve. For example, you may plan that)

Try to complete the following sentence:

‘As a result of my presentation, my audience will be able to…..

i)       Explain the methods of preventing HIV/AIDS.’

ii)       See their role in interdisciplinary learning more clearly,

b)  Decide what the main purpose of your talk is e.g;-

-to inform, persuade, motivate or change things.

-What do you want your audience to do as a result of your talk?

c)  Understand your audience: Try and have a basic idea of the size of the audience and who they are. Think about what they will be expecting from the presentation, but be realistic about this. Find out what level of knowledge and experience those attending will have about your topic, so that you know where to aim the material. Is the audience likely to have any preconceptions or misconceptions about the subject that you need to address and put right? How might your audience use what you have to say?

d) Know your setting: Find out about the equipment –audiovisual aids etc. that will be available. Check out the location of the presentation; the size of the room (to help you decide on type of seating arrangements), and other facilities.

e)  Write down the ‘central theme’ of the talk.

f) Write your outline: Ask yourself: What are the main points I need to make to get my message across? What supporting information will I need? Where will I get this? How much time will I need?

g)     Structure your talk.