How to Give a “Knockout” Presentation : How to Give a “Knockout” Presentation
Outline : Outline
General Guidelines
Slide Do’s and Don’ts
Handouts
Delivery Do’s and Don’ts
How to Handle Questions Handouts
Final Thoughts
General Guidelines : General Guidelines A good presentation is a “POPTA” presentation
What does POPTA stand for?
General Guidelines : General Guidelines Purpose
You need to define your purpose for giving the presentation
Often your goal is a high level overview, even for a technical presentation
Don’t tell them everything you did, you’ll bore them
General Guidelines : General Guidelines Organization
Always have an outline
Tell them what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, what you told them
Hint: I am doing this for this presentation
Problem then solution
Not just “data then solution” or “solution then problem”
General Guidelines : General Guidelines Preparation
An unprepared presenter loses the audience before even starting
Practice makes perfect and builds confidence
Arrive early, make sure everything is set up
Dress appropriately
Slides should be done well in advance
General Guidelines : General Guidelines Time
Be sure you know how much time you have while preparing the presentation
Not 5 minutes before you start
It is better to end early than to go over
Always have a watch or clock in view
You’ll never have enough time to tell everything so stick to the most important
Rule of thumb
At most 1 slide per minute of presentation
Better to plan 2 minutes for each slide
General Guidelines : General Guidelines Audience
Be sure you know your audience well
Tailor presentation to your audience
Failure to do this is probably the biggest mistake people make
Are there multiple audiences?
If so, direct different slides to different audiences
Watch the audience for clues
Slide Do’s and Don’ts : Slide Do’s and Don’ts You shouldn’t put everything on the slide
Do include 50% white space
Your comments should be more compelling than the slides
- Generally 1 main point for each slide
Do use animation
Don’t overuse it
Makes it difficult and annoying to navigate
Slide Do’s and Don’ts : Slide Do’s and Don’ts Do include written conclusion for every graph
Don’t forget to add meaningful labels, titles, captions, etc. to graphs
Slide Do’s and Don’ts : Slide Do’s and Don’ts Don’t use yellow text
Do use dark text and bold
Do use formatting and color to emphasize (e.g. POPTA)
Don’t include unrelated pictures
Slide Do’s and Don’ts : Slide Do’s and Don’ts Do chek yor speling for mestakes
Typos instantly destroy credibility and convey lack of preparation
Do have someone else read through presentation
Do acknowledge previous work and help
Do use a template if using PowerPoint
Slide Do’s and Don’ts : Slide Do’s and Don’ts Do use a light background like this
Slide Do’s and Don’ts : Slide Do’s and Don’ts Or like this
Slide Do’s and Don’ts : Slide Do’s and Don’ts Or like this
Slide Do’s and Don’ts : Slide Do’s and Don’ts Don’t use a dark background like this
Even if using a lighter font color
Harder to read, especially from the back
More likely to put people asleep
Handouts often don’t look very good
Slide Do’s and Don’ts : Slide Do’s and Don’ts Do use occasional “spice” or “pace breakers”
Humor
Pictures
Sound
Animation
Questions (Not just
Yes/No)
Surveys
Quizzes
Videos
Physical Objects
Top Ten Lists
Etc.
For example . . .
A pace breaker can do this for your audience
Slide18 :
Lateral Thinking ! ! ! : Lateral Thinking ! ! ! Stand 1. ------------ i 2. /r/e/a/d/i/n/g/
3. cycle /cycle/cycle
4. ground
--------------- feet feet feet feet feet feet
Delivery Do’s and Don’ts : Delivery Do’s and Don’ts Don’t read or “parrot” the slides
Otherwise, why give a presentation?
Do use the slides as a cue
Let audience read
Create slides and use animation that emphasize your points
Delivery Do’s and Don’ts : Delivery Do’s and Don’ts Do plan breaks for longer presentations
10 minutes for every hour
Do be passionate about the topic
Have fun, this is your opportunity
If your audience doesn’t know why your topic is important, you’ve lost them
Don’t forget to practice
Record yourself, tape yourself, or use a mirror
Reading through slides does not count as practice
Delivery Do’s and Don’ts : Delivery Do’s and Don’ts Do relax, use nerves to your advantage
Breathe deeply, pause as needed
Don’t go too fast
Do watch out for mannerisms
“Um . . um”
Do empty your pockets and hands
Don’t point at computer, point at the screen
Delivery Do’s and Don’ts : Delivery Do’s and Don’ts Do use body language to help make a point
Purposeful movements
Do use appropriate posture
Don’t play with keys or coins in your
pocket
Don’t use a pointer, pen, pencil or chalk to point at an individual may be perceived as offensive
Don’t look at your feet or at the ceiling (indication of nervousness or timidity)
Don’t stare
Don’t just look only at the training aids or chalk board (this can be perceived as impolite)
Delivery Do’s and Don’ts : Delivery Do’s and Don’ts Do face audience more than slides
Don’t talk to the screen or wall
Do vary your voice
Don’t speak in monotone
Most people speak too soft, not too loud
Do memorize slide numbers for key slides
Or transition points
Do get honest feedback from someone you trust
Delivery Do’s and Don’ts : Delivery Do’s and Don’ts Don’t forget to smile
Handling Questions : Handling Questions Welcome them
Lots of questions are either a sign of:
Interest in what you are talking about
Audience internalizing
Failure to communicate an idea
Meaning that the person still wants to understand
Always repeat the question
For you to make sure you understood it
For audience to make sure they heard it
Handling Questions : Handling Questions Answer the question to the audience
Then check back to the individual for confirmation
Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”
Better than mumbling or fumbling an answer
Final thoughts : Final thoughts POPTA
Good slides go a long way
Practice, practice, practice
Remember that the audience wants you to succeed
Use other resources (Books, web, etc.)
Anyone can learn to be a better presenter!
Thank You ! ! ! : Thank You ! ! !