Creating and Delivering Great Presentations

1
Creating and Delivering Great Presentations

• Tracy Volz
• Brown School of Engineering
• tmvolz_at_rice.edu

2
High Impact Presenters

• Size up the situation
• Organize an argument
• Convey confidence
• Integrate visuals
• Handle questions

3
Size up the Situation Audience

• Who is your audience?
• Why are they interested?
• How much do they know?
• What do they value?

4

• What are your key points?

5
Typical but Difficult

• Chronological/sequential narratives
• Inductive organization

6
Inductive Organization
Nanoshells
Nanoshells
Nano-Medicine
Nanoshells
Hydrogel Polymer
Hydrogel Polymer
Hydrogel Polymer
Hydrogel Polymer
Results
Results
Conclusions
Thesis or recommendation introduced at end of
presentation
7
Deductive Organization
Signal thesis or recommendation
Motivation
Nanoshells
Nano-Medicine
Nanoshells
Hydrogel Polymer
Hydrogel Polymer
Hydrogel Polymer
Hydrogel Polymer
Results
Results
Conclusions
8
The Challenge
Audiences attention
In conclusion . . .
High
Low
0
3
18
20
Time
9
Start Strong End Strong

• Introduction
• Motivate interest
• State key point
• Preview topics
• Establish credibility
• No apologies
• No Today Im gonna talk about . . .

• Conclusion
• Send cue
• Restate summarize
• Spell out implications
• No new info
• No Thats it.
• No ?s slide

10
Questions????
11
Conclusions

• In the near future anything that works with the
  UWB technology and on the WiMedia convergence
  layer will be compatible and work in
  coordination. Soon, cable and wire connections
  will be eliminated.
• The success of any new wireless technology
  ultimately depends on governments making
  appropriate radio spectrum available. This may
  bring global challenges.
• The conflict between the WS-UWB and OFDM will
  bring incompatibility issues (as in beta vs VHS
  war) but eventually OFDM will be the common
  technology
• Bluetooth and WUSB will coexist for a long time.
  But eventually WUSB will take over Bluetooth
• As the wireless technologies improve security
  issue will get more severe and spread. Therefore,
  among the wireless PAN technologies the ones with
  better security and ease of use will dominate the
  others.

12
Transitions

• Create coherence
• Make intuitive connections explicit
• Weak verbal cues
• And another thing
• So
• Next

• Strong verbal cues
• Sequence
• First
• Contrast
• However
• On the other hand
• Causality
• Therefore
• Consequently

13
Leadership Presence

• Enter with authority
• Focus your energy
• Pause before starting
• Establish eye contact
• Limit movement
• Speak confidently

14
Stance and Posture

• Worst Practices
• Block screen
• Stomp feet
• Cross feet
• Rock, sway, pace
• Slouch
• Lean

• Best Practices
• Chin up
• Feet under hips
• Shoulders relaxed
• Weight distributed
• Knees slightly bent

15
Eye Contact

• Best practices
• Direct
• Sustained
• Distributed

• Worst practices
• Stare at screen
• Glance at floor or ceiling
• Read slides or notes

16
Gestures to Avoid

• Fidgeting
• Fingers
• Pen or laser pointer
• Pockets
• Hair
• Hands on hips
• Crossing arms

• Gripping podium
• Clasping hands
• Fig leaf
• Behind back

17
Effective Gestures

• Power gestures
• Concept gestures
• Process gestures
• Position
• Scale

18
Voice Quality

• Volume
• Pacing
• Inflection
• Articulation
• Fillers

19
Handling Questions

• Anticipate questions
• LISTEN
• Repeat or rephrase
• Watch body language
• Dont bluff
• Wrap up well

20
References

• Barrett, Deborah. Leadership Communication.
  McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2006.
• DArcy, Jan. Technically Speaking. Columbus
  Battelle Press, 1998.
• Jacobi, Jeffrey. How to Say It with Your Voice.
  Paramus Prentice Hall, 1996.

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Image References

• http//pumpjack.tamu.edu/
• http//bioe.rice.edu/welcome.cfm?doc_id6984
• http//bioe.rice.edu/applying.cfm?doc_id8212
• http//www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/news/_archives/Apr
  il2003/Stacy15.gif
• http//www.openp2p.com/pub/a/p2p/2001/11/06/tuesda
  y_photos.html
• http//www.openp2p.com/pub/a/p2p/2001/11/05/monday
  _photos.html
• http//www.uni-koblenz.de/vladimir/breviary/dilbe
  rt-powerpoint.gif
• Georget, V et al. Trafficking of Androgen
  Receptor Mutants Fused to Green Fluorescent
  Protein A New Investigation of Partial Androgen
  Insensitivity Syndrome Pediatric Endocrinology,
  2006.
• http//organizations.nlamerica.com/dublinexchange/
  images/200320200420images/NEW203.jpg
• http//www.kvue.com/sharedcontent/nationworld/dail
  yimages/020804kerryrally.jpg
• http//clear.msu.edu16080/dennie/clipart/sing.gif
  
• http//www.toastofchicago.org/sc-image.gif
• http//www.resumetapebook.com/i/tn_interview_jpeg.
  jpg
• http//a.abcnews.com/media/US/images/pd_job_interv
  iew_030812_nv.jpg
• http//i.cnn.net/cnn/2004/ALLPOLITICS/02/22/elec04
  .prez.bush.kerry/story.bush.ap.jpg
• http//organizations.nlamerica.com/dublinexchange/
  images/200320200420images/100720induction201.j
  pg
• http///www.porsche.com
• www.owlnet.rice.edu/cainproj/ news/october99/octo
  ber.html
• math.rice.edu/lanius/ Algebra/stress.html

22
Image References

• http//www.kvue.com/sharedcontent/nationworld/dail
  yimages/020804kerryrally.jpg
• http//organizations.nlamerica.com/dublinexchange/
  images/200320200420images/NEW203.jpg
• http//clear.msu.edu16080/dennie/clipart/sing.gif
  
• http//www.toastofchicago.org/sc-image.gif
• www.owlnet.rice.edu/cainproj/ news/october99/octo
  ber.html
• http//www.resumetapebook.com/i/tn_interview_jpeg.
  jpg
• www.nebhworker.org/images/organize.gif
• http//a.abcnews.com/media/US/images/pd_job_interv
  iew_030812_nv.jpg
• http///www.porsche.com
• http//www.tesl.iastate.edu/projects/onlineunits/k
  awaler/img/listening.gif
• http//www.davidyounker.com/ecards/ecats/yawn.jpg
• http//i.cnn.net/cnn/2004/ALLPOLITICS/02/22/elec04
  .prez.bush.kerry/story.bush.ap.jpg
• http//organizations.nlamerica.com/dublinexchange/
  images/200320200420images/10-0720induction201.
  jpg
• http//www.openp2p.com/pub/a/p2p/2001/11/06/tuesda
  y_photos.html
• http//www.openp2p.com/pub/a/p2p/2001/11/05/monday
  _photos.html
• http//www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/news/_archives/Apr
  il2003/Stacy15.gif