MPHA 2016 Julie Benson-Rosston Presentations 101 MPHA 2016 Julie Benson-Rosston

If you don’t believe in eternity, try giving a five-minute speech sometime. ~Anonymous

PREVIEW Challenges Audience analysis Using technology Speaker nervousness Question-answer session

Audience Analysis Determine your purpose Consider your audience Inform Persuade Manage your time limit Content Practice Consider your audience Demographics Psychographics Situational elements Tailor the message

TECHNOLOGY Should I use technology? How should I use it? What do I use? Prezi tutorial.pptx Does it serve a purpose? Does it enhance, not distract? How should I use it? Knowledgeably Sparingly Effectively

Life after Death by Power Point

Tips for Using Power Point and Prezi Use a slide master Simplify and limit the number of words Limit punctuation Don’t use all CAPS Use contrasting colors Slide master for CONSISTENT and SIMPLE design Don’t write out complete sentences—and NO IDENTICAL HANDOUTS Limit effects—takes the focus of you and your CONTENT COULD ALSO be perceived as “cutesy”

More Tips Avoid patterned backgrounds Limit flashy special effects Show no more than one slide per minute Know how to move forward and backward with the slides Practice with the technology Have a Plan B

According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. ~Jerry Seinfeld

Symptoms of Speaker Nervousness Sweaty hands Butterflies in stomach Quickened heart rate Dry mouth Forgetting what to say Trembling hands Knocking knees Quivering voice Fidgety hands Red face/throat

Types of Anxiety WebMd Low-trait anxiety High-trait anxiety Improves as the speech progresses Sometimes wishes for more time “Habituaters” Can worsen as the speech progresses React more negatively to the stressors “Sensitizers”

Some anxiety is ok, even good Strategies Remember: Some anxiety is ok, even good Prepare! Visualize Practice, practice, practice! Sensitizers—Focus on the smaller things

The “little things” Dry mouth? Knees knocking? Hands trembling? Take a little sip of water. Knees knocking? Shift your weight and flex your knees Hands trembling? Put them together.

More “little things” Quivering voice? Sweating? Try more volume (jbr) "Pause, take a deep breath or two, and smile.” (SJC) Try more volume (jbr) Sweating? Take a small towel (jbr) "Forget it, nobody sees that anyway," (Southern Journal of Communication)

Elements of Delivery Type Eye contact Volume Pace Tone Body language Impromptu, manuscript, memorized, extemporaneous Eye contact Volume Pace Tone Body language Disfluencies

Question-Answer Session Do’s: Prepare Plan to take control Listen and Understand Communicate to all Respond Redirect Preparing---anticipate the questions you will be asked ESPECIALLY the difficult ones. Don’t just cross your fingers and figure it will be okay. Plan to Take Control—Decide when questions can be asked. I recommend the end. Have people write their questions down and they can wait. If you decide to allow questions, then be very MINDFUL of time. You don’t want to get derailed. BECAUSE OF NERVES Or FEAR of a particular question, we don’t always listen to the full question. IREPEAT THE QUESTION—ONE so you can clarify if necessary and TWO because often the rest of the audience doesn’t hear it. If you don’t understand what’s being asked---clarify until you do. Make sure that in answering, you engage and involve the rest of the audience—very frustrating to the rest of the group if the q/a session is filled with 1:1 conversation that they are just present for. Then, answer the question the best you can. If you don’t know, that is okay. Commit to following up. If a person keeps harping on a question/comment, let them know you need to move on. (Examples: Audience?) ) Be a broken record and hen literal go to someone else. Redirect of it’s not within your area of expertise or if it’s not within the scope of this presentation.

More about Q/A University of Leicestser UK Don’ts Answer the question you wish you’d been asked Make a second “presentation” Pass the blame Become defensive Allow one person to monopolize the time Not—well, I didn’t make that decision……..

RECAP Identify challenges Consider your audience Use technology well Manage your nervousness Prepare for Q/A

Julie Benson-Rosston www.mediatemontana.com Thank You! Julie Benson-Rosston www.mediatemontana.com