Oral Presentation



Oral Presentation

Introduction

The oral presentation is the form of communication that is often used for various events like in a conference, seminar or even in schools. It is very important that these presentations are accompanied by visual material like photographic slides, transparencies etc. Delivering a good presentation is a form of art. This art includes grasping the attention of the audience from the start to the commencement of the presentation. A good oral presentation also includes careful planning and attention to delivery as well as effective usage of the audio and visuals. Not too many people can feel confident speaking in front of a large crowd of people, and especially all those unfamiliar faces of the people. Most of the speakers become awkward when, looking up, they see hundreds of eyes looking at them. At the very beginning of their speech flatters and a noticeable tremor appears in their voice, which clearly indicates that they feel uneasy in front of all the visitors. Ability to speak in front of large audience is a very rare gift. This paper discusses the key elements of the high quality oral presentations, as well as the development process of the oral presentations.

Key Elements of High Quality Oral Presentation

In an effective presentation, the content and structure are adjusted to the medium of speech. When listening, we cannot go back over a difficult point to understand it or easily absorb long arguments. A presentation can easily be ruined if the content is too difficult for the audience to follow or if the structure is too complicated. Following are some of the key elements that are essential for a high quality oral presentation:

Confidence of the Presenter

The presenter's confidence during the oral presentation is the most important element for a high quality presentation. A confident presenter will manage to immediately grasp the attention of the audience and will manage to engage them in his/her presentation (Dilts, 2004). The audience's attention can be gained through a confident look, voice and body language. If the presenter has the attention of the audience throughout the presentation, this means that the presentation is a successful one.

Ability to Engage the Audience

Try to interest the audience by giving them a copy of the most informative and important slides from which to understand the overall meaning of the presentation (Duncan & Friedrich, 2006). A touch of humor, especially in the beginning of the exposure, can help break the ice with the audience, but it is important to ensure that humor is not overused.

Eye Contact and Body Language

The eye contact with the audience and a firm and appropriate body language of the presenter communicate to the audience the confidence level of the presenter. If the presenter does not maintain eye contact with his/her audience, it will project that the presenter is nervous and lacks confidence (Weissman, 2011). The body language portrays a lot about the situation of the individual. If the individual is confident it will show in the way he walks and gestures ...