The powers of a good presentation. Written by Indra Kooge – 131788
As an urban developer it is important to be able to give good presentations. Urban developers spend large amounts of time designing plans and clarifying them with drawings and pictures. However many designers focus solely on creating these plans while forgetting about something very important; pictures without words are open for free interpretation. This way the person looking at the images can perceive them the wrong way. By the means of a presentation the urban developer guides the customer trough his plan. During this presentation the urban developer tries to intrigue the customer, hopefully resulting in a successful deal. A good presentation is a combination of several things. The most important aspects are the speaker’s posture and fluency in speech. It’s also very important if the speaker is able to deliver his message the way he perceived and if he’s able to make a connection with his or her audience. A good presentation will be remembered, sometimes even years afterwards! Everyone knows Winston Churchill’s epic speech “their finest hour” which he gave after The Battle of Britain in 1940 to the House of Commons. Even though he was a raging alcoholic he managed to connect with people. With the right use of words he managed to bring a land thorn by war together. (1) A good presentation can make or break whatever you have to say. It doesn’t matter if your plans or ideas are genius, if your presentation is terrible, no one will be interested in it. The same thing goes the other way around; if you give a really good presentation for a bad plan, people are more likely to look past the flaws. This is why a good presentation is essential for every urban developer. If we would put as much time and effort in preparing a presentation as we do with designing neighborhoods, our presentations would be amazing. (3)
“We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!” Winston churchill (2)
There are different components of a good presentation. First of all you should aim your presentations towards your audience. It’s important to convey your message clearly, so everybody understands what you’re talking about. In some cases you might have to change your use of words to achieve this. If you use jargon or other words people don’t understand, your audience might lose focus. You should also try to speak lively, this is because unconsciously people tend to listen better when you use different tones in your voice along with some gestures. Body language and the tone of your voice are the basics of human communication so it’s important to use them. Try to tell your story in an exciting way but don’t lose your fluency in speech. This is because your story has to be coherent and clear as well. After your presentation you should also listen to your audience’s questions. This is the moment you’re able to connect with them even more, so it’s very important. While answering their questions, repeat the main part of the question while giving a clear answer. This shows you’ve listened to what the person was saying. (4) (5)
Therefore we now know how a presentation can make or break your plans. A good presentation can be the icing to the cake. It’s important carry out a clear message and to speak in a fluent way. Add a pro active posture and you will be able to connect with your audience and get them excited about your ideas. Take some time to practice your presentation and it will definitely pay off! 1- http://pencils.com/historys-greatest-speeches/ 2- http://www.winstonchurchill.org/resources/speeches/122-their-finest-hour 3-http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/creating-presentation-visuals.htm 4-http://time.com/3612706/presentation-advice/ 5-http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karl-gude/how-to-give-the-best-pres_b_3932280.html