Oral Presentations

Updated Mar 05, 2023 ·

Overview

Before creating slides, it’s important to plan your presentation. Consider your goal, the audience, and the message you want to deliver.

Planning the Presentation

• Define the Purpose

  • Is your presentation informative, instructional, or persuasive?
  • Example:
    • Explain how sentiment analysis was done
    • Convince stakeholders to act on negative ratings.

• Know Your Audience

  • Consider who you’re presenting to:
    • Technical colleagues
    • Managers
    • Customers
  • Think about the size of the audience:
    • Small meeting
    • Large conference

• Craft Your Message

  • Decide what key takeaway you want your audience to remember.
  • Build your presentation to emphasize this message.
  • Example: "Negative ratings are hurting our sales."

• Structure the Presentation

  • Start with an engaging introduction.
  • Dive into methods and findings
  • Tailor results to your audience’s understanding.
  • Conclude with a call to action.

• Outline Key Sections

  • Limit your presentation to about five sections.
  • Example: Reason for analysis, exploratory analysis, sentiment analysis, conclusions, follow-up actions.

• Keep Timing in Mind

  • Plan the presentation to fit within your allotted time.
  • Adjust the content based on how long you have to speak.

Designing the Slides

Keep the slides simple, focused, and easy to follow for the audience.

• Keep Slides Focused

  • Limit each slide to one main point.
  • Too much content on a slide can overwhelm the audience.

• Use a Clear Message

  • Every slide should convey one message clearly.
  • Don't overload with confusing information.

• Choose Colors Carefully

  • Use colors that support your message and ensure good contrast.
  • Avoid red and green together for colorblind viewers.

• Select Fonts Wisely

  • Sans-serif fonts are best for screens
  • Serif fonts are better for printed text.
  • Keep text large and concise to enhance readability.

• Avoid Text Overload

  • Don’t crowd slides with text.
  • Use bullet points to highlight key ideas.

• Use Headlines Effectively

  • Make your slide headlines clear and easy to understand.
  • It guides your audience’s attention to the main point.

• Layer Content for Clarity

  • Break complex information into smaller, digestible pieces.
  • Reveal points separately, then combine to show the full picture.

• Incorporate Visuals

  • Use graphs or visuals to replace text.
  • Layer and highlight visuals to help focus audience’s attention.

• Limit Visuals per Slide

  • Avoid overcrowding slides with multiple visuals.
  • Stick to one or two large visuals per slide.

Deliver the Presentation

When it's time to present, the way you deliver your message is just as important as the content itself.

• Practice your presentation

  • Rehearse using a script as a guide.
  • Focus on the key points, not memorization.
  • Anticipate potential follow-up questions.

• Rehearse in context

  • Stand up, use the slides, and speak aloud.
  • Identify filler words like “um” or “so.”

• Stay confident

  • Confidence makes your message more convincing.
  • Avoid showing signs of nervousness.

• Engage the audience

  • Make eye contact.
  • Ask questions to keep them involved.
  • Talk to audience, not at them.

• Keep it on time

  • Stick to allotted time to maintain attention.

• Use pauses effectively

  • Let your audience absorb key points.
  • Speed up for urgency, but pause to allow reflection.

• Encourage questions

  • Invite questions during or at the end of the presentation.
  • Show openness and willingness to clarify.

Tips

• Keep it short

  • Limit the presentation to 20 minutes or less.
  • Reserve time for questions at the end.

• State your purpose clearly

  • Mention the presentation's purpose at the start.
  • Helps the audience understand the relevance of your message.

• Guide your audience

  • Present information in a logical order.
  • Don’t save key points for the end, spread them throughout.

• Engage your audience

  • Avoid talking at the audience. Talk to them.
  • Ask questions and include them in the discussion.

• Introduce yourself confidently

  • Make a strong opening statement.
  • Who you are and why you’re presenting.

• Clarify assumptions

  • State your key assumptions clearly.
  • Shows understanding and empathy towards your audience.

• Ask questions

  • Pose questions during the presentation.
  • Use them as hooks to transition to new ideas.

• Connect with your story

  • Relate everything back to your main message.

• Use body language effectively

  • Emphasize your points with natural gestures.
  • Movement and facial expressions keep the audience engaged.

• Use your voice wisely

  • Vary your speed and tone to make your talk more dynamic.
  • Speak clearly and loud enough for in-person presentations.
  • For online presentations, ensure your mic is clear.

• Show enthusiasm

  • Engage with your topic and sound interested.
  • Your energy will keep the audience interested too.