Presentation strategies

This post covers 5 presentation strategies for you to try and use.

1. Catch the Audience's Attention and Introduce Your Presentation
When you begin, it is important to greet your audience and get their attention.
Techniques: 
*Ask a question to get the audience involved.
i.e. How many of you . . .?
After you ask your question, give the audience time to raise their hands, and briefly mention what you notice from their answers.
*Provide an interesting fact, definition, or quote.
i.e. Did you know that . . .?
* Tell an interesting story.
i.e., The other day . . . . . 

Once you have gotten your audience's attention, it is important to introduce your topic and provide a plan, or outline, of the main points you will discuss. This will let your audience know what to expect and it will make it easier for your audience to follow your idea. Besides that, it will help you get and keep organized and on track.
Techniques:
* Today, I am going to talk about . . . .
* I'll begin with . . . .  Next, . . .  . After that, . . . . Finally,  . . . .
Use a numbered list.
* First, second, third, fourth, last.

2. Signal a Transition
Transitions help the audience see a presenter's organization. A speaker can use transitions to remind listeners of the overall plan of the presentation. Transitions are especially important in longer presentations where listeners can become tired and lose focus. Some transitions show what is coming next. Others are short summaries of saying what you have discussed so far. Often, these two transition types are used together.
Example: 
* Okay, we've talked about . . . Next, let's discuss . . . . 

3. Use Effective Visuals
These can make your presentation more interesting and easier to understand. They can also help you organize your presentation. However, if your visuals are not designed or explained clearly, they can be distracting or confusing.
Techniques:
* Use a suitable number of visuals (slides or images) for the time you have.
* Limit text to about 6 lines per slide.
* Use text that is at least 24 point font and easy to read.
* Use a dark background with light text or the opposite.
* Put titles on visuals and label charts, graphs, or other diagrams.
* Make good use of the visual by explaining it clearly without looking at the screen.

TWO ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
4. Use Non-Verbal Signals
Your facial expressions, body movements, and hand gestures contribute to how your audience perceives and understands you. Learning to use effective non-verbal signals can establish a feeling of closeness with your audience, show confidence, symbolize important ideas, and improve the emphasis in your voice. As a result, you will look and sound more like a native speaker of English.
Techniques:
* Use facial expressions to show friendliness and confidence.
* Learn common gestures used to symbolize ideas or actions, such as listing or contrasting ideas.
* Gesture on key words to emphasize their importance.

5. Highlight Key Points and Deliver a Take-Home Message
The ending is as important to the success of the presentation as the beginning. A strong conclusion will make the key points more memorable and help the audience see the relevance of your ideas to their lives. An effective ending will do three things: 1. signal that you are about to end, 2. highlight the ideas, and 3. deliver a "take-home" message. That message could be a final thought, a recommendation, a prediction, a challenge or a questions. The take-home message encourages your audience to reflect on your ideas and connect them to their lives, and the world.
Examples of take-home idea phrases:
* I'd like to leave you with these thoughts . . . .
* So next time you . . . remember that….
* Please think about . . . .