Oral Presentation at the Workplace
Oral presentations are commonplace in the business world. Individuals who work in small companies may be especially busy giving presentations as sharing information is vital in a small company. There are fewer employees for each department in a small company, which necessitates the frequent sharing of information. Whatever the case, oral presentations at the workplace must achieve a specific goal, include visual aids and be delivered to the right audience.
Significance
An oral presentation in the workplace is an employee's chance to show off the work she has been doing, and prove her value to the company. Whether an employee is presenting to a department or company-wide, it is important to gear the presentation toward the audience. For example, engineers that are presenting to marketing and financial managers will need to share information that is relevant to product features and the cost of production, respectively. In addition, the engineer may need to explain more technical terms in his presentation.
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The employee or manager should first decide how to present the information. A manager may be able to use slides or transparencies for a less formal presentation. However, presentation software that includes Powerpoint and Keynote will usually make a greater impact. Limit the number of slides, including those on a laptop, to eight or 10. The average presentation should last about 10 minutes, allowing five minutes for questions and answers. Slides should be easy to read and have plenty of white space. Adding color and pictures to slides can also enhance an oral presentation.
Identification
A presentation should have an opening, body and closing. The manager should open with a comment or question that gets the audience's attention, according to the article "Making Business Presentations Work" at businessknowhow.com. The opening should comprise about 10 percent to 20 percent of the presentation, including showing the first slide. Managers should get to the point in the body of their presentation, allocating about 65 percent to 75 percent of their time to it. Finally, the manager should rehash the key points, then close with a statement that encapsulates the main goal of the presentation. Including questions, the closing should be 10 percent to 20 percent of the overall presentation.
Everyone gets nervous when giving presentations. The manager or employee should relax and take a deep breath before commencing their presentation. It is also important to maintain good posture, speak clearly and not to fast, focus on the message, and maintain eye contact with the audience. Use a pointer to stress certain points on the screen if you are using an overhead projector. However, it is important to turn back toward the audience when talking.
Considerations
Individuals should rehearse before their presentation. Practicing will better help a person memorize what they will say. While practicing, the manager should use a stopwatch to get their exact timing down. The stopwatch will also help the manager gauge the right tempo for his presentation. In addition, it always helps to anticipate the types of questions people will ask. The manager should be an expert on the material.
- Business know-how: Making Business Presentations Work
- More business: 6 Powerful Business Presentation Tips
- ImpactFactory: Presentation Skills Training and Coaching Tips