You must have participated in some elocution, recitation or extempore contests during your school days. What was the experience like?
- Searching for an interesting and unique topic
- Researching on how to make it even more impressive
- Practicing dedicatedly (especially in front of the mirror)
Then the adrenaline gush, as your name is announced for the presentation. Those moments when you are on the stage and the ones which follow, during the whole event.
Oral Presentations are a real test of your communication skills.ย If you are a good orator, an expert talker and a proficient convincer, then certainly these demonstrations will seem to you a cake walk.
Whenever I imagine a competent and brilliant conversant, I envision Marc Antony from the play Julius Caesar, by Shakespeare. His funeral speech a marvel to achieve and the manner in which he convinced Brutus and later on the crowd, was the turning point of the play.
Well! That was Shakespeare’s stage and the corporate world might have similar characters but they are indeed sharper and cleverer, than those portrayed in the play. So to be the Marc Antony of the contemporary world, you have to be more articulative and dexterous with words.
Here is an overview of the benefits of oral presentations and how to apply them effectively:
Comprehend Your Target Audience
More than your talent, your listeners are important. You have to decide and define your presentation according to the type of audience you will be facing.
The critical factors in this case are:
- Age group
- Profession
- Location
- Culture
There has to be a difference in the tone, when speaking to an audience who are school students and those who hold a white collar job. Therefore, select the topic and base your research accordingly.
Give the Presentation, the Flow of a Story
All of us talk but not everyone is counted as a good talker. Similarly, if you are a good presenter then you must know that people love stories and to keep them glued to your words, you have to tell them the most interesting tale they have never heard before.
So, you have to prepare your speech with interesting examples, if possible from real-life, facts and figures too.
Keep the Suspense Alive
What happens in most cases is that, people start with a very attractive introduction and allure the listeners’ attention. But as the presentation progresses, you don’t just get dull but duller. So even you have planned an impressive conclusion, you have already lost the grip over your audience.
So, to make them stay with you throughout, keep creating suspenses for them or remind them that there is a cloak and dagger in your tale.
Dramatize Yet Be Eloquent
Too much of drama will portray you as a show-off. Therefore, be meaningful and silver-tongued. Command over the language is an inevitable necessity. But do not exhibit too much of it, use simple and understandable terms. Be expressive just enough, for the audience to be able to relate to your words.
If you keep the above stated ideas in mind and plan your next speech, it will not only charm your listeners but also earn you praises and applauds.
