Preparing an Oral Presentation

Before encountering an audience to present a paper, it is advisable that presenters do their homework. This would range from investigating on the audience, researching and writing the topic to presenting in front of audience members, and interacting with them.

It is very important for the presenter to make the initial preparations such as analysing the audience, etermining the purpose, gathering materials, organising and writing main ideas, and preparing visual materials.

As a presenter, one would need first and foremost to profile three factors:
a.the occasion for the speech
b.the audience whom the speech is intended
c.the location where the speech would be made

All these would give the presenter some idea as to the preparations required. In order to complete the profile one would need to ask questions about the three factors. Part of these factors can be answered by the person or organisation that invites the speaker. Completing this profile would enable the speaker to be better
prepared and also improve his/ her focus, and hence would prevent him/her from delving into other irrelevant aspects.

Profiling Occasion
Profiling occasion involves asking about what kind of occasion the speech is meant for. For instance, the speech could be for the celebration of a victory or national day. It could be a political speech, an annual speech, a career talk and so forth. The speaker would have to investigate what organisational body is holding
it, and also to ask whether there is any specific rituals that the speaker has to follow, for instance, if the speaker is speaking to an audience who are used to reciting a certain prayer at the start of an event, then the speaker should be aware and familiar with all these.

Profiling Audience
Audience analysis could be difficult but it is worthwhile. The speaker should make enquiries with respect to the audience sex, age, social, economic and educational background, prior knowledge, expectations, likes and dislikes, occupational background, place of residence or from what regions, life experiences and habits, personality and so on. The presenter would also need to know the reasons for the audience wanting to listen to the speech.

Profiling Location
Getting familiar with the setting would be one of the ways to avoid any unexpected problems that could be encountered in the last minute. The speaker would need to know where the presentation is going to take place. Making enquiries on exactly where the place is would reduce panic moments. The speaker has to start off early if the place is in the midst of a traffic congestion area. If the speaker manages to arrive early, he/she should check whether he/ she has to go on stage to present or whether there is a rostrum or not. The speaker should also check the public address system, apart from also checking on the visual aids equipment that needs to be utilised. For instance, the computer and the LCD projector might not properly function, and thus this means getting in touch with the technicians who could remedy the situation.