Chapter Fifteen
Giving an Oral Presentation
iv. Take a deep breath before beginning.
v. Look for smiling faces.
b. Use an outline or note cards.
i. Don’t write out your entire speech word for word.
ii. Use an outline or note cards to keep you focused on the main
points.
iii. Include any quotes, statistics, or sources that you want to mention.
iv. Focus more on your audience than on your notes.
c. Speak clearly and enthusiastically.
i. Your audience will be excited if you are excited.
ii. Vary your pitch and tone to emphasize important words.
iii. Enunciate carefully.
iv. Speak at an appropriate pace.
d. Communicate nonverbally.
i. Your audience will be watching your nonverbal cues.
ii. Your facial expressions, posture, clothing, movements, hand
gestures, and eye contact all impact the message you send.
iii. Be professional and confident.
iv. Don’t apologize if you make a mistake or forget something.
v. Keep going even if you make a mistake.
e. Incorporate visual aids.
i. Decide in advance when and how you will use visual aids.
ii. Try to display visual aids only when you reference them.
iii. Hold the visual aid up and away from your body.
iv. Don’t pass visual aids around the room.
v. If using PowerPoint, talk about but don’t read from each slide.
vi. Use keywords on the slides to help remember your speaking
points.
f. Have a backup plan.
i. Have a secondary plan in case something goes wrong.
ii. Bring additional materials in case of technology issues.
g. Practice your presentation.
i. Practice giving your speech several times.
ii. If possible, gather a small audience for your practice.
iii. Practice in front of a mirror if an audience isn’t available.
iv. Try different methods for using your note cards and visual aids.
v. You may want to video record your presentation.
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