Giving Effective Presentations
These are some outlines I got from my previous instructor and I add some details on it of how to give an effective presentation, hope it will help you a lot since I noticed that there are many members hating presentations in one of the threads in the same section. There are ten sections hope they are not very long to you :sunny:
First: Importance of Communication
Effective communication is a key qualification
_ It is an extremely important success factor
_ All successful people are good communicators
Some people are natural communicators
_ For the rest of us: It can be learned!
Talks are just one type of communication
Communication
More than just broadcasting information
Other important factors concern ...
_ the material itself (content, structure)
_ psychology (body language, subjective impression)
"The medium is the message!"
"You cannot not communicate!"
Second: The Iceberg Model
90% of communication is subconscious
Which mean that there is 10 % of the communication during the presentation is about the information you had prepared before (based on the subject) conscious
While 90% of the communication is subconscious like:
1. Information
2. Body language
3. Appearance
4. Personality
5. Emotions
Third: Importance of Presentation
Even a good idea is not enough on its own!
It needs a good way to be presented. So we have to not very proud of our idea if we can not present it well to the audience
So. Don’t think of presentations as a way to confuse you, it is a way to express your ideas to the others and show them how you are capable of doing things on your own. Writing ideas is not enough on its own, even if the writing style was perfect.
Four Aspects of a Message
_
Information
_ The (rational) content of the message
_
Relationship
_ "How do I relate to you?"
_
Self-statement
_ "This is who I am!"
_
Appeal
_ "Please!"
Fourth: Subjective Impression
You will always make a subjective impression
You can either make your impression ...
_ consciously, or
_ unconsciously
Choose consciously before you start your talk!
90% of all decisions are made emotionally and
then justified rationally later:
sometimes while you are presenting feel like the words you are saying is flowing to your mind without any previous thinking.
Some examples: Confident, Competent, Friendly, Calm, Enthusiastic, Rational, Well-informed, Energetic, Wise.
Fifth: The Three Aspects
_
Inform
_ Goal: To transport information
_ Examples: Teaching, Research, Training
_
Convince
_ Goal: To convince audience of your ideas
_ Examples: Politics
_
Motivate
_ Goal: To get the audience to do something
_ Examples: Sales forces, activist groups
Sixth: Body Language
We communicate a lot via our body language
Body language is largely unconscious_ It is therefore very revealing
_ Body language consists of:
_ Position
_ Movement
_ Posture
_ Eyes
Here we will explain each element alone:
1. Position
Good points:
_ Facing the audience
_ Not too far away
Bad habits:
_ Facing sideways or backwards
_ Hiding behind the furniture
_ Obscuring your media
2. Posture
_ Upright: Don't slouch
_ Open: Don't build barriers
_ Relaxed: Don't get cramped
_ Stable: Look confident
_ Where are your arms and hands?
That is very important! Don’t move them too much, and don’t put your hand on your pocket or playing with your hair
3. Movement
_ Remember: You are not made of wood!
_ Emphasise your thoughts …
_ with gestures
_ with facial expressions
_
Don't …
_ walk around
all the time
_ fiddle with objects
_ fidget
4. Eyes
_ Eyes are very important
_ Make eye contact with your audience
_ Try to contact everybody
_ However: It must be natural!
_ Never ...
_ stare at your computer screen
_ look at the floor or the ceiling
_ gaze out of the window
Seventh: Speech : the speech elements you have to keep in your mind_ Volume: The usual error is to speak too quietly
_ Speed: The usual error is to speak too fast
_ Clarity: Unclear speech is caused by laziness and accents
_ Modulation: The usual error is to speak too monotonously
_ Phrasing: The usual error is to forget to pause
Eighth: Language
_ Use appropriate language: use the one you can speak very well with it, don’t use hard words
_ Avoid unfamiliar words and abbreviations
_ Don't read your talk:
_ Your audience will feel patronized
_ They will become instantly bored
_ Avoid "parasite" words and phrases
_ "Um...", "Er..."
_ "You see...", "kind of..."
Goals and Tasks
_ Every presentation should have a goal
_ "What do I want to achieve?"
_ The presentation may contain several tasks
_ "What do I need to do?"
_ Goals and tasks are different!
_ They are the key to structure and content
Additional advices:
_ Train of thought is important
_ It should carry through from start to finish
_ Avoid breaks, detours and dead ends
Ninth: Structure of a Presentation
_ Most presentations have the same structure
_ Beginning: Establishing a rapport with your audience
_ Middle: Communicating your information
_ End: Ensuring the take-home messages
Beginning
_ The beginning is vital for success
_ Introducing yourself to your audience
_ Establishing a rapport with your audience
_ Motivating your audience to listen to your message
_ Providing the "executive summary"
_ Overcoming your nervousness
End
_ At the end:
_ Summarise the main points
_ Emphasise the implications of the information
_ Thank your audience for their attention
_ The end is vital for success
_ Your audience must take home the right impression
_ They must feel they have gained something valuable!
Semantic Content
Questions for improving content:
_ What is the goal of my presentation?
_ What are the key points I wish to make?
_ Which points must the audience take home?
_ Why is this topic important?
_ Who can benefit from what I have to say?
_ What impression do I want to make?
"If in doubt, leave it out!"
Tenth: Planning a Slide
Always ask yourself:
_ What exactly do I want to say with this slide?
_ What exactly do I need to achieve this?
_ Do I need to visualise this idea?
_ Is the key point of the slide clear?
_ Is the slide clearly structured?
_ Does the slide fit logically into a sequence?
If you can't answer these questions, then there
is something wrong with the slide!
A.
Graphical Design: the format of your presentation could affect you a lot. So try to consider the following:
_ "As little as possible, as much as necessary!"
_ Not more than 7 objects or 36 words
_ Keywords and phrases only!
_ Avoid overkill (of colours or gimmicks)
_ Text size at least 18pt
_ Font: constant line width and without serifs
Not good Good
10pt 14pt 18pt 24pt 32pt
B.
Visualisation
_ Visualise whenever it is appropriate!
_ "A picture is worth a thousand words"
_ Use graphics for
_ Illustration
_ Example
_ Explanation
_ Brevity / Clarity
_ Humour
C.
Common Slide Errors
_ The most common slide errors:
_ Font too small
_ Lines too narrow
_ Too much information
_ Irrelevant information
_ Misleading diagrams
_ Too many colours or gimmicks
_ Point of slide is unclear
D.
Common General Errors
_ The most common general errors:
_ Saying too much: that will make the audions feel like it is a reading class
_ Including unimportant material: that will confuse you and the audions
_ Not being prepared
_ Exceeding the time limit
_ Being unclear, uncommitted or boring
_ Having an annoying habit: like carrying a marker and keep it in your hand without any use. Or sometimes put your hand on your wist, or play with your hair, cap….etc
_ Not investing enough time
E.
Attention
_ Attention is the most valuable thing in a talk
_ Your audience owns it
_ You want them to give it to you
_ Avoid everything which loses their attention
_ Almost everything said in this presentation is
ultimately about earning and keeping your
audience's attention
Leave you in the care of Allah