The Art of Effective Presentation

Transcription

1 The Art of Effective Presentation Smart Energy Lab (SEL) Department of Electrical Engineering University of Washington Seattle, WA web: Myth 1: Details Audience wants a lot of in-depth details in order to evaluate the speaker s ideas. Popular Myths and Mistakes Actually, listeners want talks to be easily followed well organized Simplifying and repeating the main idea will result in increased attentiveness and retention. less is more. 3 4

2 Myth 2: Style is Unimportant Myth 3: Style is Unimportant The text on the visuals is more important than the speaker. Content is everything. Style is unimportant and enthusiasm is offensive. Actually, audience wants Actually: Keep in mind Speaker is always the focal point of presentation effective style, which included better visual assistance more enthusiasm Unenthusiastic delivery will ruin a speaker s effectiveness. Presenters traditionally rely too much on slides. Often, audiences find slides distracting and boring. Body language and tone of voice together account for as much as 90% of the overall message impact. Visual assistance helps Pace of the presentation is important. Flow of the information presented is important. 5 6 Myth 4: Strategic Organization is Unimportant Strategic organization is not critical. as long as we supply all the details, the audience is capable of drawing the appropriate conclusions. jump into the body of the presentation. the objective of the talk can be at the end of the talk. Strategic Planning of Presentation Actually, speaker must not rely on the audience to fill in gaps and reach appropriate conclusions. Speaker must understand different types of presentations, organization, and strategies for a particular type of speech. Don t leave your audience missing the big picture! 7 8

3 Successful Presentation Ultimate Goal of a Presentation Provide highlights of your subject to Successful presentation has Logical flow of motivation/ideas/results Fluent language capability Well prepared visual material 1. Stimulate intellectual thought 2. Encourage discussions Practice, practice and practice are essential for skilled presentations 9 10 Before you Start Before you Start 1. Know the purpose of your presentation 2. Know your audience (peers vs. general audience) 3. Know your time limits Ask yourself questions: What kind of approach can best bring your message across? Will it be better to beat around the bush or to be direct? What kind of support will be most effective? A 30 minutes presentation No more than 4-5 main points could be covered adequately Audience expects only highlights Use illustrations

4 Keep in Mind Don t waste others time; make your points Presentation Modality Simple Clear Sequential Concise Basic Formula for Presentation Organization 4. Conclusion summarize briefly main points 5. Close last strong sentences that leave the audience with something to remember Must tie to your main idea and should tie to your opening to be effective Every important point that you make must provide support Statistics, analogies Testimony Illustrations Specific examples Basic Formula for Presentation Organization Opening grab attention Introduction Why bring this topic up? Body bulk of the presentation 15 16

5 Openings Startling question: Purpose Can fasting kill you? Challenging statement: Grab the audience s attention so that they will want to hear more Should be a grabber or attention seeker Not only arouse interest, but also suggest the theme of the speech Openings can be dramatic, emotional, humorous or rhetorical Give a big picture Good Openings A great part of world civilization is based on Islamic innovations? An appropriate short quotation or illustration A surprising generalization: Seattleites are coffee addicts An exhibit object, article, picture Personal story related to the subject Poor Openings A long or slow-moving quotation A self introduction An apologetic statement Story or joke which does not connect to the theme A sour remark

6 Closings of Presentation Good Closings Purpose Stress your objectives Leave the audience with something to remember Closing is the clincher, ultimately the result getter. Closing can be dramatic, emotional, or humorous Closing must tie with your opening and your theme Poor closing can seriously detract from an otherwise excellent presentation Don t run out of time and hassle the closing A call or an appeal for definite action An appropriate short quotation or illustration An exhibit an object, article, picture A personal challenge Poor Closings An apologetic statement A stale remark Hurried out statement

7 Harvard Formula of Persuasive Speeches 1. Point of View Smoking is hazardous for your life 2. Reasons Smoking causes cancer 4. Point of view restated If you want a long full life, give up cigarettes 3. Examples Evidence Visual Assistance 50,000 people die per year from cancer 5. You oriented Take the first step tonight and sign up for no more smoking seminar 25 Visual Assistance Studies show that people store and access information in three primary ways: Visually, auditorially, kinesthetically Adults absorb, retain and learn: 10% of what they read 20% what they hear 30% what they read and hear 50% what they hear and see 90% what they do Visuals Visuals support the speech, they are NOT the primary message used to clarify the message You must practice your main points of the presentation without relying on the visuals Visuals should assist you in controlling Pace of the presentation Flow of the information Important! When you transition from one visual to the next, introduce the topic area of the next visual before it is revealed. 28

8 Creating Your Visuals Creating Your Visuals A max of 12 lines per visual Do not put too much information within a single visual A title for each visual Title must be meaningful Simple readable labels Labels on charts or graphs should be meaningful, specific and precise Readable from the back of the room Print size at least 20 points No more than 3-5 major points Each point must be easily identifiable Use highlights, colors, bullets, different text size Presentation Delivery Body language Delivery Techniques Contributes 55% toward message impact Tone of voice Contributes 38% toward message impact Actual words Contributes 7% toward message impact 31 32

9 Body Language Eye Contact Body Language Lectern or Podium Eye contact is a primary and vital part of interpersonal communication Try not to stand behind lectern or podium When speaking to audience, maintain eye contact with audience members; don t focus on one person Perception of you trying to distance yourself from audience makes your talk cold and detached. Have no barrier between you and the audience By gazing directly into another s eyes we establish link/closeness Perception of distrust are created when eye contact is NOT maintained. 33 Body Language Facial Expression 34 Body Language Gestures Most expressive part of body language Speaker uses his hands and arms to illustrate his words Basic gestures show things such as: weight, shape, direction, importance, comparison, contrast Speaker must be certain that his/her words and his/her face are communicating the same message. If not, he/she will leave the audience confused and uncertain of the true message. Don t fumble with a pencil, watch, or ring while you speak 35 36

10 Voice: Volume Voice: Consistency Speaker should express excitement and enthusiasm for the topic Volume should be varied in strength and intensity to add emphasis and dramatic impact to your presentations Tendency to talk too loudly or softly Common problem is fading voice. Deliver presentation in a clear voice at a conversational level Consider the room where you are speaking Through volume control, the audience can infer the speaker s message Many speakers control voice to sound professional, but professionals do just the opposite!! 37 Voice Voice: Rate Convey Life, Color and Melody Fast rate sense of excitement; rapid sequence of events Avoid slow rate Voice should not sound flat or wooden. A thin high-pitched tone lacks authority and appeal; it is harsh and unpleasant. Cultivate deeper tones. one-note pitch is also a problem boring. 38 Listeners start daydreaming Avoid rapid rate Listeners become frustrated and tune out. Most effective speaking rate falls within the range of words per minute

11 Exercising Your Presentation Muscle Practice Improvements only happen by practice, Practice, Practice, and practice Your ultimate Goal is to be effective Communicator in every Situation Practice presentations with various time constraints 5 minute presentation (a quick summary to your supervisor) 15 minute presentation (for conference) minute presentation (for job talk, invited talk, keynote) minute presentation (for classroom and thesis defense) Practice the art of asking good questions. It is also oral and memorable communication Improvements only happen by practice, Practice, Practice, and practice You need to practice good speaking skills by delivering oral presentations on a regular basis Person with a strong presentation muscle can think a problem through communicate his/her thought more effectively express his thoughts well enough to persuade others to see his point of view efficiently instruct others speak effectively before an audience of any size Often job/promotion/salary depends on speaking skills!!! 41 Conclusion 42 Where to get More Info Watch TED talks; they often have great speakers Good Presentation Search youtube for Good presentation skills, especially the ones developed by academia Stimulates intellectual thought Encourages discussions 43 44

12 Thank You for Listening 45