how to give effective professional and academic presentations eleni tsiartsioni mphil trinity...

How to give effective professional and academic presentations

Eleni Tsiartsioni MPhil Trinity College Dublin, IrelandPhD CandidateAristotle University of Thessaloniki

Thursday 22 May 2008University of Macedonia, Department of Technology Management, Naousa

Eleni Tsiartsioni 2

Structure of this presentation

1. Preparing the presentation

2. Performing the presentation

3. Giving feedback

4. Observation of presentations

5. Workshop

Eleni Tsiartsioni 3

A. PREPARING THE PRESENTATION

‘In all things success depends on previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure’

Eleni Tsiartsioni 4

Stages of the preparation

1. Why

2. Who

3. What

4. How

5. Where and when

Eleni Tsiartsioni 5

Why? The General Purpose

To informTo persuade

Eleni Tsiartsioni 6

Why? The Specific Purpose

The result you want to achieve

State it in one sentence- clearly and concisely

Eleni Tsiartsioni 7

Examples of purposes…

To inform the audience about the benefits of using a particular system

To tell the audience about new procedures

To persuade the audience to support a project

To persuade the audience to use our services

To ‘sell’ our company to the audience

Eleni Tsiartsioni 8

Who? Complete an audience profile:

Who are they? How many? Why are they coming? What do they know about the

subject?Why are they interested in the

subject?What is their relationship to you?

Eleni Tsiartsioni 9

What?

‘Three things matter in a speech; who says it, how it is said and what is said- and of the three, the last matters least’.

John Morley

Eleni Tsiartsioni 10

What? Presentation outlineGood Organisation:

Helps you rememberHelps them rememberHelps them understandHelps you to keep the

pointHelps you to reduce

nervousness

Eleni Tsiartsioni 11

The Beginning

Capture interestRelate subject to

themGive purposeBe brief

Eleni Tsiartsioni 12

The Middle

Have 3 or 4 main points (they will not remember more than 4 points!)

Take 80% of the timeHave signposts and

summaries

Eleni Tsiartsioni 13

The Ending

Summarise the main points

Relate conclusion to them

Don’t present new ideasBe interestingBe brief

Eleni Tsiartsioni 14

How?

1. Key words

2. Rehearsal

Eleni Tsiartsioni 15

How? Keywords

Use index cardsPrint in big capitalsOnly keywordsNumber cardsUse colour coding

Eleni Tsiartsioni 16

How? Rehearsals

Rehearsal is the most important part of preparing

Run through your presentation at least twice

Check timing

Eleni Tsiartsioni 17

How? Fears…

Fear of saying or doing something foolish

Failure of equipmentNot being able to find

the right word in English

SOLUTION?Preparation and

practice!!

Eleni Tsiartsioni 18

Where?

Things to takeThings to

check

Eleni Tsiartsioni 19

When?

The best time are:

Tuesday to Thursday…From 10 to 12

Eleni Tsiartsioni 20

B. PERFORMING THE PRESENTATION

‘The human brain starts working the moment we are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public’

George Jessel

Eleni Tsiartsioni 21

The Beginning

Say helloSay who you areGive purpose and

main pointsGive scheduleHandouts?Questions?

Eleni Tsiartsioni 22

Making it interesting

Visual aidsQuoteSurprising factStory/ anecdoteQuestion

Eleni Tsiartsioni 23

Language

‘The person who uses a lot of big words is not trying to inform you; he is trying to impress you’

O. Miller

Eleni Tsiartsioni 24

Language: the don’ts

Avoid jargonAvoid complex

phrasesAvoid being too

formalAvoid long sentences

Eleni Tsiartsioni 25

Language: the dos

Use everyday language Use concrete wordsUse rhetorical questions (i.e. ‘What

should we do?’ –pause

‘How much would it cost?’ –pause)

Use dramatic structures (i.e. We have a revolutionary product

What we have is a revolutionary product)

Eleni Tsiartsioni 26

Signposting

SignpostSummariseUse check-up

questions

Eleni Tsiartsioni 27

Making it interesting

Stories/ anecdotes

Explain by analogy

Involve them:• Ask questions• Pause and reply

Eleni Tsiartsioni 28

Visual Aids and Body Language

Chinese proverb

Eleni Tsiartsioni 29

Visual Aids and Body Language

Which is the most important?

Content?

Tone of voice?

Body language?

Eleni Tsiartsioni 30

Flip Chart and Whiteboard

Big and boldUse coloursFace audience

when you talk and write

Flip over/ wipe off when finished

Eleni Tsiartsioni 31

Overhead Projector

Use a mask to show one point at a time

Use a pen or pointer on the machine

Switch it off so they focus on you

Eleni Tsiartsioni 32

Making Transparencies

Use software or write with special pens

Max. 8 linesUse keywordsUse pictures

Use colours

Eleni Tsiartsioni 33

Body language: the dos

Move hands and armsMove around the room (?)Move towards audienceMove your eyes around the

audienceMoving is normal

Eleni Tsiartsioni 34

Body language: the don’ts

Don’t point at anyoneDon’t rock backwards and

forwardsDon’t stand rooted to the spotDon’t leave your hands by your

sidesDon’t avoid eye contact

Eleni Tsiartsioni 35

Voice: Voice and Pronunciation

Project your voice: aim for the back

Emphasise importance• Say some words louder

• Repeat important words

Eleni Tsiartsioni 36

Making it interesting

Go faster to exciteGo slower to show importancePause often and look round

audienceGive emphasis with voice and

body

Eleni Tsiartsioni 37

Ending

‘Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening’

Dorothy Sarnoff

Eleni Tsiartsioni 38

The ending: Communication techniques

Finish on timeCut out, but not summing

up or conclusion

Eleni Tsiartsioni 39

The Ending

Sum upConcludeHandouts?Any

questions?Close

Eleni Tsiartsioni 40

Questions

What is a question?

The only real question is a request for further information

Other questions are:

-requests for the spotlight

-attacks or traps

Eleni Tsiartsioni 41

‘Real’ Questions

Paraphrase for audienceIf real question, answer it

brieflyAnswer audience, not just the

questionerIf you don’t know the answer,

say so

Eleni Tsiartsioni 42

Feedback Grid: Giving feedback

Stress the good pointsUse constructive

criticismGive feedback to the

presenter by using you, not he or she

Eleni Tsiartsioni 43

Summing up

How to prepareHow to give the

presentationKey Words:

–Practise

–Rehearse

–Be confident

Eleni Tsiartsioni 44

Thank you!

Eleni Tsiartsioni 45

Any Questions???