presentation basics center for professional communication

PRESENTATION BASICS

Center for Professional Communication

Presentation Basics

Agenda

Organization & Preparation Tips Top Ten Slide Tips Creating a Professional

Handout Top Ten Delivery Tips Selecting Career Apparel

Such power there is in clear-eyed self-restraint.

- James Russell

Organization & Preparation Tips

What is the real purpose of your talk?

Why is it that you were ask to speak?

What does the audience expect? In your opinion, what are the most

important parts of your topic for the audience to take away from your, say, 7-minute presentation?

Start with the end in mind

Know your audience as well as possible

Who is the audience? What is the purpose of the

event? Why were you asked to speak? Where is it? When is it?

Content, content, content

No matter how great your delivery, or how professional and beautiful your supporting visuals, if your presentation is not based on solid content, you cannot succeed.

Keep it simple

Simple does not mean stupid. Exercise:

If your audience could remember only three things about your presentation, what would you want it to be?1. ______________________2. ______________________3. ______________________

Outlining your content

I. Introduction(transition)

II. BodyA. Main point

(transition)

B. Main point

(transition)

C. Main point

(transition)

III. Conclusion

So what?

Can you pass the “elevator test”? Check the clarity of

your message with the elevator test. This exercise forces you to "sell" your message in 30-45 seconds.

The art of storytelling

Good presentations include stories. The best presenters illustrate their points with the use of stories, most often personal ones.

Confidence – How to get it

We fear what we do not know.

“Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas on your slide with your logo or other unnecessary graphics or text boxes that do not contribute to better understanding. The less clutter you have on your slide, the more powerful your visual message will become.”

Top Ten Slide Tips

Keep it simple

People came to hear you and be moved or informed (or both) by you and your message. Don't let your message and your ability to tell a story get derailed by slides that are unnecessarily complicated, busy, or full of “junk”.

Limit bullet points & text

This slide is not unusual, but it is not a visual aid, it is more like an "eye chart."

Try to avoid text-heavy (and sleep inducing) slides like this one.

Limit bullet points & text

Aim for something like this simple slide above.

And this is even better...

Limit transitions & builds (animation) A simple "Wipe Left-to-Right" (from the

"Animations" menu) is good for a bullet point,

but a "Move" or "Fly" for example is too tedious and slow

Use high-quality graphics

Try to avoid cheesy clip art like this. This edited stock photograph

is more effective and professional.

Have a visual theme

Your audience expects a unique presentation with new (at least to them) content, otherwise why would they be attending your talk?

Use appropriate charts

Pie Charts. Used to show percentages. Limit the slices to 4-6 and contrast the most important slice either with color or by exploding the slice.

Vertical Bar Charts. Used to show changes in quantity over time. Best if you limit the bars to 4-8.

Use appropriate charts

Horizontal Bar Charts. Used to compare quantities. For example, comparing sales figures among the four regions of the company.

Line Charts. Used to demonstrate trends. For example, here is a simple line chart showing that our sales have gone up every year. The trend is good. The arrow comes in later to underscore the point: Our future looks good!

Use color well

Color evokes feelings. Color is emotional. The right color can help persuade and

motivate. Studies show that color usage can

increase interest and improve learning comprehension and retention.

Learn more:

•PresentationPro.com has some great Flash tutorials including one on color.•Go to the CreativePro.com to learn more about color.•Dummies.com has a good short article on how to use the Color Schemes in PowerPoint.

Choose your fonts well

Fonts communicate subtle messages in and of themselves, which is why you should choose fonts deliberately.

Use the same font set throughout your entire slide presentation, and use no more than two complementary fonts (e.g., Arial and Arial Bold).

Times Arial Black and Arial

Use video or audio

Use video and audio when appropriate. Using video clips to show concrete

examples promotes active cognitive processing, which is the natural way people learn.

Spend time in the slide sorter

Using the slide sorter will enable you to notice more extraneous pieces of visual data that can be removed to increase visual clarity and improve communication.

Creating a Professional Handout

Business and Health Care

A Comprehensive Analysis of the Health Care Industry The purpose of our presentation is to provide an informative, unbiased analysis of the United States health care industry in relation to business. We will use a comparison of the health care systems in France and Great Britain to put the analysis into perspective. Finally, we will prescribe three reforms that will correct the areas we felt were weakest in the United States health care industry.

Important Statistics

Government programs represented 45% of total health care costs, although the only cover 28% of the population.

The United States spent 2.3 trillion on health care in 2007; this was equal to 15.2% of GDP.

47 million people were uninsured at one point in 2007. 8.9% of Americans need financial assistance to get the care

they need. 14% of the United States population is underinsured. 88% of the United States population was offered coverage in

2004, 22% at increased rates. Health insurance companies require employers pay at least

50% of premiums. 41.2% of Britons reported waiting more than weeks to see a

specialist. The annual premiums for an employer to cover a family of four

were $12,100. Every $1 a company spends an employee health screening, they

save $6. The price of health care in the U.S. is increasing at 6.9% a year.

Uninsured15%

Employer Provided

59.3%Individually

Provided8.2%

Government Provided

27.8%

Insurance Providers in the United StatesPresentation Outline

Speaker: Ben Peach

I. Introduction

Speaker: Jack Cordes

II. Health Care in the United States (please reference Insurance Providers Pie Chart to the right)

Speaker: Katie Bennett

III. Health Care in France IV. Health Care in Great Britain V. Differences in Systems

(please reference the Comparative Analysis Chart)

Speaker: Stephanie Hrouda

VI. Business Perspective

Speaker: Jack Cordes

VII. Recommendations a. More Competition in

Business b. Universal Health Care

Speaker: Ben Peach

c. Improved Implementation of Corporate Wellness Programs

VIII. Conclusion

Comparative Analysis Chart

Sources: National Coalition on Health Care, World Health Organization

.

Responsiveness Price Coverage Coverage Denial

United States

Ranked #1 in responsiveness by the World Health Organization.

$7,600 per person, and 15.2% of GDP, Ranked #1 for expenditures by WHO.

Employees that are covered under company's plan. Individuals that seek private insurance.

People can be denied insurance coverage if they have preexisting illnesses or may be expensive to insure.

France

They have avoided the long waits that plague Great Britain and were ranked 16th by the WHO.

9.8% of GNP and will be 70 million euro in debt by 2020. Ranked #6 in expenditures by WHO.

All citizens have partial to full coverage for all services.

No one is denied coverage.

Great Britain

Known for long waits for care. Citizens reported waiting up to 12 weeks between appointment and surgery.

Ranked #26 in expenditures by WHO.

All citizens have full coverage for basic services, some groups can be compensated for other specific expenses.

People not characterized as children under 18, pregnant women, or pensioners may get denied coverage for specific expenses.

More Competition in

Industry

New technology would create faster and more frequent communication between industry and patient.

Price will be driven down while quality will rise.

Lower rates will provide more accessibility. Also, more comprehensive plans available.

Coverage denial remains an issue.

Universal Health Care

There will be more access to doctors because people will not be limited by their insurance plans to certain doctors.

The cost of providing health care will decrease for employers but potentially increase for the government.

All citizens have partial to full coverage for all services.

No one is denied coverage.

Improved Implementation

Wellness in Corporate

Setting

No change will occur in responsiveness.

Healthier employees lead to lower rates for employers.

Employees and their families will be covered by this plan.

Unemployed individuals will be denied access.

“Be here now. Be somewhere else later. Is that so complicated?”

- David Bader

Presentation Tips

Top Ten Delivery Tips

1. Show your passion2. Start strong3. Keep it short4. Move away from the podium5. Use a remote-control device6. Remember the “B” key7. Make good eye contact8. Keep the lights on9. Use a TV for small groups10. At all times: courteous, gracious, & professional

Selecting Career Apparel

Wardrobe Engineering

Wardrobe Engineering: Describes how clothing and accessories can create a certain image

Effective packaging is an individual matter based on a variety of factors

What factors should be considered when deciding if an

ensemble is appropriate?

Appropriate Business Professional for Men

Appropriate Business Professional for Women

The Business Casual Look

The Business Casual Look Movement toward greater

comfort and individuality Wear dressier business

clothing when meeting with customers or clients

Wear clothing that is clean, neat and fits well

Appropriate Business Casual for Men

Appropriate Business Casual for Women

Presentation Basics

Conclusion

Organization & Preparation Tips Top Ten Slide Tips Creating a Professional

Handout Top Ten Delivery Tips Selecting Career Apparel