So You Have a Presentation

1
So You Have a Presentation
Michael R. Kozak Graduate Program
Coordinator Engineering Technology University of
North Texas
2
Introduction
3
Introduction

• The defense attorney presented layers of
  documents for six weeks and concluded with a long
  closing argument.

4
Introduction

• The plaintiff's attorney said "What we have
  here is a classic case of a fox getting caught in
  the hen house.

5
Introduction

• All you have to do is decide how much the fox
  has to pay" and sat down.

6
Introduction

• The plaintiff was awarded the largest amount of
  damages in a state court in the history of
  Washington.

7
Introduction

• Remember that what is understood, becomes simple.

8
Introduction

• We receive 1 of our information by taste.

9
Introduction

• And 83 by sight.

10
Content Planning
11
Examples
12
Examples

• Employees give reports at business meetings.

13
Examples

• Employees persuade a group that a new process is
  better.

14
Examples

• Employees instruct employees.

15
Examples

• Employees brief their boss about what the
  department has done.

16
Examples

• Employees explain innovative ideas.

17
Examples

• Employees keep people from different sections in
  a company up to date with what is going on.

18
Attention Span
19
Attention Span

• Audience - 10-12 minutes

20
Attention Span

• Executives - 6 minutes.

21
Preparation
22
Preparation

• Review what has been done.

23
Preparation

• Explain the purpose of the presentation.

24
Preparation

• Think what listeners need to know, not what to
  say.

25
Tailoring the Content
26
Tailoring Content

• Hernando Cortez ordered his ships burned on the
  Gulf of Mexico in full view of his army
• so they would
• concentrate
• exclusively
• on victory.

27
Tailoring Content

• Once the strategy and response is decided,
  tailor the message to bring about that response.
  

28
Preparation for International Presentations
29
International

• A translator may be used when giving a talk to
  an international
• audience.

30
International

• Provide the translator with a copy of the
  visuals.

31
International

• and the outline ahead of time.

32
Slides Preparation
33
Slides

• Average 1 slide for every 30
• seconds.

34
Slides

• Use dark type on a light background,
• or

35
Slides

• light type on a dark background.

36
Slides

• Do not use a background that varies from dark to
  light hues.

Difficult to Read
37
Slides

• Use Arial type font on all slides.

38
Slides

• This Title slide is 72 point.

39
Slides

• This Secondary Title slide is 66 Point

40
Slides

• This Third-Level Title Slide is 60 Point

(Notice that each level is a different color.)
41
Slides

• This smallest size type, other than graphics,
  should be 32 point.

This is a slide, used in a presentation. It
really looked like this.
42
Slides

• 6 x 6 Rule
• Maximum of 6 words per line
• Maximum of 6 lines per slide.

43
Slides
NEVER justify both margins on a slide.
44
Slides

• Minimum number of bullets on any slide
• is
• 2.

45
Slides

• Incorporate an appropriate visual/graphic into
  every slide.

46
Slides

• Sans serif type is used for slides because
• people
• should not
• read a
• volume of
• information
• on slides.

47
Slides

• Impact of slides is more important than
  comprehension or retention.

48
Slides

• Slides are for highlighting important
• points.

49
Support Documents
50
Documents

• Do not rely on the spoken presentation alone.

51
(No Transcript)
52
Challenger Disaster
53
Challenger

• The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on January
  28, 1986 and 7 astronauts died.

54
Challenger

• Icicles hung from the Challenger.

55
Challenger

• Ambient temperatures were in the low 30s

56
Challenger

• The O-rings were less than 20oF, and

57
Challenger

• The Predicted temperature at launch was 26 to 29
  degrees.

58
Challenger

• The engineers opposed the launch.

59
Challenger

• Engineers prepared charts like these.

60
Challenger

• The Thiokol managers said the evidence presented
  by the engineers
• did not link
• cold
• temperature
• with
• O-rings.

61
Challenger

• NASA officials were appalled by the
  recommendation not to launch.

62
Challenger

• The Challenger blew up 73 seconds after the
  rockets were ignited.

63
Challenger

• The 13 charts the engineers prepared were weak.

64
Challenger

• One chart left off temperature totally.

65
Challenger

• One chart had 6 different types of data making
  it meaningless.

66
Challenger

• Items such as nozzle blow-by were included which
  had nothing to do with cold
• weather.

67
Challenger

• 22 previous flights with their temperature
  variations were not presented
• together.

68
Challenger

• 92 of the temperature data was left out, and...

69
Challenger

• Data was selectively chosen.

70
Challenger
Predicted Launch Temperature
A simple scatterplot shows the link.
71
Document Preparation
72
Documents

• Use Serif Type like
• Times Roman
• Why?

73
Documents

• Serif type became acceptable during the 17th
  century.

74
Documents

• Research studies, since then, have indicated
  that
• documents
• printed in serif
• type are less
• tiring to read

75
Documents

• improve comprehension, and

76
Documents

• improve retention.

77
Documents

• Documents can contain a large amount of
  additional information.

78
Distribution
79
Distribution

• If possible, make the slide presentation
  available from a Web site prior to the
  presentation.

80
Distribution

• It may be necessary to distribute critical
  information at a particular time in the talk.

81
Distribution

• Provide a document after the presentation to
  back-up information that is too detailed or
  voluminous.

82
Delivery
83
A Model Communicator
84
Model Communicator

• Delivering a successful presentation is a skill.

85
Model Communicator

• The good news is that effective communication
  can be learned.

86
Enhancing the Situation
87
Enhancing the Situation

• Vary the pacing of the delivery.

88
Enhancing the Situation

• Vary voice - no monotone.

89
Enhancing the Situation

• Increase the frequency of eye contact.

90
Enhancing the Situation

• Avoid using any microphone.

91
Enhancing the Situation

• Come out from behind the lectern.

92
Enhancing the Situation

• Do not read any visuals.

93
Enhancing the Situation

• The look of authority will make the best
  impression.

94
Enhancing the Situation

• Do not speak from memory the plan becomes
  inflexible,

95
Enhancing the Situation

• Avoid nervous mannerisms
• Taking eyeglasses off and on

96
Enhancing the Situation

• Coughing

97
Enhancing the Situation

• Placing hands in pockets, and

98
Enhancing the Situation
"you know, basically, like, uh, ah, er,

• Using comments like

99
Enhancing the Situation

• Use gestures to indicate
• height,
• length,
• speed,
• roundness.

100
Enhancing the Situation

• Do not mumble or speak in a monotone.

101
Enhancing the Situation

• Do not speak at a constant rate.

102
Enhancing the Situation

• Do not speak too fast.

103
Enhancing the Situation

• Change volume and pitch.

104
Enhancing the Situation

• Do not fold arms.

105
Enhancing the Situation

• Smile and have fun.

106
Enhancing the Situation

• Delivery can be a deciding factor in whether you
  are perceived as credible.

107
Enhancing the Situation

• Walk around.

108
Enhancing the Situation

• If you talk slowly and hesitate, you may be
  thought of as timid or unsure of your material.

109
Enhancing the Situation

• If you talk extremely fast, people may perceive
  you to be nervous.

110
International Influences
111
International Influences

• A global audience will expect a speaker who has
  status.

112
International Influences

• Find out who should be recognized
• and their titles
• before the
• presentation.

113
International Influences

• The US's casual approach is perceived
  internationally as incompetence.

114
International Influences

• Be genuine and sincere and err on the side of
  formality.

115
Answering Questions
116
Answering Questions

• Do not ask for questions while standing behind a
  lectern.

117
Answering Questions

• Don't ramble.

118
Answering Questions
No What ifs, please.

• Avoid answering any hypothetical question.

119
Answering Questions

• If the answer is not known, say so.

120
Summary
121
Summary

• 1. Identify a purpose.
• 2. Analyze the audience.
• 3. Consider your presentation an abstract.
• 4. Prepare slides.
• 5. Prepare detailed documents.

122
Summary

• 6. Prepare to answer questions.
• 7. Practice delivery.
• 8. Dress slightly better than the expected
  audience.
• 9. Never read slides.
• 10. Do not use a pointer.

123
Summary

• 11. Come out from behind the podium.
• 12. Finish on time.

124
The End
125
Any Questions Please