Practical Presentation Tips
Pick a topic you feel confident talking about.
Sometimes, although we are interested in a topic at university, fully understand it and can easily convey this
in a piece of formal written work, we may not always find it so easy to do the same verbally. For example, it
may be a heavily jargonised or relatively dry topic. Therefore, if you are able to choose your topic (as opposed
to being assigned it by your tutor), pick one that not only are you interested in and will enjoy researching, but
also one that you feel you will be able to confidently talk about and easily explain to others.
Keep to time.
You will usually be given a time limit for your presentation; e.g., 5 or 10 minutes, and you should always aim
to keep your presentation as close as possible to the given length. You should think of the time limit for a
presentation in the same way you would a word limit for an essay or report, in that you may lose marks if your
presentation is much longer or shorter than the time given. It is easy to avoid losing marks this way; namely,
practice your timing before giving your presentation. However, if during the presentation you find yourself
running slightly over or under time, don’t stop dead or try to fill time with irrelevant information, as you are
more likely to be penalised for that as opposed to running just 1 or 2 minutes under or over.
Always think about the knowledge base of your audience.
You know what topic your presentation will be on and how long you have been given. Now you have to decide
exactly what information to include. There are various issues you need to consider when deciding upon your
content; e.g., is the information relevant to the topic. However, one of the most important things you need to
always consider is the knowledge base of the audience you are presenting to. For example, if you were
presenting to people with no knowledge of your subject you should avoid using subject-specific jargon. In
most instances you will be presenting to your tutor and fellow classmates, so it may be safe to presume that
they have some knowledge of your subject. But bear in mind that, unlike your classmates, this is a topic you
have chosen and researched so you will probably know more than them. As such, you may need to explain
some things to ensure that they have fully understood you.
Have a clear structure.
Another main issue you should consider when putting together your presentation is, does it have a clear
structure. Again, you should approach it in the same way you would approach a piece of written work and
ensure that it has a clear introduction, a main body that addresses your key points/arguments, and a definite
conclusion that ties up everything you covered.
Ensure any visual aids are clear and readable.
If you are using PowerPoint slides you should ensure that they are clear and easy to read. However, don’t be
tempted to cram too much information onto your slides. Firstly, the more information you include, the smaller
the font you will have to use and this may make it difficult for the audience to see. Secondly, your audience
should be listening to you rather than reading your slides.
Consider adding interactive elements.
You may want to include some interactive elements into your presentation to help you hold the attention of
your audience. This can be especially effective in longer presentations. So consider, are there any points in
your presentation that you could start a group discussion? Is it possible to include any activities?
Don’t read – talk.
When delivering your presentation you should always endeavour to avoid reading it out from a script. When
preparing you should write down in note form what you intend to say. Through practice you should be able to
cut your notes down to bullet points, which can act as signposts for you during your presentation. The key is
to talk to your audience and make frequent eye contact with them throughout your presentation, which you
can’t do if you are reading from a script.
Make sure you can be heard.
You may have put together a fantastic presentation, but if your audience cannot hear you they will never
know. Most university presentations will be delivered in classrooms, as opposed to lecture halls, so the room
probably won’t be that big. Nonetheless, if you are not familiar with the room it is a good idea to go along
before your presentation to see how big it is and practice speaking in it. If possible, take along some friends
and ask them to sit at the back of the room to make sure you can be heard. Checking out the room
beforehand will also give you the opportunity to find out if there is any background noise that you need to take
account of; e.g., is the room on a busy thoroughfare, do you need to ensure the windows are closed to reduce
noise from outside.
When giving a group presentation – remember!
It is not uncommon at university for you to be asked to do a group presentation. If you are presenting in
groups there are some points you should remember. Firstly, you should ensure that everybody in the group
knows when it is their turn to speak, as you want to avoid two people trying to speak at the same time or
nobody speaking as everybody thinks it’s someone else’s turn. One method is to have one member giving the
introduction and conclusion and each other member covering a sub-topic. Secondly, you should ensure that
you make time to rehearse as a group as this will give you an opportunity to ensure that the handovers are
clean and everybody is sure about what they are doing and when. Another reason you need to rehearse as a
group is to ensure that each member knows the presentation as a whole so that they can stand in for a
colleague if necessary. Finally, you will more than likely be expected to take questions at the end of the
presentation and it is good practice to work out beforehand how you should take questions as a group. For
example, one method you could adopt is that each member should answer any questions relating to the subtopic they were presenting on.
Have a Plan B.
The best laid plans… Whenever you are putting together a presentation you should also devise a Plan B. For
example, you have chosen to use PowerPoint, but what would happen if you get to your presentation and find
that the computer provided cannot read your USB. Therefore, it would be wise to also send the presentation
to yourself on email as a back-up. If you are doing a group presentation and on the day one of your fellow
presenters takes ill and is unable to make the presentation, do you know enough about what they were going
to discuss to take their place. The key point is that although in the majority of instances everything goes
according to plan, it is always advisable to have a back-up plan should anything go wrong on the day.
Get feedback.
After your presentation always ask for feedback. You will be given formal feedback from your tutor but also
ask your fellow classmates what they thought. You can take on board what they said to help you improve your
presenting skills in the future.
On Track | revised January 2014