2. COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATION
1. Preparation
o What is the purpose?
o Who is the audience?
o What key points do you want to convey?
o Do your homework and be an expert of what you are talking about
o Prepare tools and aids
o Organize slides and talking points in a logical and easy to follow structure
“Focus how to get your message over to the audience clearly
and concisely” (Bratram, 2014).

3. 2. Introduction
oIntroduce yourself
oProvide qualifications
oWhy are you presenting on this topic?
oOutline or agenda of discussion topics
“You need to grab our audience attention at the
beginning or they will soon switch off” (Bartram, 2014).
COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATION

4. 4. Body
oExpand on what you laid out in the introduction
oProvide strong examples to support and clarify ideas
“Highlight specific examples, such as business wins. This will not only
demonstrate your knowledge, but also engage the audience, helping
them to understand how their contribution fit into the wider picture”
(Bartram, 2014).
oAnticipate questions and answer them before they are asked
oBe conscious of time and engage with the audience
COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATION

5. 3. Conclusion
oRepeat the important points
oProvide next steps or a call to action
oMake it clear you are done
oProvide time for questions or contact information
oThank the audience for their time and attention
COMPONENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATION

6. ENGAGING SPEAKERS
o Pace yourself and slow down–you are speaking faster than you think
o Show energy but be professional by speaking at a brisk pace that is
understandable, smiling, and varying tone, pitch, and volume.
o Make eye contact with audience members.
oTry to switch targets every sentence or two to avoid staring at notes or
one person
o Move around the room, stage, or space. Don’t be a statue
o Be interactive, especially for long presentations.

7. NERVOUS???
o Practice and feel comfortable with what you are talking about
o Take deep a deep breath and release anxiety
o Don’t expect perfection and roll with the mistakes
o Fake it! Even if you are not comfortable, pretend like you are and your
audience will never know the difference.
o Accept that its normal to be nervous and embrace it
“There are two types of speakers. Those who get nervous and those who
are liars” Mark Twain

8. HELPFUL PRESENTATION TOOLS
o Note cards
oCue words to trigger thoughts or ideas
oOutline
oAvoid words that could trip you up
oMemorize talking points, not your entire presentation
oMonitor the audience
oDo not overload slide with to much information
oTry to keep to 6 points or less

9. REFERENCES
Bartram, P. (2014). 8 ways to…improve your presentation skills. Financial
Management, Feb 2014, 42-43.