LINKS Slides from February 2011 - Bob Novello on Effective Presentations

Source: David Wallechinsky The Book of Lists

The “Top Ten” Human Fears

1. Speaking to a group2. Heights3. Insects and bugs4. Financial problems5. Deep water6. Sickness7. Death8. Flying9. Loneliness10. Dogs

The Importance of Presentation Skills

Presentation skills are vital for anyone who presents; trainer, project manager, team lead, meeting facilitator, speaker, etc.

No matter which role you are assuming, this brief presentation will help you become more efficient and proficient with the skills of providing information to others.

You may have the best idea, the best product, or the best proposal. However, if you cannot present it in a professional manner, it may never be recognized as valuable.

Louis DeGeorge

Your Learning Outcome

By the conclusion of today’s presentation, you will be able to apply the principles learned to prepare and deliver a brief presentation on a project management topic for a future meeting.

Group Activity: Your Worst Presentation Experiences

Discuss with your group the worst presentation you have experienced. Make a list of what in particular you thought made the presentations ineffective?

Record your group’s results and select a spokesperson to share them with the larger group.

Expected Time: 8 Minutes

My Presentation Outline

This brief presentation has been organized around what I believe are the 10 key success factors for developing and conducting effective presentations.

It is important to understand that these success factors can quickly turn into failure factors if ignored.

Success Factor #1

Make a good first impression Appearance

Promptness

Interest in the audience

Mastery of the presentation topic

Enthusiasm

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Unknown

Success Factor #2

Start with a Needs Analysis Purpose

Participants

Timing

Facility (pre-visit)

It takes three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.

Mark Twain

Needs Analysis Questions

• What is the purpose of the presentation as stated by the requester?

• What does the requester expect the participants to be able to do as a result of the presentation?

• Who are the participants and what are their knowledge levels?

• How much time is allocated for the presentation? • Should we allow time at the end of the presentation

for questions?• Where will the presentation be conducted? Can you

schedule a pre-visit?

Success Factor #3

Organize the presentation Motivator/Attention-Getter

Outline

Content ‒ Identify main points‒ Choose pattern for organizing

Summary/Closing Challenge

First you tell them what you are going to tell them. Then you tell them. Then you tell them what you told them.

Edward R. Morrow

Attention-Getters

Startling fact Attention-Grabbing question Pertinent quote Personal experience Jokes (be careful)

R.O.P.E.S. Model

This presentation model was jointly developed by Jim Moshinskie of Baylor University and the Vuepoint Corp.

Relate - The purpose of this step is to relate the presentation to the audience so they will begin to think how the topic will integrate, or mix, with other material they already know and why the information being presented is important.

Overview - This step has two specific functions: present the learning outcome(s) of the presentation, and give the outline of the presentation.

R.O.P.E.S. Model (cont.)

Present - The information is presented to the audience by chunking the content into separate sections. The new knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) that audience needs to acquire are presented here.

Exercise - In this step, the audience explores, practices, and interacts with the material covered in each section of the presentation. They become active participants in the instruction.

Summarize - The final step is to summarize the presentation. After the audience finishes all of the sections of the presentation, a summary of the content is presented.

Success Factor #4

Involve your participants Share their Learning Outcome(s)

Incorporate discussion activities

Encourage them to be resources

Allow debate and challenge of ideas

Listen to and respect their opinions

Good presenters say interesting things. Outstanding presenters link those things to their audience.

Unknown

Success Factor #5

Make it practical Focus on “real world” situations

Relate to the audience’s challenges

Emphasize applicability

De-emphasize theory

I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.

Albert Einstein

Success Factor #6

Minimize lecturingTelling is not teachingUse appropriate delivery method(s)

‒ Group discussions‒ Role play/scenario exercises‒ Problem solving exercises

The more you say, the less the audience remembers.

Unknown

Group Discussions

Much more interesting than lecturing Select wording which promotes discussion Assign to a group to minimize individuals’ stress Ensure the discussion stays related to the learning

points Use a “Parking Lot” approach for handling off-topic

comments/questions

Role Play/Scenario Exercises

Ask for volunteers, rather than making assignments Select low-threat scenarios Most effective when participants are more

comfortable with each other (for example, work teams)

Problem Solving Exercises

Define the problem and provide the needed data Verify the problem can be completed within the

allotted timeframe When appropriate, assign to a group to minimize

individuals’ stress

Success Factor #7

Consistent verbal and non-verbal communicationYou must ensure that the words you are saying and the messages your body language is conveying are consistent.

What your body language is projecting is equally as important as what you are saying.

Bob Novello

Verbal Communication

Select your vocabulary for someone listening, not reading

Use simple, familiar words Avoid acronyms Be sure to provide the definitions of any terms

important to the learning experience Avoid reading the PowerPoint slides or flipcharts; allow

time for your participants to read the information and you provide additional comments

Verbal Communication: Voice Tone

What you say isn’t as important as how you say it Varying your tone and using pauses help add emphasis

to important points Stand up tall; your posture affects breathing, which

affects tone Have bottled water available to stay hydrated Smile; it warms up the tone of your voice Your best feedback for vocal quality is listening to and

analyzing your recorded voice

Why? Increase participation/learning Stimulate thought Check comprehension Arouse interest Focus attention

Verbal Communication: Ask Questions

How?

Your questions should be: Clear and concise, covering a single issue Reasonable, based on what participants are expected

to know Relevant and challenging, to provoke thought

Verbal Communication: Ask Questions (cont.)

Humor is a popular way to “liven up” a presentation It helps your participants relax and aligns them with

your message Use jokes only if:

‒ They are pertinent to your message‒ You can deliver them confidently and comfortably‒ They are not offensive to anyone (gender, race,

age, disability, politics)

Verbal Communication: Use Humor

Non-Verbal Communication Non-verbal communication is the process of

communication through sending and receiving visual messages (body language)

It is the single most powerful form of communication It can cue you in to what is on another person’s mind,

even more than voice or words can do Hand gestures attract attention; they should be used

for emphasis Always maintain eye contact with your participants,

avoiding talking to the projection screen, flipchart, or whiteboard

Success Factor #8Use visual aidsThey focus attention on what is being discussedThey increase interest in the topicThey improve participants’ retention

The most popular visual aids are:PowerPoint slidesFlipcharts/whiteboardsVideo clips

Technology makes it possible for people to gain control over everything, except over technology.

John Tudor

Audio

Video

Audio & Video

Participative Exercises

Job-Related Activities

“Real World” Experiences

Towards Better Learning

Retention Pyramid

Why? Allows you to add emphasis to important concepts,

helping to increase retention of information Adds variety to your presentation Makes it easier to display images, charts or graphs,

possibly too complex for a flip chart. Allows for last minute changes (for example, you can

change the length of an activity if the class is running over the scheduled time)

Using PowerPoint

To create and use a Microsoft PowerPoint file to support your presentation outline, you will need:

PowerPoint software installed on your computer An LCD or DLP projector A projection screen (if a light wall is not available)

Optionally, you may wish to add the following to your toolkit: A power strip and compatible 12 ft. extension cordA laser pointer for emphasis during the discussion of a PowerPoint slide.

Using PowerPoint: Required Tools

Learn how to effectively use PowerPoint Make sure your slides match the purpose of the

presentation Select a slide background theme and stick to it for a

consistent look and feel Use the Master Slide templates to create your slides Well before your presentation start time, turn off

screensavers, instant messaging, email notifications, and power management

Using PowerPoint: Preparation

Display only one major concept on each slide Use bullet points or short sentences rather than

longer paragraphs; helps avoid reading the slides Use clip art sparingly, ensuring it complements the

concept being presented on the slide Use effects, transitions, animation, and sound very

sparingly

Using PowerPoint: Usage Tips

Use simple fonts such as Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri for readability

Select a point size of 40 or larger for titles, and 26 or larger for body text

Use colors that work well together, such as white on a dark background, or black on a light background

Limit your color combinations to two or three; bright colors like red and orange should be used for accent

Check the readability and visibility of your presentation with the lighting in the room in which you will present

Using PowerPoint: Fonts

Using Flipcharts/Whiteboards

Information recorded on flip charts or whiteboards focuses attention on a topic

It allows the presenter to easily refer back to previous information discussed

Print using large letters so you and the participants can read them from a distance

Although somewhat more expensive, use flipcart paper with light lines to avoid writing “downhill”

Using Flipcharts/Whiteboards

Always check the markers before the start of the presentation and remove/replace those that are worn out

Be sure to separate the dry erase markers from regular chart markers, and keep the regular markers far away from the whiteboard

Video should complement the presentation, not be the presentation

It must be clearly pertinent to the topic being presented; explain the connection if it’s that subtle

Since the video clip should be brief, you should store it on your computer’s hard drive; you can have a CD or DVD in your computer’s electronic reading device as a backup

Most video requires audio capability, so connect speakers to your computer adequate enough to handle the volume needed for the room size

Using Video Clips

There are three main ways to obtain video materials:‒ Purchasing off-the-shelf video designed for

training presentations‒ Creating your own video media using a personal

video camera‒ Hiring a professional video production companyThe type of presentation, your media budget, the

amount of available preparation time, and your comfort and skill level with video will all influence the direction.

Using Video Clips (cont.)

Success Factor #9Avoid distractionsRequest participants to silence their electronic devices; be sure you do itRemove change and keys from pocketsRemove things from your hands when not using them (for example, pointers, pens, markers, etc.) Movement can be used very effectively, but can be very distracting if overusedCheck all electronics well before the start of the presentation

It's a visual world and people respond to visuals.

Joe Sacco

Success Factor #10Remember Murphy’s LawHave backups!

Copy of PowerPoint slides to handout Another version of your PowerPoint

presentation using a light background, if you chose a dark background

Memory stick with PowerPoint slides Hardware (Notebook PC, LCD projector,

etc.) Pre-prepared flipcharts with key points

Murphy’s Law

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

Summary/Review An eloquent speaker and good materials will certainly contribute to the quality of a presentation, but there are other important things that must be done to ensure success.

Bob Novello

10 Key Success Factors1.Make a good first impression2.Start with a Needs Analysis3.Organize the presentation4.Involve your participants5.Make it practical6.Minimize lecturing7.Match verbal and non-verbal

communication8.Use visual aids9.Avoid distractions10. Remember Murphy’s Law

Contact Information

Bob NovelloPresident, Fastrack Training, Inc.Web Site: www.FastrackTrainingInc.comOffice Phone: 512-864-7387Cell Phone: 512-507-7799E-mail: [email protected]