Some rules of making a prez

Some Rules for Making a Presentation

Golden rule

Human attention is very limited.

Don't cram too much information, either in each slide, or in the whole talk.

Avoid details: they won't be

remembered anyway.

Organization

Have a very clear introduction

Use only one idea per slide.

Have a good conclusions slide: put there the main ideas, the ones you really want people to remember. (The last one)

Don't count on the audience to remember any detail from one slide to another. If you need it remembered, re-state the information a second time.

Humor is very useful; prepare a couple of jokes beforehand. However, if you're not good with jokes,

better avoid them altogether. Improvising humor is very dangerous.

The more you rehearse the talk, the better it will be.

The more people criticize your talk (during practice), the better it will be; pay attention to criticism

Be enthusiastic.

Act your talk: explain, ask rhetorical questions, act surprised, etc.

Do not go overtime under any circumstance.

"Tell me and I will forget, Show me and I will remember, Involve me and I will understand".

Maintain good eye contact with the audience. Don't keep contact with only one group of the audience. Spread your attention around the room.

Avoid jargon.

Check out the room before your presentation.

KISS

No - not kiss the audience - Keep It Simple Stupid.

Reduce your presentation to simple concepts and your audience should be able to follow you.

If you go beyond their understanding they will switch off.

End of Part I.

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal Communication-information that is communicated without using words.

93% of communication is nonverbal

55% through facial expression, posture, gesture

38% through tone of voice

Nonverbal can include:

Shaking hands, facial expressions, appearance, voice, tone, hairstyle, clothes, expression in your eyes, smile, how close you stand to others, how you listen, confidence, your breathing, the way you move, the way you stand, the way you touch people, color choice, silence.

"Even if someone decides to say nothing they are still communicating"  

Do you agree? Is this gentleman communicating anything?

Another well-known saying is...

"silence speaks louder than words"

So how is the information conveyed?

Answer: Through Body Language 

This couple are giving out signals that we can probably interpret with some confidence.

"Read" their facial expressions, observe their closeness and body positioning and "receive" some information. These people look happy, relaxed and comfortable in each others' company

What about this picture?

Again there are strong "signals",  this child's facial expression says it all - she's pretty cross and fed up!  But, we don't for sure what she is unhappy about, it could be because she's been left looking after all that luggage, or that her holiday is over and she doesn't want to go home....

Her body posture also sends out strong signals - my reading is of determination - yours may differ.

Definition:Gesture, a form of non-verbal communication

Hand movements

Scientists observe that there are more nerves between the brain and hands than any other portion of the body.  Therefore movements of the hands, fingers and arms are directly related to what is going on in the mind and can reveal a lot.

Hand movements

Hiding hands and placing them behind ones back may show withdrawal, or not being entirely open.

Is this girl bored and fed up?

Is she keeping her distance,

or hiding something behind her back?

A closed fist held with the thumb extended upward or downward is a gesture of approval or disapproval respectively. "My boss gave my proposal the thumbs-up" means that the boss approved the proposal.  

A clenched fist usually indicates angry and frustrated emotions but can also be used to signify success when the arm is thrust upwards with a clenched fist.

Touching your face can indicate tense and nervous behavior, or indicate confusion or embarrassment.

If pointed directly can mean anger and a desire to dominate the situation, but could be merely drawing someone's attention to something.

Sometimes used as a playful gesture meaning “Got you!”

Eye Contact "Windows to the soul...."

Eye contact with the other side is an essential part of Communication. Without it the other party will feel remote from you and are unlikely to relate to you in a meaningful way. It is important to be aware of how sensitive people are to it. Eye contact should be a positive form of body language communication, but if it is not used correctly it can easily become negative.

Effect of Positive Eye Contact

Effect of Negative Eye Contact

Interested and attentiveFriendly and approachableHonest straightforward

Disinterested and remoteArrogant and proudShifty and Untrustworthy

Eye-rolling

This is when a person moves his or her pupils to the top of their eyes to indicate that someone is wasting your valuable time" or as a sign of frustration.

Body Posture Would you feel confident about what this man is saying?  

Slouching forward can indicate someone who is saying something without conviction.

His posture shows that he is not on top form just now.

He also appears to be lacking interest in the conversation.

This posture indicates that the person has conviction and confidence in what they are saying.

Postures that signal defensive attitudes and rejection include :

folded arms, crossed legs

body turned away from speaker

When people talk to each other they tend to stand a distance apart from each other.People have an invisible boundary around themselves

If someone comes too close, they will feel uncomfortable and move away, unless the person is family or trusted friend. Surprisingly,this sense of boundary is cultural, and the average personal distance varies. Americans tend to require more personal space than in other cultures. So if you try to get too close to an American during your conversation, he or she will feel that you are "in their face" and will try to back away.  Also, try to avoid physical contact, since this may also lead to discomfort. Touching is a bit too intimate for casual acquaintances. Don't put your arm around their shoulder, touch their face, or hold their hand. Shaking hands when you initially meet or part is acceptable, as this is only momentary.

Thank

You

For Your

Attention!

Attila Takács