Effective Presentations

Donald M. Huntington Executive In Residence

Business Communications, Meetings & Presentations

Agenda

  Presentation types   Determining Most Appropriate & Effective Types   Keys to Effective Presentations   Creating and Planning, Location and Room Setup   Delivery and Stage Presence

Types of Presentations

  Informative   Persuasive   Instructional / Training   Arousing / Motivational   Decision-making   Goodwill / Image Building

Choose presentation “type” to suit your objective!

Informative Presentations

  Purpose – to inform   Brief and to-the-point   Factual   Who, what, when, where, how, why?   Organizational Structures

 Time   Place  Cause & Effect   Logical Order

Persuasive Presentations

  Purpose is to convince   Presents solution to a controversy,

dispute, problem   Uses logic, evidence, emotion   A persuasive presentation must:

  Seize audience attention  Disclose the problem, dispute, controversy  Tantalize by describing the benefits of solving the problem  Create desire by describing the benefits of your solution  Close with a call to action

  What you want them to do   How and when to do it

Instructional Presentations

  Purpose - give specific instructions or orders leading to new knowledge or skill

  An effective instructional presentation will:   Explain the value of the new knowledge or skill   Explain the learning objectives   Explain & demonstrate the process  Ask the audience to practice/participate   Field questions and ask for feedback  Ask the audience how they will use what they learned

Motivational Presentations

  Purpose - to arouse the audience’s emotions and intellect so they will be receptive to your point of view

  Use vivid language and voice

  Project sincerity and enthusiasm

Decision-making Presentations

  Purpose - to move your audience to accept your recommendation and to take action on it

  Present ideas, recommendations and arguments logically   Explain the benefits of adopting your recommendation and

the risks/costs of rejecting it   Call to action - what needs to be decided and how each

participant can be a part of the solution

Goodwill & Image Building Presentations

  Purpose - to build goodwill   Make the audience feel good about themselves, their peers,

colleagues, organization   Ceremonial, awards presentations, dedications, eulogies,

roasts, etc.   Should be entertaining, uplifting (avoid controversy)   Often include videos, music, frequent calls for applause

Keys to Effective Presentations

1  Know your subject matter 2  Know your audience 3  Know yourself (strengths and limitations) 4  Develop a theme 5  Write your script (Opening – Body – Closing) 6  Decide on visuals (PPT, Charts, Whiteboard, Physical

Props) 7  Prepare your visuals 8  Rehearse several times (Get feedback)

Location and Room Setup

  Plan and check everything  Accessibility  Room layout and seating (capacity & arrangement)   Lighting   Sound (Noise)  Clutter  Check technology (Have a backup plan)   Podium, head table, etc.

  Own the room – make it yours

Delivery and Stage Presence

  Nerves   Poise and Posture   Gestures and Movement   Vocal volume and vocal qualities

 Modulation, enunciation, tone

  Flow and filler words   Enthusiasm   Facial expressions   Eye contact

Tips for the Effective Use of PowerPoint and Keynote

Make type BIG enough

  This is Arial 12

  This is Arial 18

  This is Arial 24

 This is Arial 32  This is Arial 36  This is Arial 44

Keep it SIMPLE

FONT tips

 Use easy-to-read fonts

  Italics can be tough to read

 Normal or bold fonts are clearer

 Underlines may signify hyperlinks

  Instead, use a color to emphasise

Don’t use too MUCH text

Instructional Technology:!A complex integrated process involving people, procedures, ideas, devices, and organization, for analyzing problems and devising, implementing, evaluating, and managing solutions to those problems in situations in which learning is purposive and controlled!(HMRS 5th ed.) !

Too Busy!

Boring! Hard-to-read Type

RIGHT AMOUNT of text

Instructional Technology:

A process involving people, procedures & tools for solutions to problems in learning.

Use visuals to SUPPORT

A strategy not on target is no strategy at all.

Not DISTRACT

A strategy not on target is no strategy at all.

Use a CLEAN design template