Effective oral presentation techniques and strategies

Oral Presentations

How to Make an Effective Oral Presentation

Presenting an effective oral presentation is an art. The key to successful execution is proper preparation. Understanding your audience and knowing the purpose for the presentation are critical factors for success. However, in addition to factors involved in the preparation, there are also elements in the presentation itself that can effect the way in which the audience perceives the presentation. This study will focus on my own personal strengths and weaknesses. It will support the thesis that organization and timeliness are my best qualities. However, it will also address my weaknesses.

One of my key weaknesses is that I have the tendency to talk too fast. This is a habit that I only have when I am in a formal speaking situation. It does not occur in places where I feel comfortable. This has been a problem for me since childhood and I am self-conscious about it when giving speeches. It makes me appear to be lacking self-confidence and can make me difficult to understand at times.

My second weakness is that I have a tendency to avoid eye contact. This is not a deliberate move on my part. I have a tendency to focus only on my presentation material. Often, I find myself reading from the material on the screen, forgetting to look up at my audience. This habit also occurs when I have my speech completely written out and must read from the paper. When combined with my first weakness, a tendency to talk too fast, the speech can appear like a rapidly delivered piece of reading material. The audience will fail to connect with me if I demonstrate either of my weaknesses; singly or in combination.

My key strength is that I am organized and prepare my speech well ahead of time. I have time to practice and this helps me appear to be poised and confident. I have time to research the audience and understand their needs. My organizational skills also demonstrate themselves in the format of the speech itself.

My second key strength is that I have excellent posture and a strong voice. These are important qualities to have when presenting a speech. These qualities make me appear to be confident and instill a sense of trust in the audience. My voice is calming and I can make people feel at ease within a short time.

The ability to overcome weakness and to utilize strengths is one of the most important considerations when preparing to give an oral presentation. My first weakness is my tendency to talk too fast when I become nervous. In order to overcome this weakness, I will practice my speech at a slower rate of speed, so that if I do speed up during delivery it will not be as noticeable. I must remain aware of my speed of speech during the final delivery.

My second weakness is that I often forget to make eye contact with the audience. This too, requires practice to overcome. However, in addition to practice, I will also select a certain character to represent my need to engage the audience. This character will be placed inconspicuously throughout the speech at junctures where I need to pause and make eye contact with the audience. The character chosen will be something like a, triangle, or other inconspicuous mark. When I see this mark as I am giving the speech it will remind me to stop and engage the audience.