ABSTRACT
Presentations are a fundamental means of communication between professionals and between professionals and lay people. Standing up in front of a group of people is not everyone’s idea of a good time. Fear, terror and anxiety strike at the heart! One consolation is that, as a presenter, not alone in feeling nervous in such a situation. This chapter is to consider three aspects of presentations: preparation and planning, the use of audio-visual aids, and delivery. In trying to define the characteristics of an effective presentation one should begin by recognizing that, as a means of communication, an oral presentation is not the same as a written communication. Presentations can make considerable demands on memory and cognitive processing. Information which is organized and structured in meaningful chunks is much easier to absorb and retain.
