Presentation Tips (Or, how to survive public speaking)

1
Presentation Tips (Or, how to survive public
speaking)

• Technologies
• Powerpoint tips
• General tips
• Managing a crowd
• How long should a talk last?
• Your ISP presentation

2
Presentation technology

• The simple, spoken talk
• Better for supporting discussion
• Problematic for more structured, longer talks
• Overheads sadly, a dying art form
• Powerpoint
• Other technologies
• The dreaded demonstration

3
Advantages of Overheads

• Flexible when cutting talk short, answering
  questions
• Amenable to spontaneous drawing, change
• Speaker is physically closer to the projected
  notes
• Have to be created in advance--more preparation
  required of speaker

4
Powerpoint

• Animation possible, always aligned and sharp
  looking
• Difficult to reorder talk on the fly, add new
  material
• Can be tempting to create presentations minutes
  before talk
• Good for providing a visual focus, help attendees
  to see a core set of points

5
Other media

• Dont forget other (physical) presentation aids
  whiteboard, paperboards, posters
• mixed media talks can be very effective
• mixed media allows presenter to annotate,
  create on the fly
• Use props sparingly

6
Demonstrations

• Something always goes wrong
• Always
• Have screenshots as backup
• Must be carefully scripted
• Generally flows better if the speaker isnt also
  driving the demo

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General tips

• Never begin a talk with an apology
• Make eye contact
• Use normal gestures
• Stand up straight, with weight on both legs
• Move, but not too much
• Vary your speaking tone
• Watch for um, like, you know
• Appear relaxed
• Appear interested, lively
• Rehearse! Re-rehearse!

8
tips continued

• Do not read a presentation from notes. If you
  must consult your notes frequently, hold them up
  (but NOT in front of your face).
• Dont put your notes down low on a table.
• Never just read out bullet points on slides.
• Dont lean on the projector or tablethat shakes
  it.
• Dont look back at the screen.

9
tips continued

• The arms dont fold in front or hide in back.
• More than 1 presenter? Only 1 stands in front at
  a time other presenter(s) sit down, away from
  the presentation area, until its their turn.
• Crossing the projector light try to set up so
  as to avoid crossing. If you have to, just do it
  boldly.
• Dont hold a pencil or pointer that encourages
  fiddling.
• The advanced technique a can of Diet Coke.

10
PowerPoint tips

• 1st slide title, organization, speaker
• Include an outline of talk slide
• Include a conclusion/summary slide
• Each slide should have a clear, relevant heading
• Large font, short phrases, simple pictures
• Non-native speakers use more words on slides
• Figures and tables cant be as complex as on
  paper PPT is relatively low resolution
• Use figures/tables only if they have some meaning!

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PPT tips

• Bullet points may (over) simplify ideas
• Bullets indicate that points are sequential or of
  equal importance (not always true!)
• Objectives
• Increase market share 25
• Increase profits 30
• Increase new product introductions to 10 per year
• Bullets should be intelligible, but not too
  wordy
• Focus
• Focus on growing markets
• It is necessary to focus on those markets which
  are profitable and growing rather than those
  which are loss-making and declining

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PPT tips

• Pointers use a physical one, if possible.
• progressive displays dont do the PPT
  striptease
• Fancy powerpoint effects theyre trite now,
  dont use them
• Dont use animated slide transitions
• Never use sound effects for bullets, transitions
• Know where to stand dont block the display

13
tips continued

• SPELL CHECK!!
• Color? Background? Logos?
• Repeat this mantra Less is More
• Use sparingly
• Visibility is paramount black on white is most
  readable
• Particularly avoid clip art weve all seen the
  standard ones

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PPT tips

• How many slides?
• Figure out how many that you need
• Get rid of 1/3 of them
• Rule of thumb no more than 1 per 2 minutes
  better to use fewer
• Hold a couple slides in reserve
• Think about possible questions, and consider
  making extra slides to answer them (particularly
  if a figure or table is required)

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Playing to the crowd...

• Dont begin with a joke CS people arent funny
• Know what the audience expects
• your appearance dress appropriately
• presentation style
• technological support

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Tailoring a talk to the time

• Always finish on time, or a bit earlier (you
  never hear anyone wishing that the speaker had
  gone on longer)
• Always find out in advance how much time youre
  allowed, and remember to factor in question time
• Short talks overviews, the big picture, few
  details
• Longer talks add detail AS NEEDED
• Keep the pace the same, whatever the length

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The ISP presentation

• 20 minutes 15 talk, 5 questions
• Purpose informational and persuasive (inform
  client of your recommendations, selling the
  proposal)
• Audience clients, CS colleagues working on
  similar projects
• Overheads or PPT? Definitely!
• DO NOT read out ISP, or read from notes. I will
  confiscate notes containing sentences.
• Recommended 2 presenters per group
• Other group members must attend
• Professional programmer look

18
Focus on

• Description of client
• Real world this would be short, folded into
  business problems
• Clients business problems
• Important point out problems without being
  insulting
• Existing system (and its problems)
• Your solution
• Its benefits
• Note its doubtful that you will be able to
  cover every point made in the ISPtailor to time
  allocated