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Combine all your skills to deliver a polished and professional oral presentation.
Have you ever had a brilliant idea but felt like no one was listening? What if you could use a 'secret map' to guide your audience from your very first word to the final round of applause?
Every great presentation follows a specific structure called the **Rule of . This helps your audience follow your logic without getting lost. First is the Introduction, where you use a 'hook' to grab attention and provide a roadmap of what you will discuss. Next is the Body, where you explain your main points. Finally, the Conclusion** summarizes your big ideas and leaves the audience with a final thought. Think of it like a sandwich: the bread (Intro and Conclusion) holds everything together, while the filling (Body) provides the substance. A good rule of thumb is to spend about of your time on the intro, on the body, and on the conclusion.
Topic: Why Skateboarding is Great. 1. Introduction: Start with a statistic about how many people skate. State the roadmap: 'Today I'll talk about gear, balance, and tricks.' 2. Body: Point 1: Safety gear. Point 2: Finding your center of gravity. Point 3: Learning the 'Ollie.' 3. Conclusion: Remind them that skating takes practice but is rewarding. End with: 'Now, who's ready to roll?'
Quick Check
What are the three essential parts of a presentation structure?
Answer
The Introduction, the Body, and the Conclusion.
Visual aids, like slides or posters, are meant to support you, not replace you. A common mistake is putting too much text on a slide. If the audience is busy reading, they aren't listening to you! Follow the 6x6 Rule: try to have no more than lines of text per slide and words per line. Use high-quality images that represent your point. Your slides should be like a billboard—easy to understand in just a few seconds. Remember, you are the star of the show; the slides are just your backup dancers.
Scenario: You are presenting on Mars. 1. Bad Slide: A giant paragraph of text copied from Wikipedia about Mars' atmosphere. 2. Good Slide: A high-resolution photo of the 'Red Planet' with one bold caption: Mars: The Iron Planet. 3. The Delivery: You speak the details about the atmosphere while the audience looks at the beautiful photo.
Quick Check
Why should you avoid putting long paragraphs of text on your presentation slides?
Answer
Because the audience will stop listening to the speaker to read the text, which causes them to miss important information.
The Question and Answer (Q&A) session is your chance to show you are an expert. When someone asks a question, use the LRA Method: Listen fully without interrupting, Repeat or rephrase the question so everyone hears it, and then Answer clearly. If you don't know the answer, don't panic! It is perfectly professional to say, 'That is a great question. I don't have that specific fact right now, but I can find out for you.' This builds credibility because it shows you value accuracy over making things up.
Scenario: You just presented on school uniforms. A classmate asks, 'But wouldn't uniforms be too expensive for some families?' 1. Listen: Wait for them to finish. 2. Repeat: 'You're asking if the cost of uniforms might be a burden for some parents?' 3. Answer: 'Yes, that's a valid concern. Many schools solve this by having a uniform exchange or providing assistance programs.' 4. Check: 'Does that answer your question?'
Which part of the presentation is responsible for providing the 'roadmap'?
According to the 6x6 Rule, what is the maximum recommended text for a slide?
If you don't know the answer to a question during Q&A, you should make up a plausible answer to stay professional.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to recall the three parts of the 'LRA Method' for answering questions.
Practice Activity
Stand in front of a mirror and practice your 'Introduction' for a 2-minute talk about your favorite book. Focus on having a clear hook!