EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION SKILLS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPEARANCE

• Physical
• Voice
• Language
• Humour

METHODS TO PLAN IMPROMPTU TALKS

• Method I - PREP
• Method II - Past / Present / Future
• Method III - Related Incident Method
• Method IV - 5 "w's" and one "h"

GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING A FORMAL PRESENTATION

• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
• Considerations in Designing a Presentation

METHODS FOR PLANNING EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS

DISCUSSION LEADING

• Checklist on Discussion Leading

APPEARANCE

PHYSICAL

Appearance

1. Dress neatly and tidily - first impressions are important.
2. Carry yourself in a confident and professional manner.

Eye Contact

Keep eye contact with the class. This will:

1. keep them alert.
2. make them feel that they are being directly spoken to.
3. make them feel part of the class.
4. give them confidence in you as the instructor/presenter.

Monitor the class' reactions to what you are saying so that you can adjust your talk accordingly.

Do not:

1. stare (intimidate).
2. move your eyes from side to side (distraction).
3. look out the window or at the clock (indicates boredom).
4. look only at the training aids or chalk board (this can be perceived as impolite).
5. look at your feet or at the ceiling (indication of nervousness or timidity).

Body Movements

Be natural - don't move around too much or too little.

Do not:

1. stand rigid.
2. march.
3. slouch.

Do:

1. move forward for emphasis (e.g. when standing at a podium).
2. relax when talking from behind a desk -this creates some intimacy with a group.
3. slowly and on occasion move from side to side to engage all parts of the class.

Gestures

Do:

1. use meaningful and appropriate gestures to make a point.

Do not, or at least avoid:

1. play with keys or coins in your pocket.
2. use your hands too much, touching your nose or ears and excessive coughing.
3. use gestures that indicate you are washing your hand of a situation or wringing your hands because of frustration.
4. use a praying gesture as some may find this offensive or foot tap as this may be perceived as patronizing.
5. use a pointer, pen, pencil or chalk to point at an individual may be perceived as offensive.

Volume

• Speak loudly enough to be heard.

Pitch

• Use effectively to convey meaning.

Rate

• Speak more quickly to convey enthusiasm.
• Speak more slowly to emphasize key points or issues.

Do not:

1. speak so quickly that no one can understand.
2. speak so quickly that materials are glossed over rather than well explained so that they are understood.
3. speak so slowly that people become bored or drowsy.

Articulation

• Speak clearly, pronouncing words carefully -don't mumble. Control your lips, teeth and tongue to assist you.

• Avoid "pet" expressions (e.g."O.K.","Like", "You know").
• Do not use profanity.

Tip: Write down your pet expressions on an index card and have a colleague mate point out when you use those or others which you should add to your list.

• Use humour but only appropriately.

METHODS TO PLAN IMPROMPTU TALKS

METHOD I - PREP

P = Point
R = Reason
E = Example
P = Point

Point

• Personal viewpoint.
• Something strong.
• Attention getter

Reason

• Explain why you feel this way.

Example

• Real life examples which clearly illustrate your viewpoint.
• Support material.

Point

• Go back and re-state the point.

• Past - What happened in past?
• Present - What is present situation?
• Future - Where are we going in the future?

• Use the subject as a reminder of a previous incident.
• Relate the incident or an experience using lots of detail. (e.g. asked to speak on m.v. safety, tell story of your first accident or first investigation of m.v. fatality and the effects it had on you.)

What

• What happened?
• What was the cause?

Who

• Whom did it happen to?
• Who is involved?

Where

• Where did it happen?

When

• When did it happen?

Why

• Why did it happen?
• Why are you involved?

How

• How did it happen?
• Are you involved?

N.B. Be brief. If you are asked to speak on an impromptu basis keep it brief and to the point.

GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING A FORMAL PRESENTATION

INTRODUCTION

Purpose: The purpose of the introduction is to define the objective of your presentation, motivate your audience and outline what is to be covered.

O = Objective (State what you hope to achieve in your presentation)
M = Motivate (Get people involved at the outset)
O = Outline (What is to be covered)

Purpose: The body is the most important part of the presentation. The body should cover the essential information, provide examples, and allow for discussion and clarification. What should the body include?

• teaching points
• examples
• exercises, if appropriate
• periodic reviews
• opportunities for discussion or questions for discussion

Purpose: To summarize the body in light of the objective, make a concluding statement and stimulate further thought and action.

Time

The length of the presentation may vary depending on information to be covered, time available, and the interest and attention span of the target group (clients).

Time Blocks

The length of time you plan to spend on each part of your presentation should be noted on your document to keep you on track.

Content Coverage

The extent and level of content coverage will vary by target group (clients).

Target Group Level

The level of language used and complexity of content coverage should be adapted to the target group. (clients) i.e. cadets, staff, school children, etc.

Method of Instruction

Typically presentations are done through lecture. However, the methods you can use are only restricted by your imagination. Again, the methods you choose should be consistent with the nature of the target group and the amount of time you have.

METHODS FOR PLANNING EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS

Methods:

Lecture, demonstration/performance, role plays, videos, slides, group work.

Training Aids:

You should note where the aids you will use are located in your presentation on your document to keep you on track. e.g. cartoons, graphs, quotes, actual equipment, examples, films, samples, charts, manuals, books, newspapers, statistics, audio/visual equipment.

References:

If the presentation is geared toward motivating interest in the subject matter covered, you may wish to provide a list or a bibliography of additional readings, materials, experts (partners), which or who can enhance understanding of the issue.

DISCUSSION LEADING

Advantages of discussion leading:

• Gets participants involved in their own learning.
• Lets an instructor know what participants know about a subject and how they feel about it.
• Taps into the knowledge and experience of a learning group, thus making good use of them as a resource.
• Helps an instructor avoid lecturing participants on subjects they already know about.
• Helps participants retain knowledge better than a lecture would .

Disadvantages of discussion leading :

• Requires more skill from an instructor than straight lecturing.
• Takes more time than a lecture to cover the same amount of material.

Best uses:

• When you need to cover material that participants have some previous experience in or knowledge of.

What an instructor must do before the discussion:

• Set the stage for a good discussion.
• The discussion group should consist of no more than 25. If it is larger, consider establishing sub-groups for discussion.
• Participants should be seated in a manner that will promote discussion. Ideally, they should all see one another easily. Avoid having people sitting in rows, if possible.
• Consider the level of knowledge of the group. In order to discuss, members of the group need to have some knowledge of the topic.
• Consider when this discussion period occurs. Is it early in the morning or late in the afternoon? This may affect their energy level.
• Consider the previous experience of this group. If this is the first time they are asked to discuss something, they may need some prompting. If they have participated in many discussions very recently, they may have become bored with the technique and not wish to participate.
• Consider how comfortable the members are with the group. If the group is new, members will need some time to get used to one another and may feel uncomfortable discussing certain sensitive topics. If the group is well established and cohesive, discussing any topic should not be a problem.

Know what training objective you are trying to accomplish.

• Plan your discussion session by preparing questions to cover key points you want participants to consider during the discussion period.

What an instructor must do during the discussion:

• Begin the discussion by stating your objective and expectations and explaining how you wish the discussion process to occur. Include the time frame if time is tight.

Use questioning techniques effectively:

• Open the discussion with a well phrased, clear, open-ended question.
• Allow silence following a question. Participants need time to think, to decide to answer, to formulate their answer, to get up the courage to give it. Take a drink of water or simply smile and look around the room to show you're willing to wait them out. If the silence goes on too long, reformulate your question. Avoid answering your own question either before anyone else does or after (to give the "correct" answer).

Use a variety of questions to involve participants:

• Open-ended: To redirect the discussion to a new topic when needed, make participants think of another aspect, keep things moving along.
• Closed: To clarify a point, solicit particular information, remind participants of an important point (use very few closed questions since they don't promote discussion).
• Overhead: To involve everyone in the group. This should be the most often used question in leading discussions.
• Directed: To involve a quiet participant, seek out a point of view from someone with particular experience.
• Reversed: If any participants try to draw you into the discussion by asking you a question, reverse their question to them by asking what they think.
• Relayed: Again, if a participant tries to draw you into the discussion, you may relay the question to the group by asking the group in general what they think of the issue.
• Restricted: If one or a few participants monopolise the discussion, you may give others a chance to speak by restricting a question to another part of the group or room.

Guide the discussion:

• Generate multiple responses. Don't simply accept the first correct answer and move on. Encourage other responses ("Good, what else?" "Good, another example?" "How about this side of the room?").
• Be flexible. Use only those prepared questions that you need to move the discussion to each key topic. You may not need them all if the discussion moves in that direction naturally. Accept that the order in which they come up may be different from the sequence you had envisaged.
• Observe participants' non-verbals. When you see confusion, disagreement or attempts to break in, use a directed question ("John, do you have a question?") or an observation ("Mary, I think you disagree") to give that person the opportunity to intervene.
• Use paraphrases to ensure you and participants understand a long statement, to encourage shy participants to continue.
• Use recaps to close off discussion of one topic or from one individual, follow it immediately with a question on another topic or to another participant (directed) or part of the group (restricted: "We haven't heard much from this side of the room. I'd like to hear your opinions about...").
• Avoid expressing your opinion or asking leading questions that might bias opinions or make participants feel manipulated. Remember, if they don't bring out every point, you can add it later.
• Be prepared to intervene with thought-provoking questions or take a challenging position, however, to stimulate thinking.
• If one participant interrupts others frequently or interrupts someone who has been very quiet up until then, interrupt the interrupter to allow the first speaker to continue ("Excuse me, Joe, I don't think Susan had finished.").
• During the discussion, try to sit down. This position will allow greater discussion amongst the participants.

Manage time effectively:

• Anticipate how long the discussion should last and determine whether you have enough time to meet the objective.
• If the discussion seems to be going off on a tangent, ask the speaker to relate what she or he is saying to the objective.
• Announce to the group that there is five to ten minutes left until the end of the discussion period. Be sure to leave yourself enough time for the conclusion.

What an instructor must do after the discussion:

• In your conclusion, recap the main points of the discussion. Add additional important points that they may have missed ("Other aspects we should consider are..."), link the discussion to the objective and to their job environment.

Discussion leader:________________________________

© RCMP-GRC
ecdp0011.doc
May 5, 1998