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Communicating Technically

• Presented by Dennis Meier

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Structure Of This Presentation

• Review Tricks of the speechwriter's trade, Matt
  Hughes, Management Review, Nov 1990 v79 n 11
  p56(3)
• Add what Joseph Williams has to say about passive
  voice, Style Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace,
  5th Ed., Addison Wesley, 1997
• Add one idea gleaned from 24 years of watching
  really bad presentations

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1 Make An Impression

• Nobody remembers presentations
• Have a point
• But not more than 2-3 points
• Be short (20 minutes)

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2 Get Organized

• Dale Carnegies 3T approach
• Tell them what you will talk about
• Tell them
• Tell that what you told them
• Structure
• Opening
• Body
• Closing

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3 Speak Plainly

• Avoid seldom-used words
• Simple words make powerful statements
• Lincoln's "government of the people, by the
  people and for the people shall not perish
• Kennedy's "ask not what your country can do for
  you ask what you can do...

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4 Use Active Voice

• Use active voice
• Mistakes were made.
• I made a mistake.
• Use passive voice when
• Doer is unknown
• Audience doesnt care who did what
• You dont want the audience to know who did what
• Bureaucrats use passive voice

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5 Paint Pictures

• Deliver information with word pictures
• Use broad strokes

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6 Speak Directly

• Speak as you would to a friend
• Use I, you, we ,and us
• Make and hold eye contact

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7 Repeat Yourself

• Be redundant
• Repeat the major premise
• Rephrase key points
• see http//www.winstonchurchill.org/beaches.htm

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8 Simplify Numbers

• Simplify and round off
• Use word pictures that convey size
• Use familiar units

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9 Make Them Laugh

• People remember jokes
• Jokes are abundant (Internet)
• Never force humor
• Always be in good taste

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10 Open and Close Strongly

• Tell the audience that you are glad to be there
• Tell them why
• Find something nice to say
• End actively
• Close the loop

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11 Practice Aloud

• Find the Tongue Twisters
• Practice the tough parts
• Rewrite, if possible

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12 Get Speaking Experience (Meier)

• No natural speakers
• Read to kids at a local school
• Read at your place of worship
• Volunteer to introduce speakers at professional
  organization meetings
• Join a Toastmasters club

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Summary

• 1. Make an impression
• 2. Use the 3T structure
• 3. Use simple words
• 4. Use active voice
• 5. Paint word pictures
• 6. Speak directly to the audience
• 7. Repeat yourself
• 8. Simplify numbers
• 9. Make them laugh
• 10. Open and close strongly
• 11. Practice aloud
• 12. Get speaking experience