Delivering a Presentation

Final piece of advice

If you have decided to conduct a question-and-answer session at the end of your presentation, you should prepare for that, too. You may be able to anticipate some of the questions, and thus think about the answers beforehand. As with the whole presentation, you are in command and should not let a few people dominate the whole session with their questions or speeches. Be polite but keep your answers short and to the point (which is your presentation). If a question surprises you, you may want to repeat it first (to make sure everyone has heard it and that you heard it correctly). It will buy you a little time in which to prepare your answer. If there is no time to answer all questions, you may finish the session by giving the audience your email address. They will send their questions directly to you. As with the main body of your presentation, you should end your question-and-answer session strongly and on time.

When all is said and done, be sure to arrive early at the place where you are to speak and check the apparatus. Is the microphone working? What about your laptop? Where will you stand?

Other things to check before you start:

  • how to get there
  • room layout
  • seating arrangements
  • audio-visual equipment
  • sound system (what kind of microphone will you have: built-in podium mike, hand-held mike, lapel mike, wireless mike?)
  • location of electricity outlets
  • podium (if there is any)
  • lighting
  • location of restrooms
  • temperature and ventilation.

We said in the previous chapter: No matter what the subject matter of the speech might be, a good speaker needs to have integrity, knowledge of the subject and skill in presenting it (DLI, 1996).

To put it differently, if you have integrity the audience will believe you; if you are interesting they will listen, and if you know the subject well they might even learn from you! And, as with every skill to be learned, your public speaking will improve with practice – practice makes perfect.


(Text adapted from the book: Introduction to Interpersonal Communication, Szczuka-Dorna L., Vendome E., Poznan University of Technology, 2017.)