Careful preparation gives you confidence – and that can never hurt. Especially for those people (the vast majority) who are apprehensive about giving presentations. Nerves are not necessarily a bad thing. It is a sign that you think the presentation is important, for example, because you want to do well. What does careful preparation entail?

• Determine the core message

The first step in the preparation is to determine your core message or central idea. That is not the subject of your story, but the conclusion. Remember that ‘your thesis’ should never be the subject of a presentation. Your research topic is the subject.

Remember that your audience can only absorb small amounts of information. When you are reading a report, you can browse through the pages; in a presentation, you listener does not have that luxury. That is precisely why it is important to focus on one message. Your goal is to convey that message to your audience.

A core message should be no more than two sentences (see the example). You can only say you are well prepared if you have managed to formulate the core message in a short, concise format.In the issue of informal care, more attention should be paid to the restrictions on the mobility of caregivers. If this does not happen, informal care will be provided at the expense of the caregiver.

The starting point for a presentation should never be ‘everything I know about a topic’. Rather, you should start with what you think the audience will find interesting.

• Thinking about the target group

When giving a presentation as part of your degree programme, you are familiar with the target group: your fellow students. When giving a presentation to an external party (such as a municipality), things are different.
In both cases it is wise to think about your target group. There are two questions that you should ask about your audience:

1.  What do they already know about the topic? This helps you to prepare a suitable story. When in doubt, it is better to create a story that is slightly too simple than one which is too difficult.
2. What is their attitude towards my core message? If you are discussing a controversial subject, are they in favour of it or have they never thought about it before? Examples of controversial subjects are: black schools, the construction of ecoducts, or the future of the green heart of Holland. If you expect someone to ask a specific critical question, incorporate your response into your presentation.

• Determine the structure

If the structure is unclear or unorganised, it will have a very negative impact on the quality of the presentation. The common theme of your presentation must be clear to the audience throughout. A good presentation has at least an introduction, a body and a conclusion. Below you will find a list of points to consider for each part.

– Introduction
o Attract your audience’s attention; once you have it, you can begin. Tell something striking or personal and try to relate to your audience’s experiences.
o Introduce yourself. Explain why you are the one telling them about this subject.
o Indicate when the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions: at any time, after each section or right at the end?
o Tell them the core message and indicate that you will explain it during the presentation.
o Briefly outline what you are going to talk about, but do not go into too much detail. For example: ‘First I will explain how I approached the research and then I will discuss the most important results’. Or: ‘I will start by talking through the problem and then go on to discuss the solution.’
o Make sure you have worked out precisely what you are going to say in the introduction. It is nice to get your presentation off to a good start.

– Body
o Explain the core message.
o Divide the explanation into subtopics. You should discuss these in a logical order.
o Be sure to regularly clarify how the information presented relates to the core message. In other words, make sure that the common theme is visible throughout the presentation.

– Conclusion
o Reflect on the core message.
o Look to the future. How can we apply this information?
o Come up with a good final sentence (not ‘that was my presentation’). You can also let the audience know that you have reached the end of your presentation in the way that you speak, for example, by speaking more slowly. Try that with the
following concluding sentence: ‘So, there you have it again; where there’s a will, there’s a way.’

If you have a longer presentation (longer than ten minutes) it is a good idea to tell your story using a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation or a handout. This makes it easier to keep the audience’s attentions. Another benefit is that you can enliven your story with images. So, make the most of it! However, what you show might be at the expense of what you say. Approximately half of our attention is given to what we can see (for example, a PowerPoint presentation, clothing and posture) (Knispel & Bemelmans, 2010, p. 41). So, do not be surprised if your audience stares intently at the PowerPoint instead of at you.

If you choose to use a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation, ask yourself the following:
– Can everyone read the text? The font size you use will depend on the size of the room in which you will give your presentation.
– Are my tables or figures understandable? Remember that your audience does not have much time to look at the table or figure. It is often necessary to simplify tables and figures which were included in a paper or report. If that is not possible, make sure you provide your audience with a printout.
– Is there anything left to mention when you get to a specific slide? You should not include everything you want to say on a slide. Have some examples in reserve.
– What do I do if the computer does not work or if a film clip does not buffer quickly enough? Be prepared for this.
Some tips on creating slides:
– Put the core message on the second to last slide and not: ‘Questions’ or something similar.
– Put the most important sources (about 3) on the last slide (formulated according to the guidelines in the handbook). Show them if the audience is interested.
– If you mention a model, theory or a quotation, (i.e. information which has an easily identifiable source) put the reference on the slide and in the bibliography on the last slide. Here are a few examples with text on a slide with reference to a source:
o The migration paradox as described by Heine de Haas (2005)
o City model with concentric zones (Burgess, 1925)
o ‘Global cities around the world are the terrain where a multiplicity of globalisation processes assume concrete, localised forms’ (Sassen, 2005)
– On Flickr.com you can find images for which you do not need to acknowledge the source. They are categorised as ‘Creative Commons’.
– You should use keywords rather than a full piece of text. After all, as a presenter you are superfluous if all the information is already there.
– When showing tables or figures, give each table or figure its own slide.

Now we will discuss a number of things you should keep in mind when giving your presentation.

• Connect with the audience

You are not just telling a story, you want the audience to really understand it. Therefore, while you are giving your presentation, show the audience that you know they are there. That might sound obvious, but there are many speakers who give presentations as though they are talking to a wall. Approach a presentation as though it were a dialogue rather than one-way traffic.

During the presentation, ask the audience questions. Getting them to think is more exciting than just telling them everything. Humour also goes down well, although a joke is not always appropriate. Always be aware of your target group. It is also a good idea to use examples. It is easier to wander off with a more abstract story. What is more interesting: a general story about scaling up in agriculture or the example of an American farmer with almost a million pigs? The trick is to use specific examples.

• Speaking style

You may choose to write out your story in full beforehand. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as you do not read it out during the presentation. It is a good idea to think about a speaking style before you start. Your audience does not have text with punctuation in front of them; they are dependent on your speaking style. Help the audience with pauses, changes in speed and emphasis. Some speakers like to write down the first sentence of a new topic. A smoothly spoken first sentence gets you off to a good start.

Pauses add an element of excitement. A lot of people tend to rush through everything in one go. But make sure you use pauses, even though it might feel a little awkward. Give the audience time to think about what you have said; important issues sink in better this way. It is also a good idea to repeat important information. In short, you need to translate your written text into a spoken story.

• Non-verbal communication

You subconsciously communicate with your body. A good speaker strategically uses this to convey their message even better.

A few tips:
– Make direct eye contact. Do not look over their heads to the back of the room. If you regularly make eye contact with people in the audience, you will have a better idea as to whether and how your story is coming across. If you see someone frown, you may have said something offensive. In such cases, it is better to take a moment to address the issue rather than just steam ahead with your story. If you see your audience drifting off, use an anecdote to liven up your story.
– Exaggerate your facial expression and gestures. A little bit of acting keeps the presentation interesting. Remember that in a larger room you will need to use larger gestures. But there is, of course, a limit. You should not unsettle your audience with your exaggerated gestures.
– Move from left to right and vice versa. A step towards the audience means that you are going to say something important. The conclusion is a great place to do this.
– Do not hide behind a lectern or a screen; that makes the audience suspicious. They like to see all of you, not just your head and shoulders. Also make sure that you are not standing in front of the projection screen.

• Dealing with questions

Questions from the audience are a good sign; your story has apparently aroused their interest. Unfortunately, you cannot prepare for all questions, so sometimes you might not know what to say. In that case, thank them for the question and say: ‘That’s a very good question, I’ll have to think about it’ or ‘If you don’t mind, I’ll come back to that later’ (for example, after the break, when you have looked it up). You can also ask the audience to contribute ideas. In any case, you should always be polite.
Also keep in mind that you can always ask the person who asked a question to explain what they mean if their question is unclear. For example: ‘If I understand correctly…’

Sometimes, a listener might not ask a question at all; instead, they just want to demonstrate their own knowledge. Then you can ask: ‘What would you like to know from me?’ They might then follow up with a question. In any case, you have indicated that now is not the time for the other person to give a monologue.

• Keep an eye on the time

The duration for each presentation is usually specified beforehand. Make sure you stick to it. More often than not, there will be something else on the agenda after your presentation. If you find it difficult to keep track of the time on your watch, your phone (which is on silent!) or the computer, ask someone to give you a sign. For example, for a ten-minute presentation, you can use cards with the following text: ‘5 minutes to go’, ‘1 minute to go’ and ‘final sentence’.

Sometimes you have to present as a group, for example, an oral report of a group project. This type of presentation requires extra preparation. It is important that you demonstrate unity as a group. That will not happen if everyone tells their own story. The audience can quickly tell whether you prepared the presentation together or if you just threw individual talks together at the last moment. After all, a group presentation is not just a question of dividing the story among the group members. It requires interplay (similar to what TV presenters do). Someone could talk about the benefits, and someone else could talk about the disadvantages. Or complement each other, where necessary. That makes the presentation more dynamic – and the audience will really appreciate that. Only this will ensure that you reap the benefits of presenting as a group.
Knispel and Bemelmans (2010, p. 113) mention a number of things you should keep in mind:
– Division of tasks: who talks about what? Who clicks through the slides? Who takes the lead in answering questions? Who leads the discussion? Who opens the presentation and who closes it? (That can be the same person.) Does everyone need to speak?
– Tools: can you work with a PowerPoint, Prezi or handout that has been put together by someone else?
– The non-speakers: where will they sit? Do they look interested?
– A round of introductions: the first speaker introduces everyone.