15 Strategies for Giving Oral Presentations 15 Strategies for Giving Oral Presentations

15 Strategies for Giving Oral Presentations
By Lynn F. Jacobs and Jeremy S. Hyman |Feb. 24, 2010,
More than death and taxes, the thing people fear most is speaking in public.
Needless to say, college students are not immune from this terror, which, for you
psychology hounds, even has a name: glossophobia. Unfortunately, in college, it's
not always so easy to avoid public speaking. Some schools have required courses in
speech. And even in colleges where speech isn't a subject, there often is a broad
variety of courses that incorporate presentations or reports–and sometimes full-
length seminars–into the regular class activities. Still, there's no need to lose your
breakfast (or lunch or dinner) over your upcoming presentation. Our 15 tips for
improving your public speaking will make even a garden-variety speaker into a real
Cicero:
1. Do your homework. Nobody can give a good presentation without putting
in some serious time preparing remarks. Many gifted speakers look as if
they're just talking off the cuff, saying whatever comes to mind. But, in truth,
they've spent considerable time figuring out what they're going to say. You
should, too.