delivering an effective oral presentation

Key qualities

Look at each person in the room at least once.
Don’t stare or focus too long on one person.
Don’t look exclusively at the professor.
Look down at your notes quickly to remind you of where you are, but DO NOT read your notes!

Be conscious of speaking a bit louder than you normally do: the larger the room the louder the voice (unless you have a microphone).
Practice projecting your voice—be conscious of pushing the sound out from your diaphragm rather than from the back of your throat.
Vary your pace but, as a rule, speak slower rather than faster.
Pause briefly before complex, unusual or very important words.
Modulate your voice to add interest and expression—don’t give a monotone delivery.
Speak clearly and limit your use of fillers (“umm”, “ahh”, “you know”, etc.).

Remember your purpose; remember who you are speaking to; remember that you want to share this information with them.
If you convince yourself that what you have to say is interesting, others will agree.
Give your voice an extra push, extra pep—this will help you to sound enthusiastic.

Use gestures to emphasize and draw attention to key points.
Rehearse the gestures so that they feel natural—if they look forced they don’t work as well.
Use the ten per cent rule—if you use a lot of gestures when you speak, use 10% less; if you use few, use 10% more.
Avoid useless gestures that detract from your speech—fiddling with pen, tucking hair behind ears, playing with jewelry, etc.

Stand up straight –this gives you a more controlled appearance and enables you to project your voice better.
Stand squarely on two feet—don’t shift weight from foot to foot or stand on one leg.
If you have a podium, avoid leaning on it or clutching it.
Adjust the microphone before you start so that it is at a natural height for you so that you avoid slouching or straining towards it.

Arms: don’t fold in front of you (aggressive); don’t place hands in pockets (too casual); don’t place behind back (looks and feels awkward). A good guideline is to clasp hands loosely together in front of you.
Expression: smile—people will like you more and listen better!
Movement: if you want to move or pace, do (within reason); if you prefer to be completely still, do that—different things work for different people.

Never try to “wing” it!
Be very familiar with the content and organization of your presentation.
“Live” the presentation for a day or two before: run it through your mind as you go about your daily life.
Rehearse—go through the material out loud, several times, but don’t try to memorize it (IT WILL SOUND AS IF YOU ARE READING IT).
Practice in front of others or alone; video/audiotape yourself, watch, listen and improve.
Be totally familiar with your introduction.
Focus on communicating ideas, not learning exact words and phrases.
Speak to them, not at them.

Approach the podium with confidence.
Pause before you begin—this gives the audience a chance to calm down, gives you a chance to take a moment to clear your head.
Take a breath, look at the audience, and begin.
Conclude in a definite way—don’t leave any doubt that you have finished your speech, then ask for questions from the audience (if that is the format you are following).

Don’t draw attention to your mistakes.
Practice difficult words several times out loud beforehand.
Use positive self-talk.
If public speaking truly scares you, work on relaxation and visualization techniques with a counsellor.