Creating and Delivering Effective Presentations

Planning & Organization All well-planned presentations have  An obvious introduction  A main body  A concise summary (and sometimes conclusions)

Planning & Organization Obvious introduction  Get the audience attention  Explain the purpose of the presentation Main body  Relevant and concise information  Organization should be logical

Planning & Organization Summary  Concisely summarizes the body of the presentation  Inform the audience you have reached this section For example say “in summary” Focuses the audience’s attention and re-teaches the information Conclusions (not always appropriate)  Reports the conclusions that might be drawn from the information in the presentation

Planning & Organization Transitions  Transitions between sections should be obvious. For example “Jamie will speak on the cost of the project” “in conclusion”

Appropriate Coverage of the Topic Main ideas should be evident Main topics should be abbreviated in the multimedia presentation but explained fully by the speaker Supporting citations adds credibility to the information presented. For example Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB). (n.d.). Education Professional Standards Board web site. Retrieved January 9, 2006 from

Delivery Strong eye contact  Look around the room and into the eyes of different audience members  Do not focus on one particular audience member  Do not rely on notes or focus your stare at the podium  Do not “freeze up”

Delivery Appropriate use of gestures  Use the right hand modestly to animate your speech at calculated times  Do not use the left-hand to animate your speech  Do not fall into a repetitive motion such as stepping forward and back  Be aware of your nonverbal messages

Delivery Use strong voice that can be heard at the back of the room Use appropriate vocalics to prevent becoming monotone Demonstrate good posture  Stand up straight  Hands on the podium or comfortably at your sides  Do not put your hands in your pockets Do not use fillers such as “uhh” and “you know”

Appearance Business dress  Males Suit or suit jacket and slacks –Power colors (dark blue, black, dark gray, dark brown) Dress shoes Tie Jewelry –Watch –1 ring (or less) –Nothing else (no visible piercings such as ear rings)

Appearance  Females Suit with a jacket and skirt or slacks –Power colors (dark blue, black, dark gray, dark brown) Dress shoes Jewelry –Watch –1 ring on each hand (or less) –One bracelet (or less) –One necklace (or less) –One pair of ear rings (and no other visible piercings)

Visual Aids Readable from the back of the room Should always be relevant to the subject  Do not use images for the purpose of having one in the presentation  Images should reinforce the message Graphics should be demonstrated at the point the relating topic is discussed

Visual Aids Design crimes  Text or objects should be visible at the back of the room This text could be too small to see at the back of the room  Inconsistent formatting. For example  First order bullets should always be the same Second order bullets should always be the same  Titles should always be formatted the same

Visual Aids  Do not use more than two font styles Arial Times Roman Harrington Banjoman Open Bold  Apply styles only for emphasis Italic Bold Underline ShadowShadow

Visual Aids  Keep the same color schemes throughout the presentation  Use contrasting colors for text and backgrounds Lacks Contrast Changing Colors is Mentally Confusing

Visual Aids In most cases  Less is more  Simple is best Only use animations and images that compliment the message Do no select elaborate and confusing backgrounds Keep the number of bulleted items from 4-7 per slide Distracting and not relevant

To Keep in Time & Present Well PRACTICE  Take advantage of PowerPoint's timer feature  Practice will aid you in keeping in time limitations  Practice will make you more comfortable A relaxed presenter will do a better job!

Summary Have a clear Introduction, Body, and Summary/Conclusion Use strong eye contact with the audience  Do not focus on notes or other things Use good voice pitch and volume  Avoid being monotone  Avoid fillers (e.g. “uhhh”)

Summary Wear business dress Make all visual elements readable from the back of the room Use consistent formatting Use 1-2 typestyles and be careful with applying styles

Summary Use good contrasting colors Only use graphics and animations that compliment the message Do not pick elaborate backgrounds  Less is more Practice, Practice, Practice The End