Biotechnology YES – Presentation Skills

The aim of the session is to enable you to:

be confident when planning, preparing and presenting a pitch to an audience

....SO THAT YOU CAN WIN!

Who am I?Jane Nolan MBE

Part time Curriculum Development Officer

Entrepreneur in Residence

MD Venture Coaching and Consulting Ltd

Previously CEO & owner manager of

Shark Group

We will look at:

Planning your presentation

Structure and content

Skills and styles

Handling nerves

Managing the audience

Do you feel like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Oez98CDo4Y

Preparing to presentKnow what you want to achieve

Know and understand your audience

Prepare to communicate effectively

What do you want to achieve?To gain investment

To win a competition

To be taken seriously

To justify why you think this will work

To build your network

To change the opinions of the audience

BE CLEAR BEFORE YOU BEGIN!

Are you ready to face the audience?!

Know your audienceYour audience :

will expect you to speak effectivelywill expect you to have the authority and ability to speak on your subjectwill listen closely IF you capture their imaginationare easily distractedrespond well to varietyare normally friendly and sympathetic.... at the beginning!

Audiences...

Hear and forget

See and then remember

Do and then understand

Content – what to include

Introduction : GRAB THEIR ATTENTION!

Core content : 3 – 5 main points

The conclusion: sum up the key points

Introduction

Say something interesting!

Use a quote / anecdote / article / challenge

...or something more outrageous!

Core ContentTake the audience on a logical journey through your story

Use the end to support the beginning

Refer to situations the audience is familiar with

Involve the audience as much as possible – ask questions

Be careful of humour... it can be disastrous

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5R_zB9BKTw

Core Content

Introduction to team and business idea (innovative?)

Engage the audience to your idea and its key selling points

What evidence do you have of potential success? How is it different?

Market research

How will you market it?

How much will it cost?

Core Content

How much do you think you’ll sell?

How will your business operate?

What have you already done?

Any barriers/risks?

What is the future of your business?

The Conclusion

Summarise the key points

Refer to where you started

End with a “call to action”

Make sure your take home message is clear

Have a definite end.

Checklist

Bold statement of the problem (attention grabber)

Our product is… (simple non-technical description)

That provides… (key benefit that solves problem)

For… (target customers)Who have/are… (compelling reason to buy)Unlike… (objective analysis of competitors

shortcomings)

© CfEL, Cambridge University, 2006.

Checklist

Our unique selling point is… (main source of competitive advantage)

We need to raise £… in order to… (why you need the money)

Call to action (engineer feedback and a follow-up meeting)

© CfEL, Cambridge University, 2006.

PreparationThink about:

• Visual aids • Your notes• Handouts• Audience participation• The room / venue

Visuals

DO make them easy to understand

space information out

write clearly

allow time for the audience to absorb

carefully use colour

Your notes

If you use them ...

....DO NOT JUST READ FROM THEM!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95TlsHr5T-c

Tackling nerves

To be nervous is normal

Feeling nervous can be useful:

The line to be drawn is between

“acutely self aware and ready to rock”

and

“shivering with apprehension and wanting to go to the loo”

Top tips to tackle nerves

PRACTISE!

Arrive in plenty of time

Check everything first

Breathe deeply

Start slowly, confidently and smile

Relax

What’s the worst that could happen?!

In your teams consider what could go wrong and what you will do about it.

Think about who will have responsibility for whatThink BIG!Consider everything but don’t miss out the obvious.

5 mins now – but lots of time later

The audience – who are they, what do they want from us?

The message – what’s the big thing we want to say?

How do we effectively use the time?

Key Points to Remember

Please make your presentation

memorable and make sure you show

evidence that you have a well

researched business idea

PowerPoint presentationsYou don’t have to use powerpoint (or any

electronic presentation, but if you do:– Use the slides as a support – Never read a slide to the audience– Avoid design templates, create own visual theme– One idea per slide, limited text/bullets– Not too much animation– High quality images– Use sans-serif fonts

All the technology in the world won’t hide a poor presentation

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1762603

Bad slide!!!

Remember to……

The more presenters you have the more

likely it is something will go wrong!!!!

Your styleBe yourself – show your best bits!

Use words and phrases you are comfortable with

Let your personality show through

Be enthusiastic – it is contagious!

Be empathetic and sincere

Handling the audience

Confused?

Repeat differently without telling them that is what you are doing

Bored?Try introducing the next topic with “Who can afford to ignore...”

Change your pitch and tone

QuestionsDecide if you want questions at the end and say so at the beginning

Say “I would welcome any questions” rather than, “Does anyone have any questions?”

Questions mean someone is interested

Receive feedback well

QuestionsListen for the real question

Repeat or rephrase the question

Be prepared to be challenged

No one expects you to know everything – don’t bluster. Think of ways to find out more for the questioner

Keep an eye on the time

Think about your dress code!

Think about the Time!

Think about eye contact!

Think About the SPACE!

Think professional

Think questions!

Smile

SMILE!!!!

Summary

Know your audience

Plan well

Prepare well

Practise well