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Giving Effective Presentations
Use visuals! We only remember about 10 percent of what we read, 20
percent of what we hear, 30 percent of what we see, but 50 percent of
what we hear and see.
Overheads, slides, videos, computer projections, or paper tablet or flip
charts all work. Presenters using visuals are perceived as: more
professional, credible, interesting and persuasive. Studies have found that
meetings were (28%) shorter, and the side using visuals won 2/3 of debates
(either pro or con). Consensus was reached in 79% of groups using visuals
v/s only 58% of controls. For students overheads and flip charts are most
appropriate, computer graphics if the room is equipped and you are familiar
with software and hardware.
Why overheads?
- Easy and fast to prepare
- Look professional
- Face to audience
- More
friendly than slides
- Work in brighter rooms than slides
- Inexpensive.
Guidelines
- Provide outline (for longer talks), emphasize key points and
conclusion
- Check spelling!!!
- Limit information, use simplified graphs and tables
- Limit the amount of text
- 6-7 lines per page is better (10 lines max)
- 6 to 7 words per line
- Use large bold text 36pt or 24pt or 18pt minimum
- Limit to simple fonts, nothing fancy, not all caps
- Use centered text that usually works better than left or
justified
- Number transparencies and make sure they are in order
Creating the Original: Computer generated (Word, Persuasion, and Power
Point) or Hand-drawn
Making Transparencies: Photo-copier--use colors to highlight o
Computer printer o Hand drawn -- use colors. MAKE SURE TRANSPARENCY IS
COMPATIBLE WITH LASER PRINTER OR COPIER
Maps: The challenges with maps include picking the appropriate
scale and presenting the needed information in a user friendly way. City
maps with highlights/landmarks shown in sketch form have been very
successful. Use color and contrast to make your points.
Graphs and charts: Simplify and remove data that isn't important,
use color.
Checklist
- Number your transparencies. Make sure they are in order.
- Check equipment. Make sure it will be there. Cleaning cloth,
pens, outlet adapter, etc. Know how the equipment operates and how light
switches work. Find out where the bathroom is if you are nervous.
- Rehearse. Determine how to place transparencies, figure out a
routine for placing them and then taking them off so they stay in order.
- Check for legibility. Place a test transparency on the
projector and view it from the rear of the room. Adjust focus. Clean
lens if needed.
- Fill the screen. It doesn't cost any more to make big letters! Move
the projector back or adjust the reflector to fill the screen.
- Level and centered. Crooked images can become distracting. So
can shaking ones.
- Keep things bright. Keep stray light off the screen.
- Don't leave images up too long. Use a cover sheet or image if
you are not referring to the screen for some time.
- Talk to the people - not the screen. Read the words off the
projector if you have to.
- Allow time for questions. Prepare OHs of answers to likely
questions.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Practice helps make presentations easy. Eventually you realize
everyone is hoping you do well, not hoping you make mistakes.
Try presenting to a friend or group before you do important talks. Their
suggestions can help improve your presentation and they often will notice
misspellings or confusing diagrams that you have missed.
If you are choosing a career where presentations are critical, consider
joining or participating in toastmasters or other public speaking forums.
Eventually it becomes easy.
More Presentation
Tips, and check out the Presentation Criteria and Ratings
form used in individual and group presentations for my classes.
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