Self-Study Workbooks - Prepare a Presentation | Page 20

Prepare a Presentation Make a Great First Impression If you appear confident, comfortable and in control, you will make a good first impression. This in turn will ensure that your audience listens to you with an open mind. Here are some tips for making a good impression. Take note of:     Appearance – Smart, clean and tidy, and in-line with your audience. However, if the audience is dressed casually, you should dress ‘smart-casual’ to help give you a professional and authoritative image Facial expression – Start with a smile in most cases to convey warmth and friendliness. If a smile would be inappropriate (e.g. if giving bad news), a quick sweep of the room with the eyes followed by a nod signifies that you are ready to start Posture – Stand tall, straight, slightly forward with feet apart – this demonstrates confidence combined with warmth Gestures – Open and relaxed, and relevant to your points/subject. A failure to gesture makes you look stiff and boring, whilst wild gesturing is distracting At the start:    Take a deep breath before you start and a drink if you like Smile and scan the audience (to assure yourself that the audience are normal and friendly!) Make a joke about your nervousness – (I’m feeling OK – showing left hand: Unfortunately, this is the hand I’ll be using to manage my presentation – showing right hand shaking wildly, or ‘oops! I’ve put the wrong teeth in’) During the Presentation:       Try to avoid holding notes or props in your hands in the first few minutes so nobody sees you shaking. Put them on a table or lectern Clasp your hands together initially, especially in a more informal situation Prop yourself up against a lectern if possible, or sit down if the presentation is more informal Remove any temptation to ‘fiddle’ – pens, coins, keys in pockets, papers etc Pause if necessary to collect your thoughts or refer to your notes (this is better than muddling through and getting in a mess) Focus on a friendly face in the audience for a few moments Power Hour – Prepare a Presentation www.power-hour.co.uk Self Study Workbook Page 20 Copyright Power-Hour 2012