Tell them what you’re going to tell them.

Tell them.

Tell them what you’ve told them.

Think through 3 things before you start preparing your presentation:

1)       AUDIENCE

Who are they?

What do they want?  OR What are their interests?

2)      PURPOSE

What do we want to accomplish by this presentation?

What do we want the audience to think/do differently because of this presentation?

3)      ORGANIZATION

Opening: Tell them what you’re going to tell them.

• Develop a strong opening that makes the audience want to hear more. This is where creativity can shine. Be entertaining, but not CHEESEY!

• Explain who you are and what you have to say. Remember to “play the part” for your Envirothon presentation. DO NOT tell the judges what school/organization you represent.

• Outline your main points but NOT your conclusions.

Body: Tell them.

• Organize your thoughts around a few main points.

• Develop supporting material to validate your main points such as quotable facts or published figures. Be sure to site sources.

• Think about, and include, what is of interest to this particular audience. Yes, they are judges, but they would be somewhere else if Natural Resources were not important to them. REMEMBER THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SPECIAL TOPIC.

Closing: Tell them what you’ve told them.

Develop a strong closing that is similar in style to your opening.

Summarize your main points and reveal your conclusions. This should be the most powerful part of the presentation. It is “what it’s all about”.

Make it clear to your audience what you want them to know or do.

Things to Consider:

·        Manage your nervousness – use your nervous energy positively.  (For example: use this energy to show your enthusiasm; don’t fidget with eye glasses or hats.)

·        Body Language – use open posture and be natural. 

·        Appearance – should be appropriate to the audience and the material being presented. For Envirothon wear the shirt provided and something neutral to accompany it.

·        Movement/Hands/Gestures – don’t be stiff, move naturally for you, gesture or talk with hands when it fits.

·        Notes – should be neat, orderly and helpful to you. DO NOT BURRY YOUR FACE IN YOUR NOTES, OR TALK TO YOUR CARDS!

                  It’s OK to hold and refer to them – don’t be glued to them.

·        Eye Contact – do make eye contact with your audience.

·        Voice – naturally vary inflection, pace and volume to make things interesting to the audience. NO MONOTONE!

·        Pause – a dramatic pause can be powerful when used effectively.

·        Pronunciation/Articulation – be aware of this and do it well.

·        Visual Aids – be creative; think from the audience’s perspective.

GENERAL POINTS TO REMEMBER

·        You are talking to judges with different professional backgrounds, who are not trying to intimidate you.  RELAX!

·        You have 5 –10 minutes to get your point across to these five individuals.

·        Introduce yourself; introduce your topic, explain your topic, and then recap your topic.

·        Make sure each team member has a designated role and speaking part.

·        Remember to cite sources and use examples.

·        Try to come up with answers for the types of questions you might be asked by the panel of judges.