How To Present Christine Robson November 20, 2007

Overview Material you’re presenting Material you’re presenting –Working with presentation software –Avoiding chart junk Talking to your audience Talking to your audience –How to be convincing –What to say (and not to say) –Swapping between presenters

How to make good slides

Why make slides? “Backdrop” for your talk “Backdrop” for your talk Defend yourself with hard numbers and quotes Defend yourself with hard numbers and quotes Helps visual vs. auditory learners Helps visual vs. auditory learners Can be used as handouts Can be used as handouts

Convey Information Each slide presents a coherent thought Each slide presents a coherent thought Use concise bullets Use concise bullets Each bullet must add information Each bullet must add information Use the tree structure for imbedded concepts Use the tree structure for imbedded concepts –i.e. for examples –Useful for breaking down multi-part ideas

What’s wrong here? Overview Overview –The third quarter results clearly indicate an overwhelming success of our product when compared to the competitors products Much improved in age ranges Much improved in age ranges Slightly improved in age ranges Slightly improved in age ranges –Need more market study in this age range, particularly the effects as high school students graduate Entire new market in age ranges Entire new market in age ranges Overall this shows a dramatic increase in market potential Overall this shows a dramatic increase in market potential –This should be our new direction in 2008

Presenting your Data Remember Tufte Remember Tufte –Present data simply and concisely –Avoid chart-junk and wasted ink A good picture should be worth a thousand words A good picture should be worth a thousand words A mix of pictures and words is best A mix of pictures and words is best

Data Points from GTME BSE division, Product lines 3E, TA5, 64C series, and R* The consistent data in the west and north regions indicates that these markets are stable. By contrast the high variability of the east region clearly indicates a potential market to be tapped for new revenue growth in 2008

Pets of 2 nd grade students Where should Hammy, the class hamster, spend Thanksgiving?

Remember the grid! Your webpage layout used grids Your webpage layout used grids –Don’t abandon them now! Your presentation is like a website Your presentation is like a website –Each slide has a layout, like a page –Keep consistency between slides

Remember the grid! Your webpage layout used grids Your webpage layout used grids –Don’t abandon them now! Your presentation is like a website Your presentation is like a website –Each slide has a layout, like a page –Keep consistency between slides

Remember the grid! Your webpage layout used grids Your webpage layout used grids –Don’t abandon them now! Your presentation is like a website Your presentation is like a website –Each slide has a layout, like a page –Keep consistency between slides

Most presentation software will help you

General Guidelines Keep your slides simple Keep your slides simple –Two or three main points –One chart at a time –No chart junk! Limit yourself to 1 slide per minute Limit yourself to 1 slide per minute –Otherwise your audience can’t keep up

Speaking

Talk to your audience Know your target audience Know your target audience –Background Knowledge –Expectations –What they want to hear –Who they will trust Look them in the eye Look them in the eye Engage people and draw them in Engage people and draw them in

Keeping up appearances Look & act professional Look & act professional –More people will believe you Be calm and relaxed Be calm and relaxed –Get a good night’s sleep –Do NOT over-caffeinate Stand up straight and don’t fidget Stand up straight and don’t fidget –Harder then it sounds…

Be Convincing Confidence is convincing Confidence is convincing –Always sound like you know what you’re talking about Admit when you don’t know Admit when you don’t know –“Good question…” Don’t get defensive Don’t get defensive

You should never… Put something on a slide without mentioning it Put something on a slide without mentioning it –audience will stop “trusting” you to tell them everything –promotes reading your slides instead of listening Put up a chart without explaining it Put up a chart without explaining it –everyone is looking at it anyway Read your slides Read your slides

Appearing United One person has to be the “Master of Ceremonies” One person has to be the “Master of Ceremonies” –First & Last person to speak –Can help with transitions between other speakers Refer to each other by name Refer to each other by name –i.e. “Thanks, John”

Sharing the stage Every person speaking has their own role Every person speaking has their own role The audience will assume characters, i.e. The audience will assume characters, i.e. –the person who describes implementation is the “techy” –the “salesperson” describes the user need Use this to divide content Use this to divide content –Keep the same person speaking about the same type of stuff

Practice makes perfect Practice transitions Practice transitions –Between slides –Between speakers Start with speaker notes, but know the material by heart Start with speaker notes, but know the material by heart Be prepared for interruptions Be prepared for interruptions –Questions –Technical problems

Practice with an audience A mirror is OK A mirror is OK In front of friends is better In front of friends is better Critical colleagues are best Critical colleagues are best Keep yourself to your time limit Keep yourself to your time limit

Nuts & Bolts

Final presentation scheduling If your group presents on Tuesday, Dec. 4, your final report is due on Thursday, Dec. 6 If your group presents on Tuesday, Dec. 4, your final report is due on Thursday, Dec. 6 If your group presents on Thursday, Dec. 6, your final report is due on Tuesday, Dec. 4 If your group presents on Thursday, Dec. 6, your final report is due on Tuesday, Dec. 4 Send with your preferences to cs160—first come, first served Send with your preferences to cs160—first come, first served