Presentations
Making notes for your speech
The final component to your presentation is your speech. This is the verbal delivery of your information to accompany your visual slides. There are a few elements that you will need to consider when drafting your speech:
- Timing; how long do you have to deliver your presentation, and can you complete your speech in this time?
- Prompts; how will you remind yourself of what to say at each stage of your presentation?
- Delivery; will your presentation be delivered online or in-person to your audience?
Creating and using prompts
It can be useful to use something to help you remember what to say at each point of your presentation. These are called ‘prompts’. There are multiple methods for creating prompts such as using coded colours, using a transition word that will remind you of what is coming next or using repetition throughout your presentation. The important thing is to keep your prompts simple, easy to read and only use a limited amount of text.
Some people need written words for the extra support when they deliver. This is generally accepted at university as you practise your skills in presenting. However, think carefully about what you will use and how you will use it to prompt your speech. Use the drop down boxes below for some ideas with their benefits and risks:
Writing a script can help you to plan and draft your speech. However, you should not rely on it for the delivery of your presentation. This is because reading from a script can make your speech sound robotic and give the impression you have not practised and prepared well enough to know your topic by heart. It is also very boring for the audience to watch someone reading.
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Cue cards are hand-sized pieces of card for you to write notes on. They are small enough to be discreet and not distracting so your audience can focus on you and your speech. Each card acts like one slide of your presentation; you can write a few words to remind you of what to say at each point of your presentation.
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Most electronic devices come with apps for writing notes, preparing for or even writing a presentation. Therefore, it is tempting to use these devices to help you deliver your speech. However, think about how it will look from the audience perspective; using a phone can look unprofessional, and other devices could be a distraction.
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Your slides or visual communication are a part of your presentation which will have key information for your audience. Visuals can also be used as a reminder of what you need to say at each point of your presentation. Remember, correctly designed slides should have a minimum of amount text and therefore you will not be able to read directly from a slide. When you change to the next slide, you may glance at it but make sure you turn back to face your audience quickly. No one wants to watch the back of your head as you present.
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Recorded presentations and delivering online
You might be asked to record a presentation or deliver an online presentation while at university. These can be prepared for in the same way as you would for a presentation delivered in-person. However, you will need to do some extra preparation for the delivery of your speech.
For both recorded and online presentations, you will need to consider your space, sound and technology for delivery:
- Find a quiet room with no background noise
- Make sure your technology is fully charged for delivery
- Use headphones with a microphone for better sound and to minimise background noise
- If you are using a camera to record yourself giving the presentation, make sure the light is not coming from behind you – this will make you appear as a dark shadow to your audience
- Do not have a distracting background or anything inappropriate behind you
Dealing with nerves
A presentation is NOT ABOUT YOU. No-one watching your presentation is judging YOU. They will be too busy worrying about their own presentations, or, if you are doing your job well, listening to the story you are telling them, enthralled by the possibilities you have opened up. However, public speaking is, undeniably, nerve wracking. Here are some tips to help you tackle those nerves:
Tips for group work
Consult your project brief and assignment criteria; are all group members required to speak in your presentation? If not, then decide as a group how many of you will deliver the presentation and divide the presentation time between you. You might want to divide it by the section of presentation that you each worked on.
Make sure you get time to practise your presentation together before you deliver (and not just on the day). Think about how you are going to hand over to other speakers and transition from one person to the next. A good tip is to introduce the next person to speak and for the next speaker to acknowledge the transition with a “thank you”. This shows a clear handover for the audience and avoids any confusion over who is next to speak.
If you are delivering a recorded group presentation or online, make sure you mute your microphones if you are not speaking. This will ensure there is no background noise interfering or distracting the person speaking or your audience.
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