Effective Presentation Skills

Martha Maydon
Masters in Education RISE University

Topics to be covered Important? Characteristics Visuals Mechanics On-line Resources 10 Commandments Summary

Why Give an Effective Presentation?

Good Oral Presentation Skills
Effectively communicate the objective of the presentation Clarity of concepts and idea Meaningful conclusion

Important Presentation Characteristics

Purpose Audience
o Message?

o Their level and interests o Make it interesting!

Approach Time Limit

o Agree with message

Key Elements of Visuals

Organization Background & Color Font Amount of Information Graphics

Key Elements of Visuals

Organization

Logical flow

o Title o Outline & Intro o Details o Summary

Key Elements of Visuals

Background & Color

Contrasting Colors

Clear and clean text Dark background with light text Avoid nauseating combinations Avoid pastels wash out on projection

Nauseating Combination!

Key Elements of Visuals

Font

No more than 2 font types Use bold and Italic strategically Able to read from back row Font size proportional to importance

Key Elements of Visuals

Amount of Information

KISS Keep (It Short & Simple)

No faster than 1 minute per slide

No more than 7 lines per slide No more than 7 words per line Bullets and Keywords

Key Elements of Visuals

Amount of Information

Keep it Simple Stupid! too hard on the visuals, they KISS If audience is concentrating

Rapidly progressingof your message. It is always in through the visuals can result delayed processing
preferred to keep the audience in sync with your discussion - No faster than 1 minute per slide

sometimes miss the message that you are trying to convey To many lines in the visual cause the audience to experience confusion no more than 7 lines per slide Long strings of text can cause visual overload - No more than 7 words per line Generally, text elements can be simplified dramatically. If you combine verbal discussion with visual elements, this simplification does not result in loss of message - Bullets and Keywords

Key Elements of Visuals

Graphics

Dont assume the audience understands graphic Explain key elements (symbols, axes, etc.) Explain the significance PowerPoint effects

Presentation Mechanics Dress Mannerisms You are the expert!

o Dont read slides o Dont read notes

Eye Contact Avoid Laser Light Shows! Learn to mask nerves

On-Line Resources
Important Design Concepts (Psychology Department Columbia University) Creating Effective Presentations (University of RISE University) Effective Presentations (Office of Sponsored Research UCLA) Guidelines for Presentations (American Water Works Association)

On-Line Resources
Presentation Tips (Physics Department Rise University) Effective Oral Presentations (Business Administration Northeastern University Making Effective Presentations (Western Association for Art Conservation Stanford University) How to Give a Bad Talk! (Computer Science Department University of Wisconsin)

10 Commandments of a Bad Talk

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Thou shalt not be neat Thou shalt not waste space Thou shalt not covet brevity Thou shalt cover thy naked slides Thou shalt not write large

10 Commandments of a Bad Talk

6) Thou shalt not use color 7) Thou shalt not illustrate 8) Thou shalt not make eye contact 9) Thou shalt not skip slides 10) Thou shalt not practice

Effective Presentations Summary

Importance Mechanics Characteristic On-line Resources 10 Commandments s Visuals

Thank you !