1. 1/67 Making Effective Technical Presentations Rob Kremer Adapted from original slides by David Maulsby

2. 2/67 Why Presentations?  Incite decisions  Achieve closure  Motivate, educate  Build relationships

3. 3/67 Why Be a Presenter?  Make contacts  Promote yourself  Promote your organization  Master your subject

4. 4/67 Planning a Presentation

5. 5/67 The Presentation Process Preparation Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse Presentation Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

6. 6/67 Understanding the Audience Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

7. 7/67 Audience Composition  The Chair  The Head Honcho  The Critic  Your Champion  The Masses Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

8. 8/67 The Chair Their Role  Keeps the meeting on track  Protects the speaker & You  Establish your relationship  Refer problems to the chair Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

9. 9/67 The Head Honcho Role  Decision-maker & You  Make sure s/he understands  Marshall the audience to help you Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

10. 10/67 The Critic Their Role  To debunk your story & You  Anticipate objections in your talk  Have extra slides ready  Rehearse questions and answers  Counteract with your champion Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

11. 11/67 Your Champion Their Role  Advocate for you & You  Identify your champion  Attentive, nodding, interested questions  Get his/her endorsement  Third-party more believable Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

12. 12/67 The Masses Their Role  A. Keen to learn, validate  B. There on orders, bored & You  Acknowledge them  Earn their trust  Appeal to their experience Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

13. 13/67 Understanding the Audience  What do they know about the topic?  What do they know about you?  Why are they in this meeting? Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

14. 14/67 Understanding the Audience  Aim to discover your champion  Teach the audience something new  Reflect their intelligence  Keep it simple  Challenge but don’t overwhelm Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

15. 15/67 Respecting the Audience Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

16. 16/67 Dress Code Dress to flatter your audience  For peers, dress up a little  For management, business casual  For customers, dress for success  Jacket and tie  You’re judged by your shoes Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

17. 17/67 Dress Code “But I’m a poor student, I only have T-shirts!” So what would you wear to a wedding? Or a funeral? Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

18. 18/67 Clothing Communiqué Clothing sends messages  What you wear  How you wear it  Manners and gestures Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

19. 19/67 Professional Deportment  Watch your language  No slang  Avoid grandiloquent sesquipedalian circumlocutions  Watch your body language  Relaxed, not sloppy Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

20. 20/67 The Best Proof of Respect Be prepared !  You studied your topic  You researched the audience  You rehearsed your presentation Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

21. 21/67 Selecting Material Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

22. 22/67 Selecting the Content  Help your audience reach their objectives  Understand an issue  Answer a question  Make a decision  Focus on what they need to learn Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

23. 23/67 Organizing the Talk  Acknowledge the objectives  Yours and theirs  Establish common ground  From You and Them to We  Provide a roadmap  Outline / graphic  “Say what you’re going to say…” Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

24. 24/67 Organizing the Talk  The storyline  History, process, relationship  The argument  Thesis / antithethis / synthesis  The contribution  Problem / solution Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

25. 25/67 Visual Aids Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

26. 26/67 Visual Aids  Graphics reveal relationships Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

27. 27/67 Visual Aids  Introduce speaker  Introduce topic  Develop ideas  Answer questions  Draw conclusions Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

28. 28/67 Visual Aids Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

29. 29/67 Color Schemes Too Little Contrast Complementary Colors Too Many Colors Good Contrast Best for Colorful Diags Good Contrast Too Little Contrast OK for Accent;Tiring Too Little Contrast Bad Good  Use very dark or very light background  High contrast  Avoid red, green Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

30. 30/67 Color Connotations Mysterious and intriguing Cool and rational The plain old facts Formal and methodical Exciting marketing message Another exciting message Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

31. 31/67 Special Effects Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

32. 32/67 Uses of Special Effects  Wake up the audience  Turn on imagination  Illustrate an idea  Drive home your point  Demonstrate your prowess Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

33. 33/67 Special Effects  Decoration  Animation  Sound  Video  Demo / scenario Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

34. 34/67 Effects  Illustrate relationships, processes  Favorite of slemnsae  Demos make effects unnecessary Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

35. 35/67 Effects  Use to build up complex ideas/ diagrams Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse reply-propose-discharge(Alice,Bob,x) act(Bob,Alice,x) propose-discharge(Bob,Alice,x) Alice Bob request inform reply agree informack propose-discharge done reply informack reply-propose-discharge confirm reply informack reply(Bob,Alice,x) ack(Bob,Alice,x) ack ack(Bob,Alice,x) ack ack(Alice,Bob,x) ack ack(Alice,Bob,x) ack

36. 36/67 The Text Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

37. 37/67 Slide Formatting  Number your slides!  One topic per slide  Minimal text  Graphics where possible  3 points Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

38. 38/67 Using the Web  Archive and distribute material  Elaborate slide content  PowerPoint is much easier to maintain Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

39. 39/67 Rehearsal Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

40. 40/67 Practice, Practice, Practice  Rehearse to a live audience  Once is not enough!  Practice the mechanics  Set up  Roles and signals  Introducer, speaker, slide controller  Handoffs Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

41. 41/67 Giving the Presentation Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

42. 42/67 Remember…  You’ve been granted the privilege of speaking  Your audience is spending a lot of valuable time on you  The speaker is remembered long after what s/he says is forgotten Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

43. 43/67 The Speaker Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

44. 44/67 Introductions  Have the chair introduce you  Implicit endorsement  Greet and acknowledge the audience  Introduce your team  Your qualifications Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

45. 45/67 Presenting Yourself  You are an authority  You inspire others  You can act on what you say Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

46. 46/67 Presenting Yourself  Speak up!  Self-confidence  Speak smoothly  Hesitation, nervousness implies incompetence  Eye contact  Honesty, trust Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

47. 47/67 Coping with Nerves  Shake ‘em off  Be well prepared  Nothing new  Backups  Thank the audience  Find a friend  Stand tall Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

48. 48/67 Inspiring Others  Project enthusiasm  Demonstrate teamwork  Wake up the audience Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

49. 49/67 Walk the Talk  Mention your track record  Demo!  Propose action, incite decision Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

50. 50/67 The Topic Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

51. 51/67 Set the Agenda  Desired outcome of this meeting?  Why is this talk important NOW?  Why are you the ideal presenter? Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

52. 52/67 Provide a Roadmap  Outline  BRIEFLY  Preview the argument  Boldly state a controversial conclusion and promise to prove it Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

53. 53/67 The Material Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

54. 54/67 Maintain the Pace  Watch your remaining time  Preserve time for questions  Don’t invite audience to interrupt you  Skip rather than skim slides  Don’t talk too fast Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

55. 55/67 Interactions Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

56. 56/67 Interaction Skills  Don’t block the slides  Scan the audience (eye contact)  Don’t stare at your slides  Move into the audience Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

57. 57/67 Interaction Skills  Vary your voice (level, pitch)  Talk with your hands  Gently  Invite participation  Leading questions Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

58. 58/67 Questions  What if nobody has any?  Plant questions in your text  Ask the audience  Survey says…  Have answers on “reserve slides” Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

59. 59/67 Difficult Questions  What if you don’t know the answer?  Admit it  Promise to follow-up  Canvas the audience  What if the question is irrelevant?  Take it off-line Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

60. 60/67 Coping with Trouble  “Walk-on’s” (latecomers)  Greet them  A speech from the floor A bulldog questioner  Take it off-line  Turn to the chair for help Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

61. 61/67 Summing Up Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions Research Audience Select Material Prepare Visuals Write Text Rehearse

62. 62/67 Presentation Strategies  Profile your audience  Define your presentation goals and stick to them!  Prepare to convince and impress  No compromises! Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

63. 63/67 Presentation Tactics  Establish common ground  Interact with audience  Maintain control of the floor  Show rather than tell  Work toward a conclusion Introduce Speaker Introduce Topic Develop Ideas Draw Conclusions Answer Questions

64. 64/67 Your Customer Presentation

65. 65/67 Planning Your Talk  Who is the audience?  What are their objectives?  What are your objectives?  What is the minimum you can say?  What problems may arise?

66. 66/67 Giving Your Talk  Who will you need onstage?  How will you involve the audience?  How many slides should you prepare?  What visual aids can you use?

67. 67/67 Questions Welcomed! For more information, please contact Rob Kremer kremer@cpsc.ucalgary.ca