Development
This is when you go back to your first point and start your presentation properly. Make sure you highlight when you are moving between points by using phrases such as ‘Next, let’s turn to …’, or ‘To conclude…’ or by counting, ‘Firstly,…secondly etc…’
Closing
Closing is as important as opening. Your audience will remember the last few points more clearly than most of the presentation. This is the chance for you to leave a lasting impression and ensure that your objective has been achieved.
1. Recap
Highlight the main points and a couple of the most important facts. Focus on the information that supports your objective. This recap stage reminds the audience of key points they may have forgotten and it will give them the chance to think about any questions they may have.
2. Summary
The summary is a chance for you to pull all your points together into one final statement or statements. It should reflect the main thrust of the presentation and have the same effect as the ‘open with a bang’ stage at the beginning of your presentation.
3. Close
Make it clear that you have finished. Say thank you and make the appropriate body language to indicate you have reached the end of your presentation.
Question and answer session
Politely inform the audience that it is their turn to ask questions. Try to encourage them by smiling and making eye contact. Keep control of your question time by ensuring that only one person speaks at a time. If no-one speaks, prepare some questions of your own that you think they may want to ask (but may be too afraid to) and give the answers to your questions. This might encourage the audience to ask and take the pressure off them a little. At the end, again say thank you.
Practice activities
Here are some activities to help you put into practice the advice contained in this report.
Complete this introduction to a presentation.
Now complete the end of the presentation.
Staging a presentation is very important. Practise staging a presentation here.
Is the advice here about presentations true or false?
Writing game - type in some of the points on staging a presentation. You decide how difficult the game will be!
The United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland)
Our privacy and copyright statements.
Our commitment to freedom of information. Double-click for pop-up dictionary.
Open the original version of this page.
Usablenet Assistive is a UsableNet product. Usablenet Assistive Main Page.