Preparing & Delivering an Effective Presentation Mary M. Moran, MD Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Professional Development

Preparing an Effective Presentation  Deciding what to present  Organizing your content  Developing presentation notes  Using visual aids  Preparing you and your environment  Delivering your presentation  Answering questions

Deciding What to Present  To whom am I presenting?  Where will this take place?  When will this take place?  Why am I presenting? – Develop goals & objectives

“Goals” of a Presentation  Provide a global perspective –i.e. The “Big Picture”  Vague, nonspecific, general  Not observable  Examples –Understand how important it is to organize your presentation –Appreciate the need for practice prior to delivering a presentation

“Objectives” of a Presentation  Describe what you’d like the learner to be able to do after your presentation –Precise –Observable –Measurable –Attainable **Objectives include action verbs from the learner’s perspective.

Preparing & Delivering an Effective Presentation Objectives:  Describe the process of choosing and organizing the content of your presentation.  List ways that you will prepare yourself and your environment prior to your presentation.  List effective verbal and non-verbal strategies that you’ll use that will help your learners.  Prepare and deliver an effective presentation.

What will I teach?  Choose your objectives  Write down all information related to each  Prioritize your information –Essential –Important –“Nice to know”

Remember… All of the content of your presentation should help the audience achieve your objectives.

Organizing the Presentation  Introduction – “Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em.”  Body – “Tell ‘em.”  Conclusion – “Tell ‘em what you told ‘em.”

Organizing the Presentation: The Introduction  “Attention-getter”  Provide an overview  State your objectives  Motivate the audience

Organizing the Presentation: The Body  Restate each main topic  Present essential material first  Use examples as much as possible  Summarize at the end of each main point  Transition smoothly to next point

Organizing the Presentation: The Conclusion  Provide a logical ending  Summarize the main teaching points –“The points I’d like to leave you with are…” –“What I had hoped to emphasize today…”

Developing Presentation Notes  Serve as reminders only  May include: – outline of main points & sub-points – transition sentences between points – cues for examples and visual aids – reminders for gestures & eye contact

Developing Presentation Notes  5 X 7 cards  Large print on one side only  No crowding  Number your cards  Fewer is better; none is not good!

Using Visual Aids  Should enhance the presentation  Should be easy to read  Should use the visual aid that is most appropriate for the setting – white board in small room – slides in large room

PowerPoint Pluses  Can use it easily  Can display photos, graphics, and video nicely  Can change content at a moment’s notice  Can help to organize a disorganized presenter

PowerPoint Pitfalls  Can be very limiting  Is often an expectation of the audience but is not always the appropriate visual aid  Can distract rather than enhance  Can never save poor content - Tufte (2004) The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint

Tips for a Good Slide  Is readable  Contains words and background that contrast  Provides a message on its own without the presenter’s verbal words  Acts as a visual learning aid that enhances the presenter’s oral presentation  Begins each line of list with the same part of speech

Tips  Should be readable  Words and background should contrast  Should be able to stand on its own without the presenter’s verbal words  Learning aid that enhances the presenter’s oral presentation  First word of each line of list should be the same part of speech

Preparing You  Practice!!! – In sections – Out loud – In front of someone – With your visuals  Dress to kill!!!

Preparing the Environment  Come early!!!  Learn the layout of the room  Make the room comfortable  Check the equipment – Does it work? – Can I operate it?

The Verbal Delivery  Try to open without notes  Speak clearly; pronounce words correctly  Use controlled pauses and inflection  Speak at an appropriate pace  Be as spontaneous as possible

The Non-Verbal Delivery  Look at the learners in all parts of the room  Move purposefully for emphasis  Respond to the learners  Be enthusiastic –facial expressions –postures –gestures  M inimize idiosyncrasies

Answering Questions  Listen carefully, then repeat the question  Answer politely and concisely  Deal gracefully with a problem questioner ** If you can’t answer the question appropriately or deflect it comfortably, invite the questioner to speak with you privately afterwards.

Preparing and Delivering a Presentation  Write objectives which drive the content of the discussion  Develop clear notes  Use visual aids appropriately  Practice out loud  Come early and prepare your environment  Speak clearly; remember non-verbal cues  Close strongly; invite questions