Presentation Skills and Its Capabilities - Article Example

Presentation Skills Introduction: Presentations have become a popular means of delivering information in an attempt to bring about desired results in individuals. Presentations techniques have received a boost from the developments of science and technology that have provided better a more efficient means of making available visual images pertinent to the information that is attempted to be passed on. This has made presentations a more effective tool in the purpose of reinforcing information on a desired target audience. The relevance of presentations with visual images over mere verbal communication is contained in the old Chinese proverb “ I hear and I forget. I see and I remember”. Presentations are capable of not only adding to better comprehension of the information being delivered, but also is capable of leaving an indelible impression in the minds of the targeted audience. Presentations: Presentations are a communication means to provide information and ideas. Invariably the objective behind a presentation is not limited just to the communication of information and ideas, but it is an exercise in persuasion. This exercise in persuasion may be targeted at a single individual or to a group of people. The persuasion objective is either to adopt or revise a particular attitude, accept or modify an opinion or to take or refrain from taking a particular course of action or decision. Presentations are a distinct form of communication in both its aims and its method of employment. In most other forms of communication the audience is there by choice through a desire or need. In the case of a presentation the audience is a targeted individual or group invariably present through an invitation. The audience – speaker relationship is different from that of a normal speaker-audience relationship. In a normal speaker-audience relationship the implication is that the speaker is at a higher level than the audience and is treated with deference. In a presentation the roles are reversed. The speaker at a presentation treats the audience with the deference, cannot demand attention and must deserve it. With the speaker at a normal speaker-audience has greater allowances due to the deference offered by the audience and is seldom restricted by time. In the case of the speaker of at a presentation, with the audience being treated with deference, there is the restriction of time. In a presentation the speaker needs to make use of the time available in the most effective manner. This restriction on time and the need to use time effectively that poses the greatest challenge to the speaker at a presentation and it is here that the use of developments of science and technology provide the means for speaker at a presentation to utilize sound and vision comes to make the presentation more effective in the limited span of time available. Visual aids allow the presenter to compress the delivery of words without losing the communication needed in the delivery of the limited spoken words. However this does mean that the visual aids need to be judiciously chosen. The reason why visual aids are more effective than words to the audience and for the presenter is because visual aids are faster, more effective, and easier to remember. The use of visual aids however comes with certain restrictions on the presenter. In a normal speech, the speaker can allow his speech to wander along any path, digressing from the main topic from time to time. In the case of a presentation, the presenter cannot wander away from the visuals being presented and has to follow the order of the visuals. All this makes the presentation in comparison to a normal speech an extremely restrictive exercise and loaded with burdens. However it is a necessary exercise that very often gives the desired effect, when planned and executed well. The result however is not a limiting factor for the presentation, as it remains a prelude to further discussions and expositions. (Jay, A., & Jay, R., 1996). Communication Theories: The subject of communication is not easy to define, though it has been a pert and parcel of human activity through human and social behavior. A working definition of communication is that it consists of the transmitting of information from one individual to another. The complexity of the subject of has given rise to many communication theories and models in an attempt to understand what communication is, and the effect of communication on individuals and groups of individuals in different spheres of social activity. (communication theory). The Information Richness Theory: The Information Richness Theory (IRT) provides us a means of observing communication with the use of information technology devices. Information Richness Theory suggests that the richness of information or the leanness of information is an integral property with information technologies that help in communication and the use of information and technology as an aid to communication results from this intrinsic property. Information richness is defined as the ability of information to alter understanding within a period of time. Communication that overcome different frames of reference or provide clarity to ambiguous issues to bring about a change in understanding in a short period of time is considered to be rich, whereas communications that need a long time for enabling understanding or is not capable of overcoming different perspectives are considered lower in richness. This provides us with the perspective that the richness content of a communication is directly linked to its learning capacity. (Ngwenyama, O.K., & Lee, A.S., 1997). With respect to presentations, Information Richness Theory provides information that as presentations take place in a limited span of time with the objective of altering or creating new perceptions in the audience the requirement is for richness in the information that is created for imparting as part of the presentation. Presentation Theories: Sound preparation and thorough knowledge are the pre-requisites for a successful presentation. Just as important are having confidence in delivering the presentation and the ability to control the presentation. A good presentation has to be entertaining to keep the audience interested in it. A dull presentation loses the targeted audience. The attention span of the audience is limited and may last for six to eight minutes. Therefore it is necessary to create some entertaining interludes to keep the attention of the audience on the presentation. Interspersing the presentation with suitable duly acknowledged quotes is a suitable way to maintain the attention of the audience. This provides for variety in the presentation, but essentially keep it to the subject matter and with limited time a significant factor, these interludes should not consume too much time. The initial impact is very important and this impact has to be created within the initial ten seconds and so the presentation needs to start with a punch. The closing words of the presentation also need to be strong, and so the start and end need to be strong for effective presentations. Though deference to the audience is required it should not appear to be an apologetic appeal to their intellect. Finally, though knowledge and height of logic are important when presenting arguments in favor of the information sought to be imparted through the presentation, the more significant aspect is the depth of conviction and the enthusiasm with which these arguments are presented to the targeted audience. (Bowman, L. 1999). Creating Presentations: Like in every endeavor the creation of a presentation starts with it’s planning. At this stage clarity of purpose and the achievable objectives are decided after taking into consideration the type of audience, their present level of knowledge on the subject and what is likely to be their purpose of learning in attending the presentation. This information allows for the creation of the skeleton of the presentation that is gradually filled out to create the final presentation. The structure of the presentation may be taken to be made up of six parts namely the preface, the position, the problem that the presentation addresses, the possible solutions, the proposal of a solution from the presenters perspective and the postscript or the ending. While preparing the presentation each section needs to be given just the amount of attention it deserves, as time is an element concern. An example of this is the preface, which needs to be brief and just contain essentials of the welcoming courtesies, self-identification, the intention of the presentation, the route map of the presentations and the rules of the presentation. Time is a key element of presentations and so while creating the skeleton of the presentation, the time available or intended for each section is entered and seen to that it does not exceed the total time of the presentation. While preparing the presentation the key elements of the presentation theory need to be kept in mind and addressed. (Presentation Skills). Visual Aids: Presentation is not a mere verbal exercise. It is an audio-visual exercise and the visual aids used are of significant consequence to the effectiveness of the presentation. Visual aids need to be simple, but not too simple as to insult the intellect of the audience. These words of Albert Einstein aptly describe the simplicity aspect of a presentation, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Every visual image should have the capacity to must enhance, support, exemplify and facilitate understanding of the subject covered in the presentation. The information presented visually must be brief and concise and needs to be presented in a format that is edited to the minimum number of word that it can be reduced to. The visual images presented should be legible and clearly visible to all sections of the audience of the. For maximum effect each of the visual images should have only two or three facts. In any case the number of facts should not exceed six in a visual image. There should be a balance between the number of visual images and the oral presentation, There should not be an over emphasis on the visual part of the presentation. Color should be used in the visual images and should be use in such a manner that creates emphasis, distinction and clarity of the visual images. The written messages are meant as prompts for the presenter and the written matter should not be read out as such in the presentation. Every visual image has a life span as far as the audience is concerned and the use of the visual, images should not extend beyond the life of the individual visual images. The audio and visual parts of the presentation should synchronize with each other and therefore it is essential that the oral presentation is practiced along with the visual images meant for each segment of the oral presentation. There is no point in preparing visual images using technology or equipment that may not be available at the site of presentation. Therefore it is essential that the visual images are created based on the technology and equipment available at the site. For example there is no point in preparing a power point presentation if equipment at the site of the presentation permits only an overhead projection presentation. It is necessary that slides for an overhead projection are prepared. (Tips for Preparing Scientific Presentations – Handouts). Skills Required in a Presenter: Audiences are irresistibly drawn to personal power and remain engrossed and impressed in it. Usually audiences, without their awareness are more swayed by the personal power displayed by the presenter than the facts or logic of the presentation. This aspect makes the skills of a presenter very important for the success of the presentation. A skilled presenter is able to draw power from the audience by respecting it. This is not a show of respect but the cultivation of respect for the audience from the manner in which the presenter interacts with the audience. The presenter needs to have the right attitude on communication principles, if they are to be of use. The tone of the voice, the facial expressions all add to communication in the right manner with an audience as it is these aspects that impact on the audience. The objective of the presentation exercise is to persuade or convince and this is achieved more through the manner in which the presenter expresses the content of the presentation, than in the content of the presentation. A skilled presenter understands that he is the medium and most of the message. A good presenter does not give information rather the presenter translates it for the audience. A good presenter needs tom overcome the nervousness that is part of every presentation exercise. Skills in the presenter require identification of the key to their performance and to remain cool in any circumstance however tough it may get. (Brown, M., 2004). Literary References Bowman, L. 1999. High Impact Presentations. The Kingstree Group (UK). London. Pp. 27-108. Brown, M. 2004. making presentations happen. ALLEN & UNWIN. Australia. Pp. 15-29. ‘communication theory’. Answers.com. [Online]. Available at: http://www.answers.com/topic/communication-theory-1. Jay, A., & Jay, R. 1996, Effective presentation. How to be a top class presenter. PITMAN PUBLISHING. London. Ngwenyama, O.K., & Lee, A.S. 1997, COMMUNICATION RICHNESS IN ELECTRONIC MAIL: CRITICAL SOCIAL THEORY AND THE CONTEXTUALITY OF MEANING, MIS Quarterly, 21(2), Business Source Premier Database. EBSCO. ‘Presentation Skills’. Big Dogs Leadership Page. [Online]. Available at: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadpres.html. ‘Tips for Preparing Scientific Presentations – Handouts’. Office of Naval Research. [Online]. Available at: http://www.onr.navy.mil/about/speaking_tips/handouts.asp#command. Read More