Christine Bauer-Ramazani Saint Michael’s College Effective Presentations

Christine Bauer-Ramazani, Saint Michael's College Overview Anxiety Reduction Delivery—Key Considerations Structure of Presentations Visuals Nonverbal & Verbal Communication Question & Answer Guidelines

Anxiety Reduction Visualize Delivery Know Subject Respect Preparation Time Practice Presentation Relax Mind Respect Audience

Delivery – Key Considerations The setting  Be familiar with Room, equipment, back-up resources Do a trial run. The audience  Who?  What do they know?  What do they want to know?  Resistance?  Time pressure?

Delivery—Key Considerations The speaker  Credible  Well-prepared  Calm, confident  Good posture  Humorous The message  Content : background, findings, supporting evidence & examples; appropriate subject terminology and concepts  Organization : description, cause-effect, chronological, argument, problem-solution  Structure : introduction, with Table of Contents, body, conclusion

Structure of Presentations Introduction Introduce yourself. Establish credibility. State purpose + preview presentation content on an Overview slide. Conclusion Develop strong closure. Keep it positive. Summarize main ideas. Body Identify main points. Give supporting details. Keep clear focus.

VISUALS Slide show Graphics (pictures must be topic-related) Exhibits (graphs, charts, diagrams, calculations) –Highlight and emphasize critical figures/points only. –1 minute per slide! Handouts –Use 6-slide handout format. Back-up copy!

Purpose of Visuals Illustrate key points Reinforce verbal message Stimulate audience interest Focus audience attention Note: Animations and sounds can be distracting! Use them only to illustrate a point.

Visuals – Guidelines: DESIGN  Cover page: title, date, name(s)  Table of Contents/Overview  Bullets for key points; no long sentences  Simple and clear (KISS)!  Easy to read--large fonts  Contrasting colors  Consistent fonts/colors/format  Spell-check every slide!

Visuals – Guidelines: USE  NO READING OF NOTES!  Check visibility of text: fonts size, style, color.  Prepare handouts.  Introduce each slide topic with a complete (topic) sentence.  Explain each visual.  Speak to the audience, not the visual.  Decide how to advance slides.  Make a transition to the next topic and speaker. Christine Bauer-Ramazani, Saint Michael's College

Nonverbal & Verbal Communication Volume Inflection Articulation Rate Pauses Posture Eye contact Facial expression Hand gestures Appropriate dress Voice Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Do’s Face the audience. Look at each person in the audience. Glance at notes occasionally. Smile! Get someone else to click the mouse (to advance slides). Practice in the same room you will be presenting. Don’ts X Do not hold on to anything! X Do not read from your notes or the screen! X Do not put hands in pockets! X Do not look at the screen or the monitor only! X Do not look at the professor only!

Verbal Communication Don’ts X Don’t race through your speech! X Don’t mumble! X Don’t use slang or overly colloquial (informal) language.. X Don’t use verbal fillers (“like”, “uh”, “and”) Do’s Speak loudly and clearly; enunciate. Speak slowly but with confidence. Emphasize important points  Use simple sentences and vocabulary.  Slow down!  Speak louder! Include concepts & vocab. related to the topic (from book/lectures)

Conclusion Summarize main points (or findings). Emphasize a specific point.

Question & Answer Guidelines Encourage audience to ask questions. Make eye contact with the speaker. Listen carefully. Answer a specific question. Be honest. Avoid interrupting.

Before the presentation … Practice with the equipment. Practice transitioning from speaker to speaker. Time the presentation and make adjustments.