Presentations

Planning Your Presentation Define the rhetorical situation – Subject – identify what the audience needs to know. – Purpose – know what you want to achieve in your presentation. State your purpose in one sentence. – Audience – primary, secondary, tertiary, and gatekeeper audiences – know their needs, values, and attitudes. – Context of use – be aware of the physical, economic, ethical, and political factors surrounding your presentation. Allot your time – Fill time productively, and don’t go over your allotted time. – Keep introductions and conclusions concise. – Leave extra time.

Define the Purpose Problem, need, solution Chronological Spatial Narrative Methods, results, discussion Causes and effects Description by features or functions Comparison and contrast

Common Arrangment The Introduction: Tell them what you’re going to tell them Grabbers: A rhetorical question; a startling statistic; a compelling statement; an anecdote; a quotation; interact Move 1: Define the subject Move 2: State the purpose of your presentation Move 3: State your main point Move 4: Stress the importance of the subject Move 5: Offer background information Move 6: Forecast the structure of the presentation

Conclusions Tell Them What You Told Them Move 1: Signal clearly that you are concluding Move 2: Restate your key points Move 3: Re-emphasize the importance of your subject to the audience Move 4: Call the audience to action Move 5: Look to the future Move 6: Say thank you Move 7: Ask for questions

Be prepared for questions The elaboration or clarification questions “Could you say a bit more about X?” The hostile question “X seems to be a large investment. Why do we need this now when we have been doing well so far?” The heckling question (i.e., trolls!) “I noticed you spelled arrangement wrong” 1.Rephrase or reframe the question so that it emphasizes your main point 2.Validate the asker by keying into his/her main values in responding to the question. 3.Be mindful of others who want to ask questions. Be prepared to tell time hogs that you would love to talk to them after the presentation.

Choosing Your Presentation Style Four techniques work best for technical presentations Develop a persona Set a theme Show enthusiasm KISS: Keep it simple (stupid)

Delivering the Presentation Pay close attention to your delivery so the audience receives a satisfying performance Pay attention to Body language Voice, rhythm, and tone Using your notes

Rehearsing Rehearse in front of a test audience Evaluation is important

WAIT… Footer Text

Choosing the Right Technology PowerPoint Prezi HandoutHandout (5:40) Poster Whiteboard

PowerPoint It’s a visual tool, so use it to show visuals Charts and models Pictures Avoid too much text

The secret… O Tell a story O Add layers with visuals, reinforce only the most important parts with text O Ethos > logos > pathos O Disfluency – be different. Don’t use the built in template for an important pitch. Design your own. O For marketing purposes, use company logos and colors, and highlight people rather than things (and if you are in the business of things, show people using your things)