Presentation Techniques

1. Presentation Techniques Kim Nolsøe Christoffer Wenzel Tornøe

2. Introduction Preparing the presentation Executing the presentation Summary Agenda

3. Introduction • ”Presentation technique can be explained by a combination of the ability to say something and at the same time to give the audience something to look at.” • How does a good ”presenter” become better.

4. Preparation

5. How to start preparing the presentation. The Ten Commentments. Present yourself. The setup of a presentation Use of examples. Should you use a manuscript? How is the presentation room? What do you want to distribute to the participants? Rehearsal The preparation

6. How to start preparing the presentation • Information • Sources (library, internet, personal network) • Focus on key messages • What are your goals with the presentation • Be realistic • What is the form of the presentation • Internal/external meeting • Conference • Seminar • Workshop

7. The speaker’s 10 commentments • Have something to say • Know what you want • Be prepared – also of the unexpected • Be visual • Is it relevant • Is there enough time • Define your audience • Think and speak in pictures/examples • Is it the appropriate time and place • Should you say something at all

8. Present yourself - Accenture • Kim Nolsøe • 32 years old • DTU 1999 • 3 years with Accenture • Agronaut, Sundhed.dk, HTK, Meridia • System implementation • Back-end • JAVA, VB, Enterprise JAVA beans, DB • Front-end • ASP, JSP

9. Present yourself – Adventure Club • Kim Nolsøe • 32 years old • Math and Philosophy • Travel • Hawaii 1996 • Austria 1997 • Indonisia 1997,1999 • South Africa 1998 • Sports • Windsurfing • Surfing • Para-shutting • Bungy jump • Snowboarding • Skiing • Interests • Friends and family • Reading

10. How NOT to present yourself • John Doe • Education • High School – A average • DTU – A average • PhD – probably A average • Religion • Member of Jehova’s Witnesses – The only right choice • Politics • Member of the national Danish Nazi committee • Sports • The little silver frog in swimming • Motto • Trust me – I’m RIGHT

11. What can go wrong? • Choice of layout for the presentation • Choice of typography and size • Too much text • Too many animations • Too little contrast between the text and the background • Uncritical with respect to the general impression

12. What to do? • Carefully proofread the presentation • Let another person look over the presentation before it is shown to an audience • Look through the presentation on a big screen to assess the readability of the text • Evaluate your own effort after the presentation

13. Layout • Use as few bullets as possible • Use short sentences and words • Illustrations are good • The presentation should be readable in the whole room

14. Typography, colors, and animations • Choose a background that doesn’t steal to much attention • Choose serif fonts with feet • Pick colorswhichgowell together (contrast) • Don’t be too creative with the animations

15. Bad example of layout • This is not the way a slide should look • The background steels the attention from the text • The color of the text is hard to tell from the background • The animations are disturbing

16. Use of examples • Why? • Personal touch • Different angles • Illustrate the use of the theory in practice • Repeat key messages • How? • Short and precise • Easy to understand

17. Should you use a manuscript? • Setting • Funeral • Scientific speach • Business meeting • Form • Notes • Cue cards • Full manuscript

18. The room • How are the tables positioned in the room? • Can everybody see the presentation? • Do you have eye contact with the audience? A B C

19. The room • How are the tables positioned in the room? • Can everybody see the presentation? • Do you have eye contact with the audience? D E E F

20. What do you want to distribute? • Name tags • Participant lists • Slides • Exercises • Note paper • Drinks and food

21. Rehearsal • Don’t learn it by heart

22. Presentation

23. The presentation • Precision • Equipment • Outline of a presentation • The presenter’s tasks • Body language • Do’s and dont’s • The participants

24. Precision “…Precision is the art of coming so late that one still arrives before the others” (Monika Peitsch) • Start on time ! • End on time !

25. Equipment • Check that the computer and projector works before the presentation • Is it necessary to use a microphone? • Should the light be switched off during the presentation? • Are there enough chairs? • Have water ready for the speaker

26. Outline of a presentation • Present yourself • Name, company, background, … • Introduce the topic of the presentation • Give an overview of the extent of the speech • Present the background • Show some good illustrative examples • Finish off with the conclusions

27. The presenter’s tasks • Make the audience: • listen • think • ask questions

28. Body language • Open attitude • Standing • Hands on hips, eye contact with audience • Sitting • Sit on the edge of the seat, hands on table/legs with palms down, legs separated

29. Body language • Defensive attitude • Standing • Crossed arms, wrinkled forehead, closed fist • Sitting • Sit with legs crossed leaning backwards, crossed ankles, show palms with finger stretched

30. Body language • Bored/Superior attitude • Standing • Look at ceiling, floor, nails, window, • Stand on toes • Low whistling • Sitting • Drum with fingers • Look in papers

31. Do’s and don’ts • Do’s • Smile • Make eye contact • Speak slowly • Take a break if the participants are sleeping • Stick to your disposition • Engage the audience • Repeat yourself

32. Do’s and don’ts • Don’ts • Don’t begin with an apology • Don’t look at the watch too much • Don’t move around too much • Don’t look at the floor • Don’t take your glasses on and off • Try not to bore the audience • Don’t say “ehhh” between sentences • Avoid speaking with too much of an accent

33. Participants – What to do with them? • Cantankerous person (kværulant) • The witty • The envious • The silent • The talking • The boaster

34. Fatigue signs from the audience • The audience is tired when they • rub their eyes • scratch their hair • are restless • look at the watch • have an empty look in their face

35. Summary • The preparation • Focus on the topic • Be prepared • The presentation • Think about your body language • Present yourself and the topic • Use examples • Repeat your key messages • And finally evaluate your performance