Giving presentations is part of our educational or professional lives, whether we like it or not. According to estimations by Microsoft, its PowerPoint software is used to present over 30 million times worldwide every day.
不論喜歡與否，做陳述報告都會是我們學習或是職業生涯中的一部分。據微軟估算，該公司旗下的演示文稿軟件在全球範圍內每天都會被使用3千萬次以上。
A presentation is key to getting your message across, whether you're in an interview or giving a talk in front of the class. And even if you're not aspiring to become the next Steve Jobs, it's still advisable to brush up on the subtle skills inherent in quality presentations.
不論你是參加一場面試，還是在課堂上做演講，陳述報告都是你傳遞信息的關鍵。就算你並不志在成為下一個史蒂夫·喬布斯，適時溫習一下做好陳述報告的小技巧也依然是明智之舉。
Control your nerves
控制緊張情緒
For years, Sally Chopping, a speech coach for the US training company Acting for Business, had feared the day she would draw a blank during a presentation. Then one day during a 45-minute speech, it happened –she forgot what she was going to say.
Sally Chopping 是美國培訓公司Acting for Business的演講教練。多年來，她一直很害怕有一天自己會在做報告時腦內一片空白。後來有一天，在做一場45分鐘的演講時，她擔心的真的發生了 —— 她忘記了自己接下來要說些什麼。
To help her get back on track, Chopping asked the audience to look at the handout and tell her what topic was up next. At the end of her presentation, audience members gave her top marks for organization.
為了讓自己回到演講的正軌，Chopping 請聽眾幫忙看一眼發下去的文字材料，告訴她接下來的主題。而在她陳述報告的最後，聽眾們給她的組織表現打出了最高分。
“What that taught me is the audience doesn't care if you mess up, and what they care about is what you are going to do about it,” Chopping said. “My nervousness went away when I concentrated not on myself, but instead just thought, 'How is my speech going to help the audience?' Once you do that, it gets rid of the fear. Every single step of the way, ask yourself: ‘What's in it for them?’”
“那段經歷讓我明白：聽眾們並不在意你是否搞砸了(整場報告)。他們在意的是你接下來將如何處理這一切，”Chopping 表示。“當我的注意力不在自己身上，而是隻想著‘我的演講要怎麼才能幫助這些聽眾?’，我的緊張感就都消失了。一旦你這樣做了，你的恐懼就會被消除掉。在做陳述報告的每一步中，都問問自己：‘報告內容中有什麼能幫助他們?’”
Be prepared
做好準備
Doug Carter is the founder of Canada-based presentation skills training company Presentations Etc. When possible, he gets to the location of his presentation the day before to make sure all the electronic aids work. He wants to ensure the screen, lighting and inputs all work properly. “Most of the time it works, but the one time it doesn't, you're screwed,” he says.
Doug Carter是加拿大陳述報告技能培訓公司Presentations Etc. 的創始人。在可能的情況下，他都會提前一天到達做報告的現場，確保所有的電子輔助設備正常運作。他想要確認屏幕、照明設備還有各種輸入信號都能正常工作。“大多數時候它們都是正常的，但一旦這些設備無法正常運作，你就有麻煩了，”他說道。
In addition, build an exit plan before you present. Having a point from which you know you can conclude your main idea helps when approaching the end of your allotted time, or if you are given an unexpected five-minute warning.
除此之外，在做報告前要策劃好收尾。當你的指定時間即將結束，或者你突然收到了只剩5分鐘的提醒，知道如何能夠總結自己的中心論點將很有幫助。
Engage the audience
讓聽眾參與進來
Whether you've got a one-on-one talk or a speech in front of 400 people, think “storytelling”. Stories are powerful because they combine data and information with emotion. The way to a person's head is through their heart.
不論你是要進行一場一對一的交談還是在400人面前做場演講，都要想著“講故事”這件事。故事往往富有感染力，因為它們能夠將數據、信息和情感結合起來。打動別人要靠走心。
Stories paint even the most complex of topics in a new light and can portray something new and enhance the message. Sometimes all it takes is a few seconds to connect an audience member with a story, according to Eric English, a communication lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh in the US.
故事能以一種新的角度呈現出最複雜的話題，能描述一些新事物並增強信息。美國匹茲堡大學傳播學講師Eric English認為，有時只需花上幾秒鐘時間，便能通過故事與觀眾聯繫起來。
Moreover, English also notes that the hardest thing for people to do is say nothing, although it can be an effective tool. If you've got something people should read, pause and let them read it.
English 還指出，對於人們來說，最難做到的事情是什麼也不說，儘管這是個很有效的方法。如果你需要大家讀些東西，就停下來讓他們自行閱讀。
“One thing that shocks people back into attention is to leave an almost uncomfortably long pause,” he said. “They've been used to hearing this voice and all of a sudden it's, 'Oh, no, what did I miss?'That jolts them and brings them back to the speaker.”
“讓人們回過神來，恢復注意力的一個方法就是一個令人不自在的長時間停頓，”他表示。“聽眾們已經習慣了聽著這個聲音，而突然之間(安靜下來，會讓他們認為)‘天哪，我錯過了什麼?’那會喚醒他們，讓他們的注意力重新回到演講者的身上。”
更多商務英語口語學習，小編可以推薦你們去這裡免費領取一節試聽課程哦，點擊“瞭解更多”即可領取。