Presentation help

tinshed

I have to do a 10 minute presentation on communicating/engaging with the public. How would you tackle this? I know that it roughly equates to one slide per 2 minutes of talking, not to over-crowd your slides with too much information. But what sort of info would you actually include/talk about?

Northerness

Are you going for a marketing/PR job? If so....

Ask yourself who, what, where, when, why and how. Talk in terms of strategy (long-term) and tactics (short-term), think about the differences of being proactive and reactive.

Some of these headings may help you put slides together:
1) Background
2) Objectives
3) Strategy/Tactics (e.g press releases, events, activity, marketing)
4) Channels (e.g media, blogs)
5) Evaluation (super-important. How will you measure your results)

Also talk about all the latest online methods of reaching people e.g Pinterest/Instagram - so very important to talk digital. Plus the TONE in whch you communicate via social media is key, how would you speak with different audiences? Communication is also now two-way thanks to technology.

If it's a marketing job also mention SEO. If it's a PR job, ideas and measurement are key. Depending on what company it is, you could think of some innovative events and experiential activity to engage with the public. Also think about ideas that cost very little, few companies have mega budgets (unless your interview is with an agency).

As for the slides - less is more. Use some nice images (not clip art) and put a maximum of five points per slide to use as prompts and to remind both you and the interviewers what you're talking about. A tip is to write down a script of what you're going to say for each slide and try and memorise it, using the on screen prompts of course.

These are just my ideas though, the best thing you can do is research your own! Good luck.

Northerness

And timing....don't forget the timing of any PR/marketing campaign.

holly_hobby

The level and content of the presentatino will depend upon the role you are going for.

As a general, you could talk about the different ways we communicate, today electronic methods, etc, and how we personally communicate on a daily basis - via verbal and non-verbal methods. Discuss the relevance of each and how valuable it is to ensure that you give the right message at the right time. And how valuable it is for the company to have the right communicators in the right roles.

You could talk about how each, taken on their own without the benefit of the other must be strong and clear, as relying upon 1 method of communicagtion that does not transmit well to the receipient, can lead to mis-interpretation and understanding.

Talk about verbal communication

Why tone of speech (pleasant, sad, angry etc) can set the tone of the conversation and lose the customer from outset,

Pace of speech (talking too fast, accent etc - can affect understanding and communication of the listener), and finally

Testing the listeners and your own understanding of whats being said, to avoid confusion and mis-communication.

(TIP - watch the 2 Ronnies "four candles" sketch on Youtube - when I was a trainer for a national telephone service provider ( but could be used across many differing customer facing industries, and don't forget your colleagues are also "internal customers") , we used this sketch to demonstrate how not testing understanding and asking questions to determine you have the right info, esp when you are only relying on one sense, your hearing, can lead to confusion and frustration on both sides.)

Non-verbal -

Your face and body language can say a thousand words without actually saying anything - and again can be pleasant and opening, hostile, defense, bored etc.... and then when the individual speaks it can change the non-verbal message being given out completely.

Cite examles, use your slides to illustrate

Written communication

You only have to look at some of the posts on here, to see how something written may be interpretated in several different ways.

So getting this right is just as important as your personal communication methods.

Make sure your make idiot notes/pointers for each slide and what you want to tak abou, you will be anxious and your mind may go blank.


:)Speak at a middle pace, not too slow and not too fast - sounds simple, but when you're nervous and your mouth is dry you gabble just to get it over with.


:)Don't jangle money, pens, etc when speaking


Dont say "erm" when you are thinking of your next piece of info, its ok to have a small silence you don't have to fill every second with speech

If it goes wrong, apologise, and ask if you may start again (they will know you are anxious and if time is ok, should let you do so. It also shows that you are brave enough to say you've gone wrong, have acknowledged it and want to correct it - all valuable interview brownie points).

Make sure your powerpoint or OHPs/flips - are clear, legible, not too busy or with too much info (power point - silly noises like pings, shotgun sounds and the like - whilst ok for training, are not ok for an interview situation)

Your slides need only put your main points, illustration or picture to demonstrate your point, or strapline you want to deliver - don't over complicate, don't make then childish or quirky - but simple to understand whilst emphasising your main points.

Make sure you end your delivery on a positive and engaging point - that will get you remembered.

Thank the board for their time and attention.

Test your info, delivery, timing,etc .. then... test again ... then test again ... until you know it in your sleep (if will make it easier if your mind has a temp black out on the day !)

If your a girl, and get a bit blotchy on the neck and chest when stressed, and do worry about this - wear a higher neckline and a neck scarf, which will look great but also keep you from worrying if the board have noticed you have gone blotchy, leaving you to concentrate on getting the delivery right, first time !

Finally ... if training or presentations are not your role, the board will know that you will feel a little like a fish out of water - remembver ITS OK to be a little nervous, but don't let it take over, be confident (if you know your presentation backwards that will help) , do your best and if its for you, you'll get it !!

Good luck - let me know how you get on

Holly x

tinshed

Excellent pointers thanks. Yes presentations will be a main stable of the role. Whilst im not so nervous actually giving a presentation, actually coming up with something to talk about is the main crux. I really cant give to much away regards who this is for (never no they may be members here) it is for local government.

KiKi

Whilst Holly has some good info, your presentation is only ten minutes, and communication is only one aspect. I would cover communication briefly, very focused on communication with the public (ie forms of communication and how they are relevant). I wouldn't focus on 'what sorts of communication there are'. That's too basic.

I would place more emphasis on engagement. How do you engage with the public, different strategies for different audiences.

And end with a very brief comment on how I would measure the impact of engagement and communication with an example.

KiKi

Yorkie1

tinshed wrote: »

Excellent pointers thanks. Yes presentations will be a main stable of the role. Whilst im not so nervous actually giving a presentation, actually coming up with something to talk about is the main crux. I really cant give to much away regards who this is for (never no they may be members here) it is for local government.

I know people type in a very different way on here, and I usually wouldn't pick up on spelling / typo errors, but if you are at all prone to making spelling errors I would advise getting a trusted friend to check your presentation first.

holly_hobby

I agree Kiki, the pointers given were obv basic communication skills, as I stated the content of the presentation would depend on the level of role being applied for. And whilst there are 3 types of communication written, verbal, non-verbal - there are several mediums through which they may be delivered.

Also having no knowledge what the level of position being sought was, and the OP having stated they had no idea what to talk about -I assumed the OP was new to presentation construction, and thereby that a basic role and presentation format/suggested ideas were required.

Now knowing that her role will actively involve presentations, we know its more than a basic position.

Its important to remember, the main reason for the use of an presentation interview, are that the panel are assessing your ability to collate and deliver the relevant key notes of the given mandate within the prescribed time frame, whilst actively engaging and relaying the information to the audience in a clear and concise manner - which are the basic requirements in any succesful presentation or the writing/delivery of training material to an audience.

It doesn't have to be award winning and cover everything, 10 mins won't do that, but they are looking for a flavour of you, you understood how to meet the mandate, and importantly how you interact and perform in a presentation role and format, as you may be presenting only library material, and may not be reqd to personally write any material yourself.

Be yourself, know your presentation and take a deep breath when you go in ....

Good luck

H x

Savvy_Sue

Remember the Deaf Old Lady at the back, was always my Mum's advice.

There's a 1 in 7 chance that someone on the panel will have a hearing loss.