This section provides some ideas on how to use … be sure to consider the accessibility of the materials you are providing and also consider how your future partners will be able to adapt their materials to make them accessible for everyone.
Education and awareness activities?
What are you and your CIL experts on? What do you feel comfortable talking about with strangers or people you do not know well? Some examples might be ADA trainings, resources, or disability awareness training (see the session on Independent Living Philosophy for more!)
Another way to reach partners and consumers is to do “Learning Lunches,” also known as “Lunch and Learn.”
Activity: Basic presentation tips
Show Your Passion and Connect with Your Audience!
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- Be honest about why your topic matters and is important to you! Let your enthusiasm show – the audience want to see your passion!
- Smile and make eye contact with your audience to build a relationship with them. This means keeping the lights on so your audience can see you and your enthusiasm.
- Grab your audience’s attention with a story, and image, or something to entertain them. Consider using a poll or survey to engage them, or even invite participation by asking a question! Use humor throughout to keep everyone engaged.
- Think about what story you are trying to tell your audience and design your presentation to tell the story.
- Be sure to vary the speed, pitch, and tone of your speaking voice to emphasize important points and hold your audience’s attention. Also be sure to pause for breath during your presentation
- Most of our communication as humans is non-verbal. Make your gestures open and confident – don’t cross your arms or put your hands in your pockets because this makes you look unapproachable and underconfident! You know this information better than anyone, show the audience that!
- Focus on Your Audience’s Needs
As you create your presentation, keep in mind what your audience needs and wants to know. Make it easy for your audience to follow your presentation.
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- Don’t try to cover too much material – know what is important to include and what is just extra information. It’s also important to admit that you don’t have all the answers and won’t be able to cover everything in one presentation.
- Ask yourself: “What are the key bullet points for my audience to take away from my presentation?” Some recommend that you can say your entire core message within 30 seconds or within a 15-word limit.
- When you design a slideshow, make sure there are no more than 10 slides, the slideshow presentation lasts no more than 20 minutes, and the font size is no less than 30 point so everyone can see the slides no matter where they are sitting. This is known as the 10-20-30 Rule created by Guy Kawasaki of Apple.
Practice!
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- Write down your speech as a script and practice multiple times in multiple locations. It also helps to practice in the location where you will be having your final presentation. This will help you adjust to the environment. Do a practice run with a friend or colleague and ask for their feedback!
- Attend other presentations and note what skills helped the presenter engage with the audience, and which ones were not as helpful.
Arrive Early!
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- We cannot control many things, but for the most part, we can control what time we arrive at our presentation location. This also gives you time to make sure the technology works (e.g., all the cables are there, the microphone works).
In the end, remember that most audience members have given presentations, too. This means that they are more likely to be sympathetic of any snags that come up while you are presenting and understand how nerve-wracking it can be.
Adapted from: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/present/presentation-tips.html
https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/11/19/how-to-improve-presentation-skills