Impromptu Presentations
If you think presentations cannot enchant people, then you have never seen a really good one.
— Guy Kawaski
Here is a warm-up quiz.
Some statistics
Over 75% of adults state to be afraid of public speaking.
Around 90% of anxiety comes from lack of preparation.
About 90% of people feel more confident with a well-prepared presentation.
On average, 45% of people find it difficult to design their own slides.
Less than 35% of people choose bright colors.
Let’s take a look at the first of three different styles.
Everyday in law firms around the world you will run into opportunities to introduce yourself and present your ideas to others. Sometimes you have time to prepare, but often you don’t. So we will start with a look at how to improvise and appear professional, even in an impromptu style presentation. Then we will move on to single-speaker and partner style presentation styles, standard phrases and more.
Impromptu Style
An impromptu speech is when you’re put in the situation to speak in public without prior notice. It may be one of the most horrifying speeches you will ever do; getting in front of a group and having to talk about something for a few minutes without preparation is daunting even for the most seasoned speakers. It’s not likely to happen often, however when it does, you don’t want to be caught completely off-guard.
Phrasal Verbs to Learn
To sum up
To find out
To come up with
To wrap up
To figure out
To tie in
To run into
To hand out
Every presentation starts the same.
You need to master these ideas.
Accept the Mission
Your boss, supervisor or other co-worker may be the person to put you in the position the do the improvised presentation. Sounding confident is the key to starting strong and staying strong.
Introduce Yourself
This is the easy part. Say your name. Welcome the audience. Thank them. Keep it simple.
Plan your Improvisation
In this stage, you can think a little while casually telling your audience how you have divided the presentation, how much time it will take, and how to address any questions. Try to tie in any of the following tips and trick to survive.
Idioms
to put (someone) on the spot
to have someone do something without much prior preparation
Just never start with a “filler”.
And what is a filler by the way?
A filler is a sound, word, or phrase that gets you some time, but does not provide any real content, and usually only produces a distraction for the listener and audience.
Everyone gets nervous, and especially in this impromptu style, it is easy to stumble, mumble and use fillers. Try to replace your fillers with silent pauses while you come up with your next idea. No sound at all. This is very difficult to do, but it will increase your professionalism and style immediately.
Filler Sounds
um
eh
ah
Filler Words
again
well
so
Filler Phrases
I mean
you know
let’s see
I am not your friend, I am your teacher: stop the muletillas now.
Lets get started
Confidence is the key!
Accepting the Mission
Sure, that would be no problem at all!
That would be a pleasure Mr Fazio!
I am certain I can get everyone oriented.
This is the easy part.
Hello, my name is …
For those of you who don’t know, I am …
Let me introduce myself, I am …
My name is Eric, but my friends like to call me …
Explaining how you will divide or organize your presentation is key to engaging the audience. This will also help you buy a little time. Your mind can organize two things at one time, so tell the audience what you will do while you are planning it.
Dividing
I can only see it from 1 side …
Let’s look at it from two angles …
I think we have 3 issues to deal with, first …
Also mention how much time you plan to take. This will let the the listeners know what to expect. A well timed “improvised” presentation shows that you know your topic well and that you understand your own information.
Timing
Since we only have about 5 minutes today …
I think I will just need about 15 minutes to cover everything today …
Let me see, does everyone have around 30 minutes today?
Idioms
to buy some time
Purposefully cause a delay to something, in order to think.
vs.
to kill some time
Intentionally wasting time while waiting for something.
Taking Questions
You have two choices, take questions at any time, or at the end of the presentation.
And finally, learn how to hold, save or leave all the questions until end of the presentation. This will help keep on time and limit the distractions of the participants.
Anytime
Please feel free to jump in at any time.
Don’t hesitate to interrupt at any time.
If you have any questions, ask at any time.
Please feel free to…
… jump in …
… interrupt …
… ask …
… at anytime.
This may cause a disruption, but shows confidence in your knowledge.
After
I would appreciate it if you could hold any questions for the end of the presentation.
I’d appreciate it if you could save any questions or comments for the end.
There will be plenty of time for questions at the end of my presentation.
Please…
… hold …
… save …
… leave …
… all questions for just a moment/the end.
This will help keep on time and limit the distractions of the participants.
SPEAKING TASK
Accept the Mission
Introduce Yourself
Give an Overview
Mention the Timing
Address Questions Asking
This should take you about 30 seconds to 1 minute to talk about these 5 points before you start your actual presentation.
Even though this an “improvised” or “impromptu” presentation, if you can organize and practice with general topics, when the big moment comes, you will stand up and take your opportunity.
Learn more with HBR & Amazon
Who …
Who is involved in the event or who is attending?
Now that everyone is together, we can finally…
This is the perfect group to …
I am very happy to see everyone here …
What …
What event are you at and what are the common goals?
What I would like you all to see today is …
The main point of my presentation today is …
I would like to bring up a few items today …
Where …
Where is the event, how did the initiative the event revolves around start?
Thank you all for coming all this way to Idaho …
We are fortunate to all be here in Sun Valley today …
It is a pleasure to get together with you all at the Sun Valley Lodge …
When …
When is the timing of the event important? What does the future hold?
This is the perfect time to talk about …
Every year we have the chance to …
I am excited to have the time to …
Why
Why is everyone there? Why are you there?
The bottom line today is …
Why I called you all here today is to …
What we need to figure out is …
Need help with Word, Excel or Powerpoint?
4 Tips to Make your Presentation Better
Tell a personal anecdote
So, why am I telling you this story?
I remember when I was at UNC…
Last week, I saw a bear crossing the street…
Rhetorical questions
What’s the biggest problem that we are facing?
So, what is the most difficult …?
Well, who would want to be a …?
Ask the room to imagine something
Imagine that you are standing…
Picture yourself on an island…
Close your eyes and…
Give a surprising or shocking stat
In the last year, 12% of…
Over 50% of households use…
On average, 85% of…
Silent letter words.
Definition of syncope
NOUNS
A DEBT
A MORTGAGE
A FACTORY
A RECEIPT
A DOUBT
VERBS
TO LEND
TO GUARANTEE
TO MONITOR
TO RESIGN
TO DOUBT
ADJECTIVES
SUBTLE
DANGEROUS
GENERAL
GUILTY
PROBABLY
Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it: to whom it may concern.
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