Abstract/Summary

Any successful presenter will tell you that, with every presentation you give, you become a better presenter. In time, we all feel more confident in our ability to present well and persuade an audience. This resource is all about saving you some of that time. By giving you practical ways to improve your performance, it offers you what you need to reach your goal – giving a great presentation. It also does more than that – it helps to make you a successful student. You may well be asked to give a formal, assessed presentation, but there will be many other situations in which you can use the skills you learn here. Standing up to give a brief overview of a topic in a seminar or laboratory, sharing your opinion in a workshop, or collecting material to defend your argument in any academic context. Your new skills will also take you beyond the classroom, to standing for election in a university or college society, or standing up to speak out at a public meeting – even giving a speech at a wedding or family event. You will feel more confident in all these arenas because you have mastered presentation skills. Successful students tend to make successful professionals, and this is particularly the case when it comes to presenting. Being able to give an effective presentation might be a key part of your professional life, and you will be using presentation techniques every day. Want to talk up in a meeting? You need to know how to engage an audience. Want to persuade people to do things your way? You need to marshal your argument quickly. Under fire over a project you are managing? You need to know how to deal with awkward questions. The value of presentations will remain with you for decades. Funnily enough, it does not matter much whether you are naturally adept as a presenter or whether you view the prospect with horror. Presentation techniques are so clear-cut that you can master them without any confusion. It takes some of us longer to reach our best, but that is no great trial – your studying life will give you plenty of opportunities to try out the skills discussed here and, each time you use a skill, it will become more familiar and you will become more confident about using it.