I have started preparing for the presentation about a week and a half before the actual presentation, reviewing the slides, looking for appropriate figures and pictures, etc. The slides were continuously changing during this time. There was always an addition of something, or having to give more precision of other things. But the final slides were ready about 2 days before the presentation.
I did not prepare a speech text for my part of the presentation because I find that it distracts me if I write down the exact words I want to say. Then during the presentation I would have had a tendency to stop and think what were the exact words that I had planned to say. So I just prepared my speech in my head, from the flow of the slides. I did rehearse the speech in my head a few times while playing the slides though.
Just before the presentation, I told myself not to move around and fidget. I know that is one of my main weaknesses in presentation. However, as soon as the presentation started, I could see my feet moving. I was conscious of it and I could not stop myself, not without losing focus on what I was saying. I do it out of nervousness and habit. Even when talking on the phone I cannot stay in one place. Being nervous also made my throat quite dry. Halfway through my part, I could feel my mouth drying up.
I also didnt want to go over the time limit, so I had to skip a few parts that I had wanted to say.
Overall, I think the presentation went quite ok, even if I babbled a few times and even had some uneasy pauses which seemed to last forever. I think I did a bit better than at the peer teaching presentation. So that is an improvement.
Hi Yashfeer!
ReplyDeleteActually I didn't notice your fidgeting and most of the other negative things you said about your presentation. haha. In fact, I thought you were really confident.
However, I thought that you could have been more lively and add some emphasis on key points. Especially cos your part involves convincing us of the severity of the problem, you could have used stories, analogies or comparisons with other universities to make your point more vivid and impactful.
Personally, I feel a speech text is optional cos your slides should prompt you on most of what you need to say. However, there are always some stories/ analogies/ jokes that you could prepare beforehand that would add punch to your presentation. Rehearsing out loud and having an audience to give you feedback during rehearsals will also help a lot I feel.
All in all, I think you are already a pretty good presenter, and I'm sure you will be a powerful one if you keep up this positive learning attitude. Nice meeting you and all the best in the future!!!
-yihan
Hi Yashfeer, thanks for your sharing. I can see that you were very aware of how you carried yourself on the day of your presentation, and the comments I have are largely similar to your description in your post above.
ReplyDeleteLet’s talk about your presentation:
What I like about all your presentations is that you have a special quality that commands attention the moment you walk up 'on stage'. There is this presence about you that captivates people, this special charm that stops people in their tracks. This is a quality you will want to make good use of; to grab your audiences’ attention, and to get them to take to you right at the beginning.
You also have a good command of the (English) language, so your oral presentation was fluent and smooth. If you feel that writing a script distracts, then by all means do without one. It’s not a step that’s compulsory; but rather a process of finding out what works for you. That said, it is still important to have an outline that guides you (which I am sure you had for your OP), and as Yi Han suggested, knowing the delivery strategies that you will be using.
You were right about being too fidgety. You were ‘swinging’ too much almost right from the moment you began your presentation; and the excessive body movement continued throughout your presentation. I honestly cannot stop smiling when you shared that you are someone who cannot stay in one place even when you are talking on the phone – that was one vivid picture you painted, and it helped me understand why you moved so much during your presentation.
But you will want to work on correcting this habit during presentations because (1) it revealed to the audience your nervousness (yes, hand-wringing, speaking too softly, touching the ear-lobes and fidgeting are all signs of anxiety; and I’m sure you are aware that these signals decrease your credibility as a presenter), and (2) it distracts your audience from the message you want to convey. Controlled, purposeful movements are fine in presentations as those convey energy and enthusiasm, engaging the audience. Anything less and you risk ‘breaking’ a presentation.
You made good eye-contact with the audience, and that was fine. Just ensure that you try to connect with everyone in the room, rather than the students on your right. You made use of your tone and gestures to enliven your presentation, and you succeeded to a large extent. Good job there! Do be more enthusiastic though, as your energy level seemed somewhat low. You might like to speak louder, as speaking softly gives an impression of nervousness.
You knew the content well. You were able to provide elaboration clearly, and I noted that you didn’t use any cue cards, excellent effort there. However, perhaps because of the content you were presenting, you looked somewhat uptight. I remember you were wearing a frown when you were elaborating the content. Having appropriate, positive facial expressions are important in presentations, so do make use of those to establish rapport with your audience. I’m sure the last thing you want to do is to frown at your own presentation.
I appreciate the effort you put in, Yashfeer, and I have no doubt that you will become an effective presenter in no time. All the best!
PS: In formal presentations, I suggest removing your earring. Call me old-fashioned but I would err on the side of caution. I remember a sparkle caught my eye, and yes, I did make a note to remind myself to remind you – which of course will be the last thing you want your audience to do when you are presenting, to have a distraction that may interfere with the content you intend to share.
Hi Ms Lim.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments.
Yes, I realised after the presentation that I had forgotten to remove my earring. lol. I will try not to forget for my future presentations.
Your comments and advice will really help me a lot in my future presentations and even in workplace interactions. Thanks a lot for all your help and for being such a friendly and encouraging tutor.