What does it take for a Manager to make a presentation effective?

 

 
What does it take for a Manager to make a presentation effective?

In order to convey any message effectively, we need to present the information we have in a clear and crisp manner. The presentation skills are the most essential skills in all professional lines especially if you are a Manager. One needs to be well-organized and confident in order to be able to present well. Presentation skills can be considered a vital skill these days. 

The Presentation skills of the managers must be effective and potent as it portrays the objective for the organization and also defines the tasks to be performed by the team. While a few Managers are good orators, the presentation skills can be acquired through consistent practices.

There are a few skills that are mandatory for a manager,

  1. Develop good working relationships with everyone
  2. Be able to prioritize skills effectively for yourself and the team
  3. Get involved in the decision-making
  4. Be able to communicate well
  5. Problem-solving
  6. Use emotional intelligence
  7. Get the trust of your team
  8. Effectively manage time
  9. Be a good leader

Possessing good presentation skills has its own benefits a few of which are listed below: 

  1. Helps in presenting training.
  2. Builds confidence to attend interviews as an interviewee
  3. Provides confidence to take interviews as interviewers
  4. Helps to build a good network
  5. Provides confidence to speak with team members
  6. Converse with clients and other stakeholders

Presentation skills for managers

There are a few presentation skills that set a manager apart:

Identify the nature of the audience

    1. Understand the key takeaway(s) from the presentation.
    2. Prepare the content based on the subject of the presentation.
    3. The content must meet the audience’s expectations.

 

Prepare for the Presentation

a.  Plan the structure of the presentation :

  • The skeleton structure of the presentation must be identified. 
  • The content must be built based on the structure and considering the audience’s interest. 
  • The manager giving the presentation must appear confident.
  • The manager must use the correct language, grammar, and pronunciation.

 

 b.  Practice the presentation :

  • The manager must practice the presentation well. 
  • The content must be learned by-heart as it helps to answer the questions coming from peers and also during the transitioning of slides.

c.  Managers must present content in an easy to understand format.

d.  Formulate to speak : 

  • The speech must look effortless. 
  • An in-depth understanding of the subject matter is essential hence the required research must be carried out well. 
  • Sentence fillers such as ‘oh, hmmm, err’ etc. must be avoided as it gives the impression that the presenter is not well aware of the subject  

e.  Carry flip cards if required:

  1.  
  •  Make flip cards with important keywords that help in formulating speech.

 

 

  • Engage the Audience

 

    1. According to a recent study, the average attention span of a human being during a presentation is 7 minutes. If the presentation is interesting, the attention span can be increased to 10 minutes else it dwindles to 5 minutes. 
    2. So it is the duty of the manager to make the presentation interesting. 
    3. The Manager must ensure the audience receives the message that is being conveyed through the presentation.
    4. Avoid usage of too much technical jargon in the presentation. 
    5. While answering the questions, the manager must ensure that the deviation from the main topic is minimal.
    6. During the course of the presentation, managers must make sure that the current knowledge of the team will increase at the end of the session.

 

 

  • Keep your PPT slides interactive

 

    1. Managers can make the presentation more of an interactive session as it helps to keep the audience interested. 
    2. Managers must ensure that the presentation sessions must be short and the use of visual communication aids engagement.
    3. The presentation must include information in the form of pictures as it is easier to understand rather than long boring texts. 

 

       Follow the KISS Rule

  1. Managers must keep the presentation short and simple making it relevant and easier to comprehend.
  2. Managers must ensure that there are few words and examples mentioned.
  3. The message conveyed must be direct and concise.
  4. The onus of the team’s performance lies in the presentation skills of the manager. Hence the presentation must cover all the points required to ensure the efficient running of the project.

 

 

  • Be generous

 

  1. During the presentation, the Manager’s voice must be crisp, gentle, and accommodating rather than being loud and pushing on the listeners.
  2. While presenting data, information must be presented in a convincing manner by the Manager. 
  3. The manager must provide proper advice and get appropriate feedback for the content presented.

 

Apart from these skills, in order for the presentation to be effective, the manager must be dressed appropriately and show that he cares for the team. Also, the manager must be organized.

 

If there’s something that needs to be discussed (apart from the topic of discussion) and requires attention from the team, the same can be discussed before starting the presentation as the team must not be preoccupied with other things during the time of the presentation.