Presenting a Good Presentation
Presenting a Good Presentation
Wiza Teguh
Presentation is a talk to one or more people about ideas. Sometimes, people are having trouble speaking in public. Having a good presentation is not that hard. It’s only a matter of practice and preparation. In this article, I will explain to you, step by step, about how to make a good presentation.
Typically, a presentation will consist of 3 sections. An opening, middle, and the closing. An opening is where you introduce yourself and the idea that you will present. What will you say in the opening section?
- Greetings
- Introduce yourself
- Explain a little about your idea/topic
- The reason why you have the idea/why you choose that topic
- How many parts/details will you bring in your presentation
- State the duration of your presentation
How to deliver the opening? Choose the right hook! A hook is a statement, a picture, a demonstration, an audio-video display, or an object used specifically to get attention. The next question is, how to choose the right hook? You may find the most unusual/interesting part of your subject, use a rhetorical question, start with interesting facts/stats, give a problem to think about, or tell stories. It is all up to you, but you might want to consider what type of audience are you facing and what subject will you present. For example, if you are in a formal presentation representing your company in front of its client, you might want to start with facts/stats to make it more serious. But again, it all depends.
An opening is the most crucial section of a presentation. Why is it crucial? Imagine if you start a presentation with a poor opening and you failed to attract your audience. It doesn’t matter how good is your idea/subject, audience will stop listening since you start.
Next, we will talk about the middle. The middle is where you present about your main idea. To bridge between the opening and the middle, you may use expressions like:
- According to the survey, our customers are unhappy with this product…
- There are a few problems regarding to the quality…
You may create your own phrase as long as the flow of your presentation goes well. In the middle, you might have several sub-topics. Make it as chronologically as possible. Don’t start with the revenue streams and then talk about the customer segments (In a business model canvas presentation).
In adding ideas, you might use expressions like:
- In addition to this, I’d like to say that our IT business is going very well…
- Moreover /furthermore, there are other interesting facts we should take a look at…
- Apart from being too expensive, his model is also too big….
Finally, the presentation comes to an end. You might want to signal the end. Use expressions like:
- Well, this brings me to the end of my presentation.
- As a final point, I’d like to …
- I’m now nearing the end of my talk …
After you signal the end, you need to make a summarize your whole presentation. Next, you might suggest something regarding your presented points before. Last, don’t forget to make your final statement.
You must allow your audience to understand, remember, and act on your final message. Closing is not least important because in this section, you must ensure your audience got your message. How to do a nice closing?
- Use wrap-up questions
- Quotes a saying from a well-known person
- Refer back to the beginning of the story
- Call your audience into action
