Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Effective Presentations

Effective Presentations : An essential aspect of any research project is dissemination of the findings arising from the study. The most common ways to make others aware of your work is by publishing the results in a journal article, or by giving an oral or poster presentation (often at a regional or national meeting). While efforts are made to teach the elements of writing a journal article in many graduate school curricula, much less attention is paid to teaching those skills necessary to develop a good oral or poster presentation - even though these arguably are the most common and most rapid ways to disseminate new findings. In addition, the skills needed to prepare an oral presentation can be used in a variety of other settings - such as preparing a seminar in graduate school, organizing a dissertaton defense, conducting a job interview seminar, or even addressing potential philanthropic sources!
Key Steps to an Effective Presentation
1.KNOW YOUR SUBJECT MATTER
While this first point may seem obvious, it is very important that you research every nuance of your subject. Read reports and look up information about the subject with the specific purpose of writing a presentation script. When examined in this light, new ideas and alternative ways of thinking often develop. The ability to present a subject with confidence directly affects your audience's impressions and will help keep their attention. This is especially important when giving a design presentation or proposal since you are in effect selling" your ideas to the audience. This applies whether the audience is a potential client or your own board of directors.
2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
A small amount of research into the makeup of your audience will reap large benefits on presentation day. If you were traveling about speaking on behalf of a new construction project you would tailor vastly different presentations to an audience of engineers and a city council. You'd should also have a couple of other versions for local community activist groups. (depending on whether they're for or against the project)Before you 're-purpose' your Teamsters speech for use at the Baptist Building Fund make the obvious adjustments and then carefully review your content from the 'philosophical' viewpoint of your audience. (related to Know Your Limits Below)If a small amount of research will help you, imagine what a moderate amount will do!
3. KNOW YOURSELF (and your limits)
We all must push our limits and willingly bite off more than we may be comfortable swallowing on occasion -- this is how we learn and grow. Knowing a few of your limits, however, might avert disaster, or at least embarassment. Intimately related to Know Your Audience above, your 'limits' are just where you may or may not tread, depending on the makeup of your audience and your relationship with them.Just because the Mormons laughed when Whoopee Goldberg said or did something doesn't mean you can pull it off. The Presbyterians might think it amusing while the Baptists call it blasphemy. In fact, I'm certain the the mere mention of specific 'denominations' here will generate angry E-mail. (See also, the Devil is in the Details later on)
George Carlin, Tom Peters, Billy Graham, Al Sharpton and a host of others can get away with and even receive praise and applause for saying or doing things that would get you or me tarred, feathered, sued or booed by their respective audiences.
4. DEVELOP A THEME
All presentations, regardless of their complexity, are designed with a single purpose. Whether that purpose is to sell, educate, or for pure entertainment, state that purpose to yourself at the beginning of the development process. Keep this purpose in mind always.

5. PREPARE YOUR SCRIPT
The script does not necessarily have to be a work of literary excellence. For some, simple notes on 3 x 5 file cards are sufficient. Other presenters and presentations require a carefully composed, professionally developed script. The exact form of the script depends on the formality of the presentation, the make up of the audience and who will be presenting it.Any presentation script, regardless of complexity is like any other business correspondence. It should consist of the same four basic parts, an opening, body, summary and closing.
*THE OPENING The opening of the presentation sets the stage for what is to follow. Participants are introduced and the purpose of the presentation is stated. You should also present a VERY BRIEF summary or outline of the points to be covered. This helps keep your audience oriented properly within the framework of your script.

*BODY This is the part of the script in which the bulk of the subject matter is presented. The body of a long presentation should be separated into smaller, easily assimilated modules. Each module or sub-section should make a single point or convey one idea. These sub-sections should each have their own simple opening, body and summary.

*SUMMARY This portion should be very brief and simple. Here is your chance to reinforce the central theme and purpose of your presentation. Briefly emphasize the key points and main ideas of your script in this section.

There is an old axiom that says ... "Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them." This pretty well sums it up.
6.CLOSING In a well structured closing, points raised during the question and answer session (if any) are summarized and any handout material that was not required during the presentation is distributed. Handout material which emphasizes each key point or idea permits your audience to review the subject and assures that your words will remain fresh in their minds. Handout material should not be distributed before a presentation unless it is critical to the theme since it invariably leads to audience distraction.
7.SELECT THE PROPER VISUAL AIDS
With the script developed and the audience research completed, this decision should be simple. A five minute presentation to a three person audience is probably best made with handout material alone, or even simple flip charts. Larger audiences might be effectively reached by using a few simple overhead transparencies. (yes, they still have their purpose).
At a Management Graphics User group meeting around 1990 I gave the 35mm Color Slide about another ten years or so maximum as a viable profict center for most graphics productions companies. I didn't miss it by much.

The resolution, brightness and price of LCD Computer/Video projectors means that home-brew laptop based video projector presentations are now the norm.

The design workstations of the 90's running suites of complex four and five-figure software on five and six-figure computers gave way to laptops with PowerPoint and the free software that came with your three-figure digital still/video camera.

To help justify the purchase of your projector, keep in mind, most of these accept input from a TV, DVD or other video source. When not serving as a presentation tool you can have a huge-screen TV, limited only by the size of the wall onto which it's projected. (Can we say Super Super-Bowl Party?)
8. PREPARE A STORY BOARD
A story board does not have to be complicated or time consuming to prepare. Its main purpose is to give a general view of the presentation and communicate the important items to the technicians and artists who are creating and assembling the images.

You can make your story board using file cards and post- it notes, or opt for a comprehensive color story board, prepared by professional designers. Changes at the story board level are relatively inexpensive since no images have been produced. During the story board phase you can rehearse the script and easily rearrange, revise, delete from and add to your presentation. When your story board reaches final form it becomes the finished draft for your presentation. This is one of the most important design tools used to produce your graphics.

The final story board should consist of a sketch of each individual image, in sufficient detail to convey its approximate finished appearance. If more detailed instructions are needed to create an image than can be clearly conveyed on the story board, individual layout sheets should be prepared. These sheets should specify colors, formats, fonts and values for graphs and charts.
9. PRODUCE THE VISUALS
If the previous steps have been carefully followed, this can be the easiest part of preparing your presentation. With careful, timely planning, the only task remaining is mechanical process of production. The complete and accurate planning that you have done to this point assures a smooth production cycle without the need for unnecessary last minute changes. This is true whether you use Magic Markers to prepare flip charts on a newsprint pad or require a nine projector slide presentation with live video. Today's computer graphics products permit you to make changes and alterations that could not be accomplished using any other method of production. While last minute changes are possible, avoiding them can still help cut the cost of your presentation by eliminating revision and rush fees.

10. REHEARSE--REHEARSE--REHEARSE
Your final script and outline or story board permit you to rehearse your presentation even before the visuals are completed. This assures that when your final images are prepared and ready, you will be as well.

If you'd like to really test your mettle, drag out the camcorder and tape your rehearsal. Just keep in mind, no one expects you to be Winston Churchill.
11. PRESENTATION DAY
On the day of the presentation, arrive and set up early. Have spare projector bulbs and extra copies of the handout material close at hand. You have your visuals, you are well rehearsed, the room is set up and the participants are all prepared. Speak clearly and with authority. A little humor if tastefully added can help break the tension of the moment. There should be no surprises. Make certain that the audience questions have been addressed, and of course, thank everyone for attending.

12. FOLLOW UP
Check back with the attendants and participants to assure that your presentation goals were met. A questionnaire distributed at the end of your presentation can be a source of critical information for follow up calls or future presentations. Encourage the attendants to call or write with any questions that they did not get answered during the presentation.

No comments: