1. Presentation Skills
for Managers
www.exploreHR.org 1

2. Contents
1. Developing Great CONTENT
2. Preparing Great DESIGN
3. Conducting Great DELIVERY
If you find this presentation useful, please consider telling
others about our site (www.exploreHR.org)
www.exploreHR.org 2

3. Three Elements of Great Presentation
Content
Great
Design
Presentation !
Delivery
www.exploreHR.org 3

4. Developing Great CONTENT
www.exploreHR.org 4

5. Steps in Preparing Content
Analyzing Gathering Converting
Your Audience Relevant Data & Your Data into
Information an Outline
www.exploreHR.org 5

6. Analyzing Your Audience
• Needs
• Knowledge level
• Attitude – how do they feel about the topic?
• Demographic Information – this may include the
age, gender, culture, and language of the audience
members
www.exploreHR.org 6

7. Gathering Relevant Data & Information
• Before you start your research to gather relevant
information, there are three questions should be
considered :
• What do I want my audience to gain?
• What might they already know about my topic?
• What is the objective of the presentation?
www.exploreHR.org 7

8. Converting Your Information into an Outline
• There are three steps to creating an outline :
1. Determine the outline style
2. Group your raw data
3. Arrange into outline format
www.exploreHR.org 8

9. Outline Style
Chronological Shows events in order as they occurred
Narrative Takes the audience on a journey through a
flowing presentation
Problem/ States the problem, the why’s, your
Solution solution, and a summary
Cause/ Effect States the cause and explains the effect(s)
www.exploreHR.org 9

10. Outline Style
Topical Divides the general topic into several
subtopics
Journalistic Uses some or all of the what, who, where,
Questions when, why, and how questions
www.exploreHR.org 10

11. Outline Format
Introduction
Outline Body
Format
Conclusion
www.exploreHR.org 11

12. Outline Format
• Introductions
• Should include an agenda and clarify the goals and
objectives of your presentation.
• Can include an overview of a situation, a statement
of the current situation of the organization, or a recap
of history.
• Can use the strategies that help an introduction get
attention: a quote, a question, humor, a creative
image, an anecdote, or a sharing of emotions.
emotions
www.exploreHR.org 12

13. Outline Format
• Body
• Chronological
• Narrative
• Problem/Solution
• Cause/Effect
• Topical
• Journalistic Question
www.exploreHR.org 13

14. Outline Format
• Conclusion
• Summarize the main points of your presentation
• Provide closure, and leave an impression
• Can consist of recommendations, future directions,
next steps to take, and so forth
www.exploreHR.org 14

15. Building Great DESIGN
www.exploreHR.org 15

16. Presentation Design
Key Rules when Creating Bulleted Text:
• Use one concept per slide
• Use key words and phrases
• Make your bullet points consistent in structure
• Capitalize properly – capitalize the first letter of
the first word only
www.exploreHR.org 16

17. Three Keys of Great Design
1. Layout
Great Slide
2. Consistency Presentation
3. Color Design
www.exploreHR.org 17

18. Layout
1. Layout
• Consider your layout to be like the skeleton of your
presentation….Just as our skeleton support our
bodies, your layout should support your message and
provide structure.
www.exploreHR.org 18

19. Consistency
2. Consistency
• You must be consistent in the following design elements:
• Your placement of text and images
• Your fonts style and sizes
• Your background
• The sytle and treatment of your imagery
• Your charts
www.exploreHR.org 19

20. Color
3. Color
• Use high contrast to increase legibility (e.g., black text
on clear and yellow on dark blue)
• Colors should not clash – they should have a high
degree of harmony
• Avoid clutter by using no more than four colors
www.exploreHR.org 20

21. Consistent Fonts
• The two main classifications of fonts are serif and sans serif
fonts
• Serif fonts have small flourishes extending from the main
strokes of each letter (examples : Times New Roman, Book
Antiqua, Bookman Olds Style, Garamond). Sans serif
don’t; they are straight and clean (examples : Arial,
Verdana, Helvetica)
• Sans serif fonts are best suited for electronic
presentations
www.exploreHR.org 21

22. Tips for Planning Great Slides
• Use slides sparingly. Avoid the overuse of slides or
unnecessary slides.
• Make slide pictorial. Graphs, flowcharts, etc., all give the
viewer an insight that would otherwise require many words.
• Make text and numbers legible. Minimum font size for most
room set-ups is 20 pt.
• Make pictures and diagrams easy to see.
www.exploreHR.org 22

23. Design Guidelines
Avoid this
This is better
www.exploreHR.org 23

24. Effective Charts and Graphs
www.exploreHR.org 24

25. Avoid slide like this one……
www.exploreHR.org 25

26. Conducting Great DELIVERY
www.exploreHR.org 26

27. Delivering Your Presentation
Voice
Language Usage
Great
Movement Delivery
Body Language
www.exploreHR.org 27

28. Managing Your Voice
• Try to sound natural, so your rhythm and tone is
appropriate to the message you are delivering
• Develop three important qualities:
• Volume
• Intonation
• Pacing
www.exploreHR.org 28

29. Managing Your Voice
Volume Speak loudly enough to reach all the
members audience without overpowering
those closest to you.
Intonation Avoid to speak in monotone. Put more
feeling into your voice and make it livelier by
changes in your intonation.
www.exploreHR.org 29

30. Managing Your Voice
For most of us, this is natural – except when
Pacing
we are nervous or excited. Practice, and you
can figure out what sounds natural and
appropriate for the points you are making.
www.exploreHR.org 30

31. Language Usage
• When you speak, convey confidence and show interest in
what you’re presenting. Speak with feeling.
feeling
• Use short sentences and short, simple words.
words
• Speak slowly and clearly enough that everyone in your
audience can understand every word.
www.exploreHR.org 31

32. Movement
• If possible, “work the room and work the audience”
audience
• Move appropriately and with purpose – don’t move
simply because you’re nervous
• Your movements should be natural and support your
words and the rest of your presentation
• Don’t move constantly. Pause for effect. Stand still to
make an important point
www.exploreHR.org 32

33. Body Language
• Stand straight, but not stiff. You should radiate energy
straight
• Be relaxed, be casual, but don’t be lazy
relaxed
• Use your hands, arms and gestures. Just let your body
react to how you feel
• Make good eye contact – the rule of thumb for eye
contact is three to five seconds per person
www.exploreHR.org 33

34. Body Language
• Do not keep hands in your pockets
• Do not keep hands “handcuffed” behind your back
• Do not keep your arms crossed
• Do not put hands in “fig leaf” position
• Do not wring your hands nervously
www.exploreHR.org 34

35. In advance of your presentation
• Practice – a lot. Don’t just think your presentation through :
lot
act it out, in front of friends, or family. Time each section of
your presentation and develop a schedule.
• Memorize the first two minutes of your presentation, so
you breeze on through the time when the butterflies are
most active.
www.exploreHR.org 35

36. In the hours before presentation
• Think positive thought : visualize yourself feeling at ease
with the audience
• Use affirmation (e.g., “I can do this. I am prepared. It will
go well”)
• Make sure all the equipment is working properly
• Remember that the people in your audience are human too,
just like you. They want you to succeed !
www.exploreHR.org 36

37. When you enter the room:
• Focus on making your movements fluid and confident,
confident
neither too slow nor too fast
• Find a few friendly faces in the audience, for reassurance
• Smile. Show that you want to be there
• Be yourself
www.exploreHR.org 37

38. How to Handle Tough Situations
Problem :
• Know-it-all – A participant who feels like more of an expert than
you.
Solution :
• Don’t fight it. Involve know-it-alls in your presentation.
• They may have some great information to contribute. Allowing
them to participate and share their thoughts will not only show
how confident you are, but also help them get more out of your
presentation.
www.exploreHR.org 38

39. How to Handle Tough Situations
Problem :
• Unprepared participants – Those who haven’t prepared for the
presentation as you requested.
Solution :
• Be flexible. Take something out of your agenda to allow the group
time to get up to speed.
• Keep in mind your overall objective of the presentations.
• Don’t force your agenda; modify it to meet your objective.
www.exploreHR.org 39

40. How to Handle Tough Situations
Problem :
• After-lunch nap time – One of the toughest times to keep people
engaged.
Solution :
• If you have anything to do with planning the lunch selections, go
light – and no heavy desserts.
• If you really need to get everyone going again, get out those
icebreakers.
www.exploreHR.org 40

41. How to Handle Tough Situations
Problem :
• Non-stop talker – A participant who carries on conversations
during the presentation.
Solution :
• Take a few moments to share what you talked about. This usually
makes the talker feel more involved and want to stay engaged and
participate with you instead of others.
www.exploreHR.org 41

42. Planning for the Questions
• Anticipate the questions that might come up
• Listen carefully to the questioner
• Repeat or rephrase the question
• Answer clearly and concisely
• Go to the next question
www.exploreHR.org 42

43. Dealing with Disasters
• You find out that the time allotted has been reduced. At the
very worse, you can make your points, support the with the
essentials, ask and answer the most likely questions on your list.
• The slide equipment fails. You know then saying, “The show
fails
must go on”. Apologize to the audience and then add something
like “Now return with me to a distant past, before Powerpoint,
when all we had for presentations was our notes and perhaps a
blackboard or flipcharts.” Then, make the most of your primitive
tools.
www.exploreHR.org 43

44. Dealing with Disasters
• You tell a joke that falls flat. Ouch! Just shrug your shoulders
and apologize: “I am sorry. I got that joke at a Henry Youngman
clearance sale.” (You can choose your own comedian).
• You get nervous and flustered and lose track of where you
are. Figure out where you are from your slides and notes. If you
are
can’t, just be honest : “My brain has derailed. Who can back me
up so I can the on the track again?”
www.exploreHR.org 44

45. Recommended Further Readings:
1. Jennifer Rotondo and Mike Rotondo, Presentation Skills for Managers,
McGraw Hill
2. David A. Whetten and Kim S. Cameron, Developing Management Skills,
Harpers Collins Publisher.
www.exploreHR.org 45

46. End of Material
www.exploreHR.org 46