Mission Impossible: Effective Technical Presentations

1
Mission Impossible Effective Technical
Presentations

• EML 4920 Professional Orientation

2
P6 Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor
Presentations
A rule of thumb for a good presentation
3
What is your presentation topic and title?

• What is the focus?
• What do you want to share?
• What does the audience want or need to know?

4
Why are you making this presentation?

• Inform
• Discuss
• Persuade
• Solve problems

• Inspire
• Instruct or train
• Entertain

5
Who will be in the audience?

• Experience and education
• Age, gender or cultural mix
• Job responsibilities
• Special needs
• Issues or topics to avoid
• Audience as a resource

6
When are you making your presentation?

• Time and location
• Room size and suitability
• Middle of the work week
• Avoid early or late in the day.

7
How long should your presentation be?

• 1.25 to 1.50 times your estimate
• 2 to 4 minutes per slide
• Number of slides gives estimate the time needed

8
How long should your presentation be? (continued)

• Announce the time to be spent
• Start on time!
• Avoid running overtime
• Allow time for QA
• Break after 1 hour

9
Facility checklist
1. The size of the room is suitable. 2. The room
is free from distractions from adjoining
rooms. 3. The room is accessible to all
participants 4. Breakout rooms are available, if
needed, and are close by 5. Restrooms are close
by and are accessible to all 6. Seating
arrangements 7. Lighting is satisfactory 8.
Location of lighting controls is OK and lights
can be dimmed 9. Climate controls in the room
are satisfactory. 10. All necessary media
equipment is available. 11. Meals or refreshments
are available (if applicable). 12. A site for
meals or refreshments is available (if
applicable). 13. Access to telephones and message
services is available. 14. The smoking policy at
the site is considered.
10
Preparing your presentation

• Glance at notes to stay on topic.
• Cover the main points
• Maintain eye contact
• Notes as text lead one to read
• Relax and focus on delivery

11
Reminders about your notes
AVOID

• Reading them word for word
• Holding them in a death grip
• Waving them as you move around the room
• Folding or mutilating them
• Losing them.

12
Advantages of computer-based presentations

• High quality, state-of-the-art show
• Good for any size audience
• Presenter can face the audience
• Information released in stages
• Animation and sound effects (avoid too many sound
  effects)

13
Guides for developing your talk

• Consistent format
• Title each slide
• Keep slides simple
• lt36 words/slide
• lt 5-6 lines/slide

14
Guides for developing your talk

• One idea per slide
• Use capital letters sparingly
• Use symbols, bullets, etc.
• Use figures, graphs and tables

15
Presentation suggestions

• Screen big enough (L6W)?
• Screen high enough (3)?
• Cover extension cords
• Pointer for highlighting key points
• Run your presentation slides beforehand

16
kicking-off your presentation

• If introducing yourself, be brief and focus on
  aspects relating to your presentation.
• If someone is going to introduce you, then
  prepare a brief bio sketch

17
Introducing your subject

• What is your objective?
• What are your expectations?
• What are the participants expectations?
• What is the schedule?

18
Getting started

• Review objectives
• Ask a rhetorical question.
• Ask for show of hands
• Ask a series of questions
• Use an interesting quotation

19
Getting started (continued)

• Relate topic to previous content
• Share a personal experience
• Use a video segment
• Project an appropriate cartoon
• Make a provocative statement (avoid getting
  someone too upset)
• Relate the topic to future work

20
Concluding the talk

• Summary slide with main result
• Acknowledgement slide
• Thank you for your attention
• Sunset slide (avoid)
• The End slide (never seen)

21
The End