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TIPS FOR ORAL PRESENTATIONS
PRESENTATION DELIVERY
- Practice and prepare. Practice in front of a mirror. Take a video or audio recording of yourself. Rehearse the presentation in your head when you are unable to rehearse it aloud. With the right amount of practice and preparation, the words will flow more easily on presentation day.
- When practicing, pay attention to your voice inflections, including which words and syllables you will emphasize. Be deliberate. Your voice inflections and emphases will affect your audience members’ interpretation, comprehension, and retention of the material.
- Know how you are going to stand, gesture, and move your body. Practice walking around a bit – moving toward your audience and back towards the screen/lectern, for example. Try to face your audience at all times, and look around the room at individual audience members as much as possible. Make the audience feel like you are directly addressing them. While some movement is fine and can complement your style, be careful not to walk or pace too much; this can be distracting.
- Wear comfortable professional clothing and comfortable shoes. You will not want to be distracted because you are uncomfortable.
- Be early. If you are running late, you will be more nervous and have less time to prepare yourself mentally.
- On the day of the talk, take 10-15 minutes before your presentation to relax, do some deep breathing, and keep your mind off of the presentation for a bit. You want to be relaxed during your presentation.
- Be confident! Be passionate! Be energetic! You’ve got this. Don’t expect to be perfect, but if you have practiced and you are confident, it will show and make for a great presentation.
