Presentation Skills: Your Presentation Body [Part 1]
Last time, we talked about creating your presentation introduction. Now it's time to work on the body, which will consist of your key points and the evidence you will use to support each key point. Evidence makes your key points more interesting and helps you emphasize them more strongly. By providing evidence, you clarify and expand your point and answer any questions you anticipate your audience might have.
When developing the body of the presentation, you should use the following format:
- State the point (the message you want your audience to receive)
- Back up each point with evidence (information the listener needs to know about that point to understand it and take action)
To help you develop your supporting ideas, discuss each point with yourself. Keep your audience in mind and remember your objectives. Imagine yourself conversing with your audience. You know the subject. Each point will probably trigger another related point. By talking each point out, you will see in which direction your thoughts take you. Decide which thoughts you need. Look for details. Be concrete. Avoid generalities. Reinforce ideas with specifics.
Evidence can take many different forms. There are five forms of backup evidence we will cover in this program:
- Personal Experience
- Analogy
- Judgment of Expert
- Example
- Facts/Statistics
This is an excellent beginning to your presentation body, but there's a lot more to it. Don't worry...we have all the tips and tools you need!
CGWA is proud to offer our Presentation Skills workshop, helping professionals reach their potential everywhere we go! Next time, we'll dig deeper into how to create your presentation body. Before you know it, your presentation will be ready for the real world, and you'll be ready to shine!
Karen Holmes is a CGWA Senior Consultant and Trainer, based in the U.S. and delivering programs such as Building a Culture of High Accountability™, Coaching, Positive Power and Influence®, Presentation Skills, and many more.