As I prepare for my first school visit for the annual Teach-In, I reflect on the presentational skills that need to be considered. While I have extensive practice speaking to business owners, my expertise in speaking with a group of elementary-age children is sorely lacking.
However, since I wrote the book, Presentational Skills for the Next Generation, I know that the audience you are presenting to is an important consideration when preparing for your presentation. Not only will it affect your language, but your choice of slide photos should be considered as well.
What you wear, how you hold yourself, and even how you close will be directly related to the make-up of your audience. As my audience will be made up of fifth graders, one class of budding artists too, the primary thing to remember is to speak to them at their level.
When speaking with adults, standing is most appropriate, but children are so often talked down to that sometimes sitting among them is the best approach.
Then there is involvement. No matter whether your audience is made up of adults or youth, I recommend getting them involved right away. One chiropractic physician I know-and have done some design work for-opens his presentations with a "60-second Stand-up, Perk-up Break". He also teaches other chiropractors how to present by using this same technique. You may want to use a question with a raising of hands. If you are good at it telling a joke, which I am not, that might be your best "ice-breaker".
There is much to learn about the art of public speaking, and my book is always a fresh reminder of the best practices for successful public speaking. It is the go-to guide for both novice and professional speakers as well, I am told.
The best advice I can give is to enjoy yourself. Try not to focus too much on getting things exactly perfect. Just get your message across as clearly as possible. Tell a story; don't bore them with too many facts-unless your audience is of the technical make-up and therefore thrives on charts and numbers.
In closing, if you want your audience to remember you and what you share, let them see your enthusiasm for your topic. Often a boring presentation is boring not because the information presented is boring, but the way it is delivered and the thus the deliverer is boring.
Always attempt to excite your audience and pull them into your presentation rather than merely delivering your information in a 'just the facts' manner. If you do this, there's a very good chance you'll be asked back again.
