Pointers for Presentations and Visuals

Conquering Fear
1. Preparation
2. Positive Attitude, Self-counseling
3. Breathing, Visualization, etc.
Four types of delivery:
1. Manuscript (reading from prepared text)
2. Memorized (speech written/revised/proofed and learned verbatim)
3. Impromptu (no possibility of advance preparation/research, think on feet)
4. Extemporaneous (prepare well, use few notes, deliver spontaneously)
Audience Anal ysis
1. Group not individual analysis
2. Age
3. Cultural background
4. Education
5. Occupation
6. Politics
7. Religious affiliation
8. Sex
9. Socioeconomic status
Process
1. Analyze CMAPP
a) Context
i) situation leading to presentation
ii) size of room
iii) size of audience
iv) relationships with/within audience
v) external or internal interference
b) Message
i) answers to questions: what does audience know?/need to know? / want to know?
ii) main points
iii) subsidiary points, significant details, etc.
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Effective Presentations & Visuals, Page 2
c) Audience
i) Audience Analysis (above)
ii) Cultural referents
iii) Level of discourse
iv) Level of technicality
d) Purposeinevitable overlap, but fundamentally:
i) Informative: audience will know or understand something new/better
ii) Descriptive: audience will see (in minds eye) something new or more clearly
iii) Instructive: audience will know how to / be able to do something new/better
iv) Persuasive: audience will change attitude/belief/behaviour
2. Identify objectives (what you want audience to remember: main points Outlines level 1 heads)
3. Perform research, collect data information
4. Develop and work with formal, multi-level outline
5. Create speaking notes (words, phrases, icons, pictures, labels, etc.)
6. Rehearse
Three-part rule for perfect presentation:
1. Tell em what youre gonna tell em
2. Tell em
3. Tell em what you told em
Introductory Segment
1. Use attention-getter
2. Introduce yourself (unless introduced by MC, etc.)
3. Provide initial summary (likely listing of objectives, above)
4. Establish speaker credibility/speaker relevance (why should they listen to you?)
5. Establish audience relevance (why should they be interested in this?)
Body
1. Conform to CMAPP analysis
2. Use transitions, e.g.,
Now that weve discussed ..., lets look at .
Weve already examined ...; so now well turn to...
3. Use signposts, e.g., next..., first, second, third, etc.
4. Use emphasis markers, e.g.,
Most important is,
and Id like to draw your attention to
5. Use rhetorical questions
6. Summarize segments, e.g.,
So far weve seen three reasons: 1, 2
7. Use repetition, e.g.,
... and as Ive already mentioned,
so, Id like to repeat that
Concluding Segment
1. Indicate closure, e.g.,
So, in conclusion, let me just.
Finally, Id like to.
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Effective Presentations & Visuals, Page 3
2. Provide final summary (main points: tell em what you told em)
3. Specify action request (includes reiteration of theme, importance, etc.)
4. Provide a clear close, e.g.,
I do thank you for your time....
Thank you once again; Ive enjoyed speaking with you.
Non-verbal characteristics I Paralinguistic features
1. Cultural referents (appropriate for CMAPP)
2. Enunciation
3. Facial expression
4. Gesture
5. Hesitation particles (um, uh, like, you know, etc.)
6. Level of discourse (appropriate for CMAPP)
7. Level of technicality (appropriate for CMAPP)
8. Movement
9. Posture
10. Pronunciation
11. Speed of delivery (variety)
12. Time constraints
13. Timing (e.g., jokes, pauses, etc.)
14. Tone/pitch/intonation (variety)
15. Volume (variety)
Visuals / Visual Aids
1. Illustrate, not overpower
2. Explain, not confuse
3. Maintain, not interrupt or impair flow
4. Simplify, not complicate
5. Enhance, not detract from
6. Fulfill specific intentnot be mere frill
7. Be visible to all
8. Be intelligible to all
Text Slides
a) Use single words/short phrases only; no sentences; never paragraphs
b) Never exceed total of title plus 6 points/lines
c) Use serif for title, sans-serif for body-text (opposite of recommendations for documents)
d) Maintain minimum 16 pt. text
e) Avoid voice-over repetition: talk about/around text on screen
f) Keep in order, keep readily accessible
Graphs/Charts
a) Pie
i) items totaling 100%
ii) general proportions of parts to whole
iii) small number of wedges
iv) maximum of one exploded section
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Effective Presentations & Visuals, Page 4
b) Line
i) chronological progressalong X-axis
ii) lack of continuous data change
iii) Y-axis minimum/maximum points visual impression
iv) Y-axis increments visual impression
c) Bar/Column
i) comparisons/contrasts
ii) numerous categories/series skyline effect remember KISS
iii) Y-axis sequence of horizontal bars visual impression of stability/instability
iv) Y-axis minimum/maximum points visual impression
v) Y-axis increments visual impression
d) Table
i) Audience focus = selected cells, not full analysis
ii) Visual impression: all other cells corroborative data


2010, David Ingre Written Image Services