Good preparation makes all the difference to a presentation.
Planning and preparing for presentations clarifies your thinking and, if you know your material and practise well, it builds your confidence.
How to prepare your presentation content
Use the 5 steps below to support you when planning for an upcoming presentation.
To clarify your thinking and provide a focus, sum these up in one sentence. If you can’t, pause and think this through, to avoid a confusing presentation.
2. Research the material well
Know more about the topic than you can present – you will feel more confident about handling the talk and answering questions on the day.
3. Relevance
Make sure all material fits the brief, your course, the audience, your title and argument.
4. Select carefully
Choose material that lends itself well to the format of a presentation, such as key data, core points, images, short video clips.
5. Less is more
Whittle material down. If you researched well, you will have more material than you need.
Remember that, typically, it takes longer to say it than to read it, and also that you should speak more slowly to an audience, so they can absorb what they hear.
Groupwork in presentations
Throughout academic study, you might need to work on a presentation with other students, in a group.
Learn how to prepare for group presentations in this topic: Ways of working with others
More from Bloomsbury
Master your presentation skills
Explore more of Stella’s carefully curated content on how you can deliver a successful presentation, in the module: Presentation skills
