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Making Effective Technical
Presentations
Rob Kremer
Adapted from original slides byDavid Maulsby
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Why Presentations?
Incite decisions
Achieve closure
Motivate, educate
Build relationships
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Why Be a Presenter?
Make contacts
Promote yourself
Promote your organization
Master your subject
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Planning a Presentation
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The Presentation Process
Preparation
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
Presentation
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Understanding the AudienceResearch Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Audience Composition
The Chair
The Head Honcho
The Critic
Your Champion
The MassesResearch Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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The Chair
Their Role
Keeps the meeting on track
Protects the speaker
& You
Establish your relationship
Refer problems to the chair Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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The Head Honcho
Role
Decision-maker
& You
Make sure s/he understands
Marshall the audience to help you
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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The Critic
Their RoleTo debunk your story
& YouAnticipate objections in your talk
Have extra slides ready
Rehearse questions and answers
Counteract with yourchampion
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Your Champion
Their Role
Advocate for you
& You
Identify your championAttentive, nodding, interested questions
Get his/her endorsementThird-party more believable
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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The Masses
Their Role
A. Keen to learn, validate
B. There on orders, bored
& You
Acknowledge them
Earn their trust
Appeal to their experience
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Understanding the Audience
What do they know about the topic?
What do they know about you?
Why are they in thismeeting?
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Understanding the Audience
Aim to discover your champion
Teach the audience something new
Reflect their intelligence
Keep it simple
Challenge but don’t overwhelm Research Audience
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Prepare Visuals
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Rehearse
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Respecting the Audience
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Dress Code
Dress to flatter your audience
For peers, dress up a little
For management, business casual
For customers, dress for successJacket and tie
You’re judged by your shoes
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Dress Code
“But I’m a poor student, I only have
T-shirts!”
So what would you wear to a wedding?
Or a funeral?Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Clothing Communiqué
Clothing sends messages
What you wear
How you wear it
Manners and gestures
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Professional Deportment
Watch your language
No slang
Avoid grandiloquent sesquipedalian circumlocutions
Watch your body language
Relaxed, not sloppyResearch Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
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Rehearse
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The Best Proof of Respect
Be prepared !
You studied your topic
You researched the audience
You rehearsed your presentation
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Selecting MaterialResearch Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Selecting the Content
Help your audience reach their objectives
Understand an issue
Answer a question
Make a decision
Focus on what they needto learn
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Organizing the Talk
Acknowledge the objectivesYours and theirs
Establish common groundFrom You and Them to We
Provide a roadmapOutline / graphic
“Say what you’re going tosay…”
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Organizing the Talk
The storyline
History, process, relationship
The argument
Thesis / antithethis / synthesis
The contribution
Problem / solutionResearch Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Visual AidsResearch Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Visual Aids
Graphics reveal relationships
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer QuestionsResearch Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Visual Aids
Introduce speaker
Introduce topic
Develop ideas
Answer questions
Draw conclusionsResearch Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Visual Aids
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Color Schemes
Too Little Contrast
Complementary Colors
Too Many Colors
Good Contrast
Good Contrast
Best for Colorful Diags
Good Contrast
Too Little Contrast
OK for Accent;Tiring
Too Little Contrast
Bad Good
Use very dark or very light background High contrast Avoid red, green
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Color Connotations
Mysterious and intriguing
Cool and rational
The plain old facts
Formal and methodical
Exciting marketing message
Another exciting messageResearch Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Special Effects
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Uses of Special Effects
Wake up the audience
Turn on imagination
Illustrate an idea
Drive home your point
Demonstrate your prowessResearch Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Special Effects
Decoration
Animation
Sound
Video
Demo /scenario
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Effects
Illustrate relationships, processes
Favorite of s l em nsa e
Demos make effects unnecessary
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Effects
Use to build up complex ideas/diagrams
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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The TextResearch Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Slide Formatting
Number your slides!
One topic per slide
Minimal text
Graphics where possible
3 points Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Using the Web
Archive and distribute material
Elaborate slide content
PowerPoint is much easier to maintain
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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RehearsalResearch Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Practice, Practice, Practice
Rehearse to a live audienceOnce is not enough!
Practice the mechanicsSet up
Roles and signalsIntroducer, speaker, slide
controller
Handoffs
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Giving the PresentationIntroduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Remember…
You’ve been granted the privilege of speaking
Your audience is spending a lot of valuable time on you
The speaker is remembered long after what s/he says isforgotten
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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The SpeakerIntroduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Introductions
Have the chair introduce you
Implicit endorsement
Greet and acknowledge the audience
Introduce your team
Your qualifications
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Presenting Yourself
You are an authority
You inspire others
You can act on what you say
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Presenting Yourself
Speak up!Self-confidence
Speak smoothlyHesitation, nervousness implies
incompetence
Eye contactHonesty, trust
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Coping with Nerves
Shake ‘em off
Be well preparedNothing new
Backups
Thank the audience
Find a friend
Stand tall
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Inspiring Others
Project enthusiasm
Demonstrate teamwork
Wake up the audience
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Walk the Talk
Mention your track record
Demo!
Propose action, incite decision
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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The TopicIntroduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Set the Agenda
Desired outcome of this meeting?
Why is this talk important NOW?
Why are you the ideal presenter?
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Provide a Roadmap
OutlineBRIEFLY
Preview the argumentBoldly state a controversial
conclusion and promise to prove it
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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The MaterialIntroduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Maintain the Pace
Watch your remaining time
Preserve time for questions
Don’t invite audience to interrupt you
Skip rather than skim slides
Don’t talk too fastIntroduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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InteractionsIntroduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Interaction Skills
Don’t block the slides
Scan the audience (eye contact)
Don’t stare at your slides
Move into the audience
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Interaction Skills
Vary your voice (level, pitch)
Talk with your hands
Gently
Invite participation
Leading questionsIntroduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Questions
What if nobody has any?
Plant questions in your text
Ask the audience
Survey says…
Have answers on “reserveslides”
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Difficult Questions
What if you don’t know the answer?Admit it
Promise to follow-up
Canvas the audience
What if the question isirrelevant?Take it off-line
Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Coping with Trouble
“Walk-on’s” (latecomers)
Greet them
A speech from the floorA bulldog questioner
Take it off-line
Turn to the chair for helpIntroduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Summing UpIntroduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
Research Audience
Select Material
Prepare Visuals
Write Text
Rehearse
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Presentation Strategies
Profile your audience
Define your presentation goalsand stick to them!
Prepare to convince and impress
No compromises!Introduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Presentation Tactics
Establish common ground
Interact with audience
Maintain control of the floor
Show rather than tell
Work toward a conclusionIntroduce Speaker
Introduce Topic
Develop Ideas
Draw Conclusions
Answer Questions
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Your Customer Presentation
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Planning Your Talk
Who is the audience?
What are their objectives?
What are your objectives?
What is the minimum you can say?
What problems may arise?
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Giving Your Talk
Who will you need onstage?
How will you involve the audience?
How many slides should you prepare?
What visual aids can you use?
