Managing Presentations

Institute of Leadership & Management

MANAGING PRESENTATIONS How to give successful presentations

Contents • Click on the headings to be taken to that section.

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Copyright © The Institute of Leadership and Management 2015. These materials may not, in whole or part, be copied, reproduced, communicated, or otherwise distributed without the prior written permission of ILM.




This workbook will help you to understand how to plan and organise your knowledge, your materials and your audience so that you are able to present your ideas and information successfully.

Section one:

Planning and preparing effectively



Understanding best practice in developing presentationsPresentations are a vital method for you as a manager to communicate with and influence your team, other colleagues and, perhaps, your customers. To present effectively you need to get your message across to others clearly, informatively, persuasively and in a confident manner. As a result, you achieve your audience’s understanding and the outcome you require.

‘90% of the success of your

presentation is determined

before you stand up in front

of your audience.’ Ledden (2013)



• Creating a new presentation

Whenever you create a new presentation you need to answer four questions.

Roll over the icons below to find out more.

Your answers will help you to plan your presentation and get your message across for a successful outcome whether you are presenting in writing, by telephone or orally. You will look at this diagram in more depth later in the workbook.

Developing a presentation



Planning andPreparation

Prevent PoorPerformance

Planning your presentation in detail is crucial and you need to keep focused on its purpose, as well as the expectations of your audience. Preparing a presentation takes time so decide how much you need, considering the factors below.

• Roll over the icons to reveal key factors that will influence how long it takes to prepare your presentation.



• Task one: What makes a presentation successful?

Think of a presentation you have attended as a member of the audience and which you found particularly effective.

Type your answers to the questions below in the spaces provided.

What was the purpose of the presentation?

List 10 factors that made the presentation effective.

What three things could have made this presentation even more effective?



Consulting on the development of a presentation Every manager will have a different set of circumstances and therefore different needs for consulting others. Before you start developing a presentation, decide who you need to consult.

• The table gives examples of people you might typically need to consult.

Click on the arrows to find out more.

Who needs to be consulted?

Why?

My manager

Colleagues

Peers

My team

My audience

Administrator

Human Resources



• Task two: Who do you need to consult?

Think of a presentation you will give in the future. Identify the people or groups you need to consult about its development, and why.

Type your answers below.

What is your presentation?

Identify the people/groups you need to consult about the

development of your presentation.

Why? Describe briefly below why you need to consult with

each of these.



Factors to take into account when developing a presentation Using your answers to the four questions in the diagram on page 5 will help you to identify the factors you need to consider when planning and preparing for your presentation.

1. Why am I presenting? (My purpose)Three main types of presentation are used in organisations with three key purposes. Each type describes its key purpose. It is important that you know the purpose of your presentation as each type has a different impact on your audience. They also place different expectations on you, the presenter.

• Roll over the icons to find out more.

Types of presentation



For example, a presentation at an annual conference to present a new business plan and inspire 150 staff...

... would be different from a presentation on a new service to a group of 10 people from a customer organisation.

The common goal of every presentation is to create understanding among the audience.

• Roll over the icons to consider some key questions to assist you in planning a presentation.



2. To whom will I present? My audienceYou need to find out as much as you can about your audience so that you can tailor the content of your presentation to their needs. This is very important.

• Click on the arrows to find out about audience needs and their potential implications.

Factor about my audience

Potential implications for my presentation

Size

Level of knowledge or understanding about the topic

Shared interests, attitude, issues or concerns



3. What am I going to say? My messageOnce you know your purpose and the make-up of your audience, you can plan your content in a way that is meaningful and engaging for them.

• Roll over the icons for more considerations.

What do you need to say to your audience to achieve your purpose?

This will indicate your key message(s), which should be in the form of a short statement that you refer to and support during your presentation. You may need to research your topic to identify the most important supporting material.



4. How will I say it? Content, structure, style, timing etc.Collect all your ideas on the subject, write them down and compile a list of the points that you need to cover in your presentation. There are four steps to building a framework for your presentation that will help you to keep focused on your purpose and your audience:

• Roll over the numbered circles to find out more about each stage.

Establish your key message(s)

Support your key message(s)

Structure your presentation in three sections:

Prepare any visual aids

Section one: Introduction

Section two: Main body

Section three: Conclusion



Visual aidsYou must identify your key points and develop the content of your presentation before you start to design visual aids such as projection slides, handouts or flip charts. This will help to ensure they always capture your audience’s attention and support your presentation, and do not detract from it. Try to use your visual aids to achieve something that you cannot do effectively with your spoken words.

• Roll over the icons to find out why visual aids can be useful.

Their usefulness depends partly on the purpose and formality of the presentation and the size of the audience.



• Roll over the icons to find out more about visual aids.

Visual aids should always be:

…and not overloaded with information. Different visual aids have different uses and so you need to choose carefully.

Above all they should enrich your message and help your audience to understand and remember it.



Make sure that any visual aids are clearly visible to your audience wherever they are. Choose your font size and graphics with this in mind.

• Roll over the icons to find out more about visual aids.



Communication mediaThere is a large number of different communication media to choose from when you present.

• Roll over the icons to find out more about different types of media.



There is no one best method for every situation as each has its strengths and drawbacks. Choosing carefully between them will make sure you achieve the result you intend.

• Roll over the icons to find out more about the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Oral communication

Written communication

Telephone communication



• Task three: Advantages and limitations of different communication media for presenting

Identify three specific examples of communication media used in your workplace (for example, meetings, email etc.). Analyse the advantages and limitations of each for presenting.


My three examples of communication

media are:

The advantages of this medium for presenting are:

The disadvantages of this medium for presenting are:



StyleAll workplace presentations need to be professional. However, your degree of formality depends on various factors such as your organisation’s culture, the size of your audience and your needs from the presentation. With a smaller audience you can take a more conversational approach. With a large audience, there is less opportunity for audience involvement. What level of formality do you need to have? Your appearance should be suitable for the occasion.

Each person has their own personality and unique communication style. It’s a good idea to practise delivering your presentation to someone else, such as a colleague, so that you can check your content, sequence and timings, and get feedback on how you can use your personal style and natural ability to give the best presentation.



Organisational policies and guidelinesYou need to adhere to your organisation’s policies and guidelines in all of your presentations. This will help you to comply with legal aspects and any ethical considerations that your organisation makes. Your organisation may have guidelines regarding presentations. For example, you may be required to use your organisation’s logo or brand mark in your presentations, or a specific format or layout for your visual aids or handout material. You need to check any requirement to use a specific template or type face. Other areas that may have implications for your presentation include:

• Roll over the icons for examples of different organisational policies.



• Task four: Adhering to organisational guidelines and policies

Explore your organisation’s guidelines and policies that have relevance to managers’ presentations.

Describe what action you will take to make sure that your presentations adhere to your organisation’s guidelines and policies. Type your answer below.

The action I will take is:



• Task five: Developing a presentation

In your own words, explain the factors that you would need to take into account when developing a presentation at work.


1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

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Using what you’ve learnt, structure one of your presentations for success.

Section two:

Structuring your presentation




• Task six: Identifying the purpose, content, style, timing and audience for your presentation

Identify a presentation you need to give and develop it using the steps below.

Step one: Audience

Briefly describe your audience, its needs and the time available for

your presentation.


Step two: Purpose

Describe briefly the purpose and key message of your presentation.


My audience is: The purpose of my presentation is:

My key message is:

My audience’s needs are:

The time my audience has available is:



Step three: Content and timing

Summarise the content of your presentation by identifying the key points, including your

introduction and conclusion/recommendation.

Type your answers and timings below.

Step four: The brief

In your own words, explain how your

presentation addresses the brief.


My presentation addresses the brief

because…

Introduction minutes

Key point one minutes

Key point two minutes

Key point three minutes

Conclusion/recommendation minutes Total minutes



• Task seven: Selecting a communication medium for your presentation

Select a communication medium or media that is appropriate for the nature of your presentation, message and audience. Then justify your choice.


My communication medium/media is:

This medium/media is appropriate to the nature of my

presentation because:

This medium/media is appropriate to the message of my


This medium/media is appropriate to the audience for my




• Task eight: Develop materials that support the content of your presentation

Design suitable materials to support your presentation. List each item and summarise it. Finally, explain how the item supports the content of your presentation.


Example

Item one

Item two

Item

Item

Item

Summary of content

Summary of content

Summary of content

Explanation

Explanation

Explanation

A one page handout.

Detailed description of our forthcoming new product, its pricing and expected availability.

Supports my presentation about our new product launch and serves as a ‘memory jogger’ for my audience.



Item three

Item five

Item six

Item four

Item

Item

Item

Item

Summary of content

Summary of content

Summary of content

Summary of content

Explanation

Explanation

Explanation

Explanation



ReferencesDavies, G. G. (2010) The Presentation Coach:

Bare Knuckle Brilliance for Every Presenter. Capstone. Ltd, Chichester, UK.

Kermode, R. (2013) Speak So Your Audience Will Listen. Pendle, UK.

Ledden, E. (2013) The Presentation Book. Pearson Education, London UK.

Siddens, S. (2008) The Complete Presentation Skills Handbook: How To Understand and Reach Your Audience for Maximum Impact and Success. Kogan Page, London UK.

Theobald, T. (2011) Develop Your Presentation Skills (Creating Success). Kogan Page, London UK.

Institute of Leadership & Management32 Institute of Leadership & Management


• Task checklist

Below is a list of all the practical exercises in this workbook to help you record your activity. Completing these will help you to understand and practise the skills you need to develop a presentation.

What makes a presentation successful?

Who do you need to consult?

Advantages and limitations of different communication

media for presenting

Adhering to organisational guidelines and policies

Developing a presentation

Identifying the purpose, content, style, timing and

audience for your presentation

Selecting a communication medium for your presentation

Develop materials that support the content of

your presentation

Documents

Managing Presentations