Improving Your Presentation. Christine E. Chin, MBBS, FACP Consultant, Department of Medicine Princess Margaret Hospital

Transcription

1 Improving Your Presentation Christine E. Chin, MBBS, FACP Consultant, Department of Medicine Princess Margaret Hospital

2 Overview What not to do Guidelines for presentations Top ten tips

3 Powerpoint Survey: Most Annoying Complaints Speaker reading slides 60% Text too small 51% The speaker has all the slides typed out in completely full sentences. 48% Hard to see colors 37% Moving/flying text & sounds 24% Overly complex charts 22%

4 Introductory Slide Title of presentation Name Title/Affiliation Date

5 Text Main points, not entire text Bullet followed by capital letter Title 1 st letter of all words in caps < 6 8 words per line < 6 8 lines per slide < 50 words per slide

6 Text Font Keep font simple e.g. Arial Font size 32 is best At least > 24 San serif fonts are best Without the extra details on letters Cleaner & easier to read Don t change font or color within bullets

7 No punctuation - no periods, commas, question marks (.,?) Check Spelling Punctuation Grammar Capitalization Grammar

8 Don t Use Bold Letters IT WILL TAKE THE AUDIENCE LONGER TO READ SLIDES THAT ARE ALL UPPER CASE AND IN SENTENCES Instead, use only uppercase to EMPHASIZE specific text Better still, use bold or color instead

9 Colors Brighter/lighter colors for text Dark colors for background Easier on eyes Keep consistent color scheme

10 Keep simple Use balance Visual contrast Consistent style of images Line Drawing Photo Cartoon Graphics

11 Graphs Use appropriately Bar charts to compare totals Area charts for directional trends Pie charts for relative proportions Limit number of items graphed Be consistent with other visual elements Make sure key is big enough to see

12 Special Effects Limit use of animation Don t mix and match transitions Audience won t be impressed Cause headaches Does effect enhance or distract? Is effect part of message?

13 Practice Your Presentation Practice 24 hours beforehand With computer & projector connected Make sure they work Be familiar with equipment Timing each slide about 1 minute Don t read from slides

14 Don t run presentation from floppy disk or CD Takes too long Practice Make back-up copy on memory stick & carry separately Make sure visible at back of room

15 Handouts Print handouts & notes on white background Less ink Easier to read from paper Make speaker s notes

16 Speaking Skills Speak to audience, not to screen Do not stand directly in front of screen Speak loudly enough to reach back of room Show confidence

17 Speaking Skills Know your material so: No need for prompting No need to read extensively from notes Show enthusiasm for topic Use interested, conversational tone of voice

18 Speaking/Presentation Skills Use humor, as appropriate, to connect to or to extend content Make eye contact Use good posture Dress appropriately

19 Presentation Skills Use body movement for effect only Avoid rocking or constant movement - distracting Stay within allotted time Refrain from empty words or fillers like, you know, uhm, ahm

20 Pagers & Cell Phones Silent mode for both audience & speaker Or give them up to someone outside

21 References Give credit where due

22 Blank Slides Use to divide presentation For pause To switch topics

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24 Top Ten Tips: Tip #10 Meet the needs of audience: Remember W II FM i.e. What s In It For Me 3 questions: So what? Who cares? What s in it for me audience member?

25 Tip #9 Have a clear purpose What goals do you wish to accomplish

26 Tip #8 Organize the presentation - Strong opening Limited number of points Strong closing Graceful exit Let me summarize the key points. A question I am often asked.

27 Eliminate unnecessary information Tip #7 Voltaire: The secret of a bore is to tell everything!

28 Tip #6 Do not go over your allotted time You lose audience s interest Organizers get antsy

29 Concentrate on delivery Face the audience Avoid the dreaded monotone Slow down Tip #5 Nervousness cause rapid speech Use pauses for effect Avoid the laser moth Unnecessary movements of laser pointer

30 Tip #4 Make it a performance Without being melodramatic Smile Be Enthusiastic Use hand gestures Avoid nervous movements

31 Take the edge off of nervousness Most anxiety doesn t show Comfortable posture Avoid figleaf or firing squad postures Avoid both hands in pockets Voice Eye contact Look at an affirming person in audience Be prepared Tip #3

32 Avoid Fig Leaf & Firing Squad Stances

33 Tip #2 Use appropriate humor Self-deprecating

34 Tip #1 Practice, practice, practice

35 Conclusion In Conclusion In Summary Finally Most pleasing words for audience

36 References Scott Litin Presentation Skills for Physicians: Tips from a Pro Stephen Rossner Improving Medical Education: Fat Chance or Slim Hope Garr Reynolds Presentation Zen Deborah St. James Writing and Speaking for Excellence A Guide for Physicians