learners. Such people like to be active and learn by doing.
In your preparation as presenter, you should be aware that people learn in different ways. Good presenters will use a multi-sensory approach to include different styles of learning so that every member of the audience will be able to take in the presentation effectively. This means that you should provide visual aids that illustrate and give headings to support your argument, provide opportunities for discussion and make room for expression through stories and role play.
In your preparation, explore different ways to make your presentation more effective.
Once you are clear about the aims of your presentation in your own mind, you are ready to move on to the next stage, which is to think creatively. Time spent thinking is not wasted: it will mean that your final presentation is clearly structured and easy to follow.
The best way to think creatively is to write about your thoughts in a pattern diagram sometimes called pattern notes, or Mind Map™. This is a creative diagram you draw that captures all the main aspects of your central thoughts as you see them. To do this, you should:
• Take a blank sheet of A4 paper, arranging it in landscape format.
• Write the central thought or theme (a word or a few words, not a whole sentence) of your presentation in the middle of the paper.
• Write around that central word other keywords that relate to it.
• Keep branching out, adding other points that come into your mind.
one minute wonder Acronyms can be a creative way of organizing thoughts and messages. Consider this TOWER acronym for the task ahead: T: thinking O: organizing your thoughts W: writing a first draft E: editing and R: revising the grammar.
“What is the hardest task in the world? To think”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, philosopher
• If you get stuck at any point, answer the question words: who, why, where, what, when, how. These will stimulate your thinking.
• At this stage, do not reject any thoughts. (Use an eraser sparingly to delete what you have written.)
• As a next stage you can draw lines to show the links from your central thought to your key words and between individual key words.
• You can colour in different key words to show which ones are related.
• You can number the different key words in order of importance. Later on, as you deal with each aspect in your writing, you can put a line through each one.
As you draw a diagram of your own thoughts, you will probably see a clear structure with key messages beginning to emerge. (If this doesn’t happen, leave the paper for a while and come back to it later.) Aim for between three and five key messages in your presentation. If you have more than five, you risk overloading your audience with too much information.
Time spent thinking creatively is not wasted.
Spend time focusing on the key messages that you want to give in your presentation. Begin to arrange your key messages in a logical order. Having a clear structure helps your audience follow what you are saying more easily.
There are several different ways in which you can arrange the information that you want to present. You need to choose the best approach, depending on your audience. If you are unsure which way to adopt, discuss it with a colleague.
1 Move from facts to a conclusion. The audience listens to your presentation of the facts and they are led to a conclusion. If you follow this approach, the audience may have to think hard to follow your logic.
2 Start with a conclusion, then see how that conclusion is supported by certain facts and arguments. This is usually easier for audiences to follow than 1.
“Everyone gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense”
Gertrude Stein, writer
3 Persuade people to adopt a point of view, by giving different sides of an argument. Begin by stating your opinion, then give the arguments for and against that opinion and finally draw conclusions from what you have said.
4 Give a list of options. Begin by stating a particular situation and then present the various possible solutions, with their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, outline the next possible steps.
5 Explain a process. Begin by stating how many steps are involved in the process. Say how each different stage works, with its end result. Summarize often. Often, a diagram will help clarify the different stages.
6 Include clear signposts of the route of your presentation. For example, “To start with; I will describe two different kinds of problem; on the one hand…, on the other…”.
Spend time focusing on your key messages.
Inject your presentation with supporting evidence that will reinforce your key messages. Use a range of sources to investigate your subject. You might not use all the information you collect, but you will have thought through different issues.
Sources of information include:
• Data and statistics.
• The Internet. E.g. Wikipedia or www.Credoreference.com
• Libraries. In our digital age, it is easy to ignore the valuable hard-copy resources of libraries that have been built up over the years. Librarians themselves also have a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips and will be able to point you in the right direction. Reference sections of
case study I was once given just three hours’ notice to give a 45-minute presentation, and that included breakfast and travelling to the venue! Fortunately, the subject was close to my heart. I’d kept notes on treatments of similar subjects and could find them easily. I used a colleague’s outline and structure as a basis and added my own personal anecdotes and approach. The keys to success were mental prepararation and being able to access vital information quickly.
libraries are an obvious source of information, while some people find that even a children’s book on a subject provides a useful overview.
If you give many presentations, then it can be useful to keep an ideas book, either physically or digitally, of interesting items that could help you. Such items
