Presentations’ Posting

In order to communicate effectively, there are several aspects to keep in mind when presenting in a listener-centered manner. Some of the typical presentation mistakes we discussed in class are: ignoring the audience, avoiding eye contact with the audience, not using professional fonts and design, not dressed appropriately, not being prepared, not knowing the purpose of the presentation or not knowing what to expect from the audience, not keeping up with the time limit, not repeating the main points, wrong body language, looking at the board, etc. One of the most critical guidelines that I follow is rehearsing the presentation prior to the delivery time. When practicing the presentation, we can address several of the typical presentation mistakes. For example, when I rehearse a presentation, I make sure I will know the content of the presentation so that I will not have to look at the visual aid (powerpoint) often. When I know the content really well, it will allow me to invite questions from the audience and answer them. One of the hardest guideline to follow is the reduction of filler words such as um, so, etc. Even with plenty of practice, sometimes filler words might come in unintentionally. This might also be part of nervousness to present. It is very important that we try to avoid all these typical mistakes in order to give a very effective presentation.