1. On DeliveringEffective Technical Presentations Gannon University Dept. of Electrical Engineering

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

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

4. 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!

5. 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

6. 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

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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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

12. 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)

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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. 50-52

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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