Making a great Presentation <Add Your Name> Please note: this presentation is a training tool created by the University of Queensland Library. The contents do not represent the views of the University of Queensland or the University of Queensland Library

Presentation Contents

Before you start: Plan Determine the objective of your talk Consider the your target audience Expectations Age Knowledge of the topic Consider the presentation length Having a clear objective is central to a successful presentation An objective will help you determine what is relevant. All content should help you achieve your objective. Presenting with your target audience in mind is essential. Their expectations, age and knowledge will influence how they react to your presentation and therefore what they take from it. Examples are a prime method of tailoring a single presentation to multiple audiences. Presentation length, may be prescribed in a learning context but, always relates to the amount of quality information the audience will receive. For example, 10 minutes may allow you to cover three points central to your message thoroughly. Balance the desire to cover everything with the need to cover a few things properly.

Presentation Preparation Collect and arrange your material Major Points Talking Points Images/Sounds/Movies Different topics on different slides Be Interesting Think through the flow of your presentation and be systematic and logical when developing its structure. Consider your major topics and break those into a series of talking points. Use different slides to separate topics or talking points. Focus on a single idea at a time – this will help you to be clear. Ensure you don’t find yourself merely reading from your slides. This is boring and cliché! In fact, the proliferation of monotonous, lifeless presentations may have birthed the phrase “death by PowerPoint”. Some suggestions: Include the more interesting points on your slides Consider pictures instead of text Carefully places animation might be able to add spice.

Avoiding common mistakes Don’t overcrowd slides DO NOT USE ALL UPPERCASE Avoid overuse of formatting Use colour rather than underline for emphasis PowerPoint will allow you to put a lot of information onto a slide. This doesn’t mean you should. The default method for handling lots of information is to helpfully shrink the existing text to fit more. Try keeping your information high level and verbally providing detail. Don’t shout at your audience. Avoid using all uppercase letters. Presentation formatting should be uniform in terms of font, size and effects. It is disconcerting to the audience to frequently change your formatting conventions. Colour is a great way to draw focus. It stands out and may have an emotive effect on the audience. Try having coloured points representing a question to your audience.

Before presenting (In the real world) Check the projection equipment Position the projector and screen for optimal viewing Plan for equipment failure Could you give a presentation without your PowerPoint? Produce extra handouts It is important to consider the possibility that you may encounter situations in which you are unable to access your presentation. In that situation could you give a convincing unaided presentation? [Add your speaker notes here] Checking and positioning the equipment may be necessary. Ensure that the whole audience will be able to see your presentation and participate. If you are providing handouts, ensure that there are enough for everyone.

Before presenting (at Uni) Have a backup of your presentation handy USB device/Student Email/Laptop Is your laptop fully charged? Do you have necessary adapters? Have your presentation easy to access and all materials in correct folders Being ready for an assessable presentation is important. This includes never being in a situation where you are unable to access your presentation. Take reasonable precautions.

Verbal Presentation Tips Ensure your slide information matches spoken text Use pauses for effect Use relevant examples! Rehearse It is important to always be clear when communicating. Part of this is to never contradict yourself – it will upset your audience and inevitably lead to questions to clarify what you meant. You should regularly pause and allow your audience to digest the information that you are providing. A pause can enhance the point that preceded it. Examples are pivotal to a successful presentation. Examples provide context to information and help your audience relate. Irrelevant examples can turn people off a presentation. Finally – rehearsing. It is a mistake to assume that rehearsing your presentation is the same as memorizing it. During rehearsal, you should be focusing on your content and what you intend to say about it. You should be reviewing your talking points and removing any information which verbally trips you up. A flexible presentation can be more enjoyable as it focuses on subject matter and not focusing on delivering a carefully stage managed presentation.

Summary Sensible Planning Focus on message not on detail Keep it simple Maintain a flexible approach So, the presentation itself is often the end of a long process. It can be done badly, or done really well. Focus on your core message and delivering it in a simple way. Attempt to engage your audience where possible. Don’t forget to enjoy yourself.