1/67 Making Effective Technical Presentations Rob Kremer Adapted from original slides by David Maulsby.

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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

Select Material

Prepare Visuals

Write Text

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

Write Text

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

reply-propose-discharge(Alice,Bob,x)

act(Bob,Alice,x)

propose-discharge(Bob,Alice,x)

Alice Bob

request

inform

reply

agree

inform ack

propose-discharge

done

reply

inform ack

reply-propose-discharge

confirm

reply

informack

reply(Bob,Alice,x)

ack(Bob,Alice,x)

ack

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ack

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ack

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ack

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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?

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Questions Welcomed!

For more information, please contact

Rob [email protected]