At some stage in our school, university or working life, we may need to present our ideas to an audience. A good talk is a reflection of our thoughts to others and a great presentation can inspire people to listen, persuade others and or even motivate a team or colleagues to work together. But standing up in front of others, speaking out and conveying our ideas clearly and persuasively can be difficult.
Giving a talk
The most important thing to remember when giving a talk is knowing your topic and audience - this involves doing your homework first.
Think about what you are going to talk about and spend some time making notes, planning and organising what you want to say. Make sure your talk has an introduction, a main body and conclusion. You may also want to provide some examples to illustrate or explain your topic or main idea.
Organisation and cohesion will help with your talk's overall comprehension and understanding. A good talk should be well-structured and signposted as well, and ideas should flow clearly from one point or idea to another.
Lastly, one thing to always keep in mind when giving a talk is that you are verbally presenting your ideas to others and that people will be listening to you. Maintaining eye contact and talking to your audience, rather than talking at them, will not only arouse their interest but will also get them to listen to every word you say.
Here is an outline of how to organise your talk