On DeliveringEffective Technical Presentations Gannon University Dept. of Electrical Engineering

Technical Presentations.2 Part I - Outline Types of Presentations Goals Verbal Guides Visual Aids Visual Guides Effective Technical Presentations

Technical Presentations.3 Types of Oral Communications C Manuscript C Memorization C Extemporaneous Speaking C Impromptu Speaking C Aided/Unaided

Technical Presentations.4 Presentation Goals C Have audience understand and retain Specific portion(s) of talk C Get the Point (Make sure you have at least one) C Jog their Memory NOT! Read everything? NOT!

Technical Presentations.5 Parts of Speech C Introduction C Body C Conclusion Tell them what you’re going to tell them Tell them Then tell them what you just told them

Technical Presentations.6 Verbal Hints Always : C know your audience (best of your ability) C (appear to) be sincere, prepared, enthusiastic C (appear to) know your material C follow your outline C maintain a good pace/speed C summarize in a useful form C use appropriate visual aids C engage your audience Never : C panic C use repetitive or awkward motions C draw undue attention to the speaker, away from content of talk C apologize C run on, digress C talk too fast/slow; pause randomly C fail to conclude C draw attention to the delivery, not material C loose your audience

Technical Presentations.7 Visual (and other) Aids C Good pictures convey ideas well C Bad pictures muddle things

Technical Presentations.8 Types of Visual Aids TypePros:Cons: Flip Charts InteractivePace Overheads SummariesBoring Presentation Graphics InteractiveHard to change 35mm Slides SummariesSleep Factor Chalk/Whiteboards InteractivePace, loss of data Film/Video EntertainingSleep Factor Live Demos EntertainingDistracting

Technical Presentations.9 Visual Hints Always : C Depict what you want them to remember C Depict what is conveyed best in pictures C Few key points in each image C Talk about what they should see in an image C Maintain a good pace/speed C Use few words C Use large fonts C Use good contrasting colors C Give them time to digest what is depicted before them Never : C Depict what isn’t worth remembering C Use figures where words would be best C Too many things in one image C Skip description of a graphic, key points to be seen from graphic C Run on, digress C Visualize paragraphs C Use small fonts, illegible scripts C Use low/no contrast C loose your audience

Technical Presentations.10 Part II Public Speaking Primer Carnegie, Dale, The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking, 1962

Technical Presentations.11 Acquiring Basic Skills C Take heart from experience of others C Keep your goal before you C Predetermine your mind to success C Seize every opportunity to practice

Technical Presentations.12 Develop Confidence C Facts about fear of speaking in public C Prepare the proper way Never memorize Assemble your ideas beforehand Rehearse with your friends C Predetermine your mind to success C Act confident (Fake it ‘till you make it)

Technical Presentations.13 Speaking Effectively C Speak about something you’ve earned the right to speak about C Be sure you’re excited about your subject C Be eager to share with your listeners

Technical Presentations.14 Earning the right to talk C Limit your subject C Develop reserve power C Fill your talk with illustrations and examples C Use concrete, familiar words that create pictures

Technical Presentations.15 Visualize the talk C Choose subjects you are in earnest about Be in earnest about your subject C Relive the feelings you have about your topic Have feelings about your topic C Act in earnest

Technical Presentations.16 Sharing with the Audience C Talk in terms of your listeners’ interests C Identify yourself with the audience C Make your audience a partner in your talk C Play yourself down

Technical Presentations.17 Making a talk to inform C Restrict your subject to fit in the time at your disposal C Arrange your ideas in sequence Someone’s got to sweat - better you than them C Enumerate your points as you make them C Compare the strange with the familiar USE VISUAL AIDS

Technical Presentations.18 Making a talk to convince C Win confidence by deserving it C Get a yes-response C Speak with contagious enthusiasm C Show respect and affection for your audience C Begin in a friendly way

Technical Presentations.19 Making impromptu talks C Practice impromptu speaking C Be mentally ready to speak impromptu C Get into an example immediately C Speak with animation and force C Principle of the Here and Now Don’t talk impromptu, give impromptu talks

Technical Presentations.20 Delivering the effective talk C Crash through self-consciousness C Don’t imitate others - be yourself C Converse with your audience C Put your heart into your speaking C Practice making your voice Strong and Flexible

Technical Presentations.21 Where to go from here C Get serious about speaking C Recognize its importance C Earn the right to be up front speaking, and realize it C Practice, Practice, Practice C Use tools

Technical Presentations.22 Part III Technical Speaking Primer Garland, James, “Advice to beginning physics and engineering speakers,”Geophysics, the leading edge of exploration, October, 1992, pp

Technical Presentations.23 You are presenting yourself C Present your ideas clearly, persuasively with self-assurance and skill C Come across as reasonable, orderly person

Technical Presentations.24 Gauge your audience C Don’t talk to just the experts Alienate and annoy your audience C Devote 1/2 to 2/3 of talk to careful introduction Set up your work/problem clearly C Save highly technical material for last C Summarize at the end

Technical Presentations.25 Fit your talk to the allotted time C Come across as an egotistical S.O.B. not C Short time limits do not mean: generalities only gloss over specifics C Short time limits mean: weed out extraneous material carefully select the scope of your talk

Technical Presentations.26 Use techno-babble sparingly C Equations, schematics make talks hard to follow easy to loose your audience slow, ineffective in delivery absolutely C Techno-babble only that which is absolutely necessary

Technical Presentations.27 Be sensible about visuals C Expect to spend 2-3 minutes PER SLIDE Audience needs time to absorb material C Don’t write full sentences C Don’t write meaningless lists of words C Manage your technology seamlessly show up early and practice

Technical Presentations.28 Practice your talk C Rehearse in front of colleagues C Get good criticism C Tune your delivery, visuals, transitions find those hard-to-verbalize ideas smooth them out C Avoid writing out your talk, nervous mannerisms

Technical Presentations.29 Dress appropriately C Button your fly C Look like you deserve to be up there C Don’t draw attention to yourself - and away from your talk

Technical Presentations.30 Interact with your audience C Make eye contact, speak up C Ask for, handle questions Let your questioner finish the question Rephrase the question if necessary KEEP YOUR ANSWERS SHORT Confess your ignorance Deflect hostile questions

Technical Presentations.31 In Summary C Work hard to make your presentation clear, well-focused and understandable C Let your work speak for you C Be in earnest C Practice