1. Luis G. Morales, MA CMQ/0E, CSSGB, CQIA
If You’re Talking, They Must Be Listening - Improving Your Oral Presentations Skills
Luis G. Morales, MA CMQ/0E, CSSGB, CQIA
ASQ Member of Board of Directors
Director, ASQ Region 11B
Booz Allen Hamilton Standard Colors
Colors should be used in the color pairs whenever possible. Do not mix and match colors, use pairs together as shown.
Black, White and Gray can be used with any of the other colors.
Raleigh, NC
May, 2016
Green Pantone 357
R 15
G 67
B 24
Blue Pantone 2 88
R 11
G 31
B 101
Purple Pantone 2765
R 12
G 4
B 79
Pantone Cool Gray 6
R 158
G 158
B 158
Black
Red Pantone 485
R 252
G 5
B 14
Yellow Pantone 3965
R 232
G 244
B 4
Aqua Pantone 319
R 126
G 204
B 189
White

2. 1. Speaking before a group
Top ten fears (US)
1. Speaking before a group
2. Heights
3. Insects and bugs
4. Financial problems
5. Deep water
6. Sickness
7. Death
8. Flying
9. Loneliness
10. Dogs
David Wallenchinsky, The Book of Lists

3. Techniques to manage nervousness
Clear your mind and focus on the task
Keep the situation and tension in perspective
Visualize success
Build rapport with audience
Practice!
Use relaxation techniques
Fake it

4. Your platform skills are just as important as the content of your message
Eye contact
Voice
Hand gestures
Body movement
Visuals
Remember that the “rules” vary by culture

5. Eye contact establishes a connection with your audience
Voice
Hand gestures
Body movement
Visuals
Maintain eye contact for a complete thought (or 3-5 seconds)
Ensure you look at all sections or members of the audience
Talk to the audience, not the screen

6. Make sure your message reaches everyone in the room
Eye contact
Voice
Hand gestures
Body movement
Visuals
Focus on—
Vocal projection
Rate of speech
Pauses
Enthusiasm
Articulation
Avoid verbal fillers Um Ah
Actually
Well
Any other overly-repeated words

7. Your actions should support your message
Gesture as a natural extension of the words
Do not lock hands
Gesture broadly above the waist
When not gesturing, let arms hang loosely at sides
Eye contact
Voice
Hand gestures
Body movement
Visuals

8. Use motion to focus your audience’s attention
Keep feet and hips stationary
Move with purpose
Do not—
Put hands in your pocket
Nervously play with pens, paper, etc.
Look at your visuals more than your audience
Eye contact
Voice
Hand gestures
Body movement
Visuals

9. Let your visuals support you and your message
Talk to the audience, not the screen
Don’t read it—flesh it out
Manage what the audience sees
Don’t block the audience’s view
Actively focus the audience’s attention
Eye contact
Voice
Hand gestures
Body movement
Visuals

10. Manage the flow of energy from you to your audience
Let your energy flow out of your face (eye contact and voice) and upper body (hand gestures), not lower body (shuffling, swaying)

11. Before creating any deck pages, there are three critical questions to consider
Key Questions in Planning a Deck
Who is the audience?
What outcome is needed?
What role will the deck play?
Booz Allen Deck Format /Vertical & Horizontal Logic (continued)
PowerPoint Presentation: Objectives of Booz Allen Decks (continued)
FACILITATOR DO
Cover the points on the slide.

12. What role will the deck play?
Analyzing the audience before writing helps to ensure the deck will have impact on the reader
What is their position in the organization?
Are they decision-makers or implementers?
What do they care about?
What level of knowledge do they have?
How familiar are they with the project?
How familiar are they with the subject matter?
What are their communication preferences?
What are their attitudes and feelings?
What does this project mean to them?
What will your recommendations mean to them?
How do they feel about each other?
How do they feel about you?
Who is the audience?
What outcome is needed?
What role will the deck play?
Booz Allen Deck Format /Vertical & Horizontal Logic (continued)
PowerPoint Presentation: Objectives of Booz Allen Decks (continued)
FACILITATOR DO
Cover the points on the slide.

13. What role will the deck play?
Analyzing the outcomes to be achieved with the deck can aide the writer in driving to the desired results
What should the audience do?
What should the audience be able to do?
What information or commitments do you want from the audience?
How should the audience feel about the project, your recommendations, and you?
What are the risks, i.e., the possible outcomes you want to avoid?
Who is the audience?
What outcome is needed?
What role will the deck play?
Booz Allen Deck Format /Vertical & Horizontal Logic (continued)
PowerPoint Presentation: Objectives of Booz Allen Decks (continued)
FACILITATOR DO
Cover the points on the slide.

14. What role will the deck play?
Understanding the role of the deck will help to achieve the desired outcomes
Will it be a written document only?
Will it be read straight through or used as reference?
How motivated will the recipients be to read it?
Will it be presented on a projection screen?
Who will present it?
What will the presenter convey in addition to the information on the slides?
How interactive will the session be?
Will hard copies be handed out?
For both presentations and written reports
Who else may end up reading this?
What context will they be lacking?
Who is the audience?
What outcome is needed?
What role will the deck play?
Booz Allen Deck Format /Vertical & Horizontal Logic (continued)
PowerPoint Presentation: Objectives of Booz Allen Decks (continued)
FACILITATOR DO
Cover the points on the slide.

15. Handling questions is part of your presentation
Acknowledge questioner by name
Repeat, summarize or paraphrase the question asked
Ask for clarification, if necessary
Answer or defer to later
Ask if you answered question
? ? ? ? ? ?

16. How do you handle a hostile audience?
Prior to the presentation
Anticipate tough questions
Anticipate sensitive subjects
Socialize controversial ideas
Build rapport
Establish credibility
During the presentation
Remain calm
Use question-handling techniques where appropriate
Use “allies” to your advantage
Identify reason for hostility
Ask questions
DO NOT FIGHT BACK
DO NOT BECOME DEFENSIVE

17. There are seven dangerous assumptions that speakers make about their audience
If audience members are looking at the speaker, they must be listening
When speakers start speaking, audiences start listening
Audience members will remember the points the speaker thinks are most important
Audience members finish listening when speakers finish talking
Audience members accurately repeat what speakers tell them
Audience members process information in the same ways speakers do
If audience members understand and agree with the information presented, they will apply the principles to their jobs

18. Seven strategies to help clarify those seven assumptions
If audience members fail to demonstrate active listening:
change the pace of your presentation
ask for audience participation
modulate your voice or use vivid examples to encourage audience involvement
Use humor, a warm-up statement or exercise to build a relationship with your audience
Use attention-getting examples and demonstrate the value of the message early in the presentation to hook your listeners
Preview major ideas in the introduction, provide internal summaries and highlight key concepts in the conclusion to emphasize important points
Since audiences remember most what they hear first and last, provide the important points at the beginning and end of the presentation

19. Seven strategies help clarify those seven assumptions cont’d
Keep presentations as brief as possible. Cut out irrelevant or unimportant material
Use visual aids and repeat important information at least three times
Analyze characteristics of target audience members in advance
Determine the most appropriate types of humor, examples, support material and organization
Provide information that engages all segments of the audience
Explain how and why audience members will benefit from acting on ideas presented
Furnish reasons why failing to follow your suggestion could be costly or painful

20. The keys to effective visuals are the same for presentations
Clarity
Limit amount in graphic
Limit amount on page
Label all elements clearly
Focus
Key messages go on slides
Details go in appendix
Choose a graphic that supports your message
Consistency
Use templates to your advantage
One graphic = one message

21. LuisGMor@aol.com Questions How to I start? Do I start with a joke?
Any horror stories out there?
Do I start with a story?
Any success stories out there?