Effective Technical Presentations

1. Effective Technical Presentations Stephanie E. August, Ph.D. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department Loyola Marymount University Effective Technical Presentations Introduction

2. How to Deliver an Effective Technical Presentation • Know your subject • Know your audience • Organize your talk • Prepare • Practice • Practice • Practice Effective Technical Presentations

3. Subject Matter • Know your subject thoroughly • Make an outline • Write the presentation out from your ‘head’ knowledge • Use a logical, flowing order • Limit the talk to no more than three key ideas Effective Technical Presentations

4. Prepare the Talk for This Audience • Learn as much as you can about the audience ahead of time. • Note any special characteristics about the audience • Tailor your jokes to what you’ve learned • Map your terms to theirs • Aim below their level slightly • Vocabulary simplified (if and whenever possible) • Concepts explained simply • Use “analogies” for concepts when possible • Compliment / flatter the audience, but don’t overdo it Effective Technical Presentations

5. Consider the Formula for Persuasive Arguments • PREP (Point-Reason-Example-Point) • Start by clearly making a single point • State a reason for making that point • Give an example that supports your point • Conclude with a restatement of your original point • OREO (Opinion-Reason-Example- Opinion) • Same idea, but states the presenter’s opinion instead Effective Technical Presentations

6. Organize Your Presentation Carefully • Provide an introduction • tell them what you are going to tell them (the point or opinion) • Provide details in the body • deliver the message (tell them) • End with a summary or conclusions • tell them what you just told them • Your objective is to communicate Effective Technical Presentations

7. Divide the Presentation into Clear Segments • Deliver the message • The first visual should be a title slide containing • the title of the presentation (or project) • your name • the date of the presentation • Introduce your main point on the second visual • Include an outline (if the presentation is long enough) Effective Technical Presentations

8. Use Your Visuals as an Aid for Your Audience • Remember the Golden Rule in the body: • Use 5-6 main bullets per slide maximum • Incorporate pictures, graphs, drawings wherever possible • Summarize your main points • State future extensions to your work • End with a conclusions slide • Invite questions, as time permits • Thank your audience, and let them know you will be happy to discuss your talk further with on an individual basis. Effective Technical Presentations

9. Practice the Presentation • Know your material • Practice a few times • Time your presentation • Know the subject and your presentation • Do not memorize! Do not “read the slides”! • Stand near the projected image • Avoid blocking the image (laser pointer) • Have another student advance the slides, or use a remote mouse • Practice! Effective Technical Presentations

10. Vary the Presentation • Include both words and graphics in the presentations • Limit text to 5 or 10 lines per slides • Use letters large enough for all the audience to see clearly. • Bold fonts give better contrast • Present graphics with an appropriate level of detail • Use a block diagram rather than a detailed circuit • unless you want to discuss the circuit • Use diagrams whenever possible • Use UML rather than lines of code to present software • unless you want to discuss significant aspects of the code Effective Technical Presentations

11. Take Your time • Allow time to explain each slide • Include main points on the slides • Spend an average of 3 to 5 minutes on each slide • Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words! Effective Technical Presentations

12. Use a Consistent Style • Keep to one sentence per bullet • Consider using phrases • Avoid mixing sentences and phrases on one slide, however! • Sub-bullets can be 3 to 4 points smaller than main bullets • If you prefer that style • Vary capitalization? • Be consistent with punctuation Effective Technical Presentations

13. Practice! • Practice will improve both your presentation and your visuals • Make adjustments to both as needed • Rehearse several times • in front of a mirror • in front of a friend • in front of a video camera • Stick to the established timeline • Time your talk • Forty minutes is the absolute maximum Effective Technical Presentations

14. Conclusion • Know your subject • 6-P principle, PREP, and OREO • Know your audience • Organize your talk carefully • Divide into segments, use good visuals, ‘mix it up’, • Prepare in advance (don’t forget technical set up!) • Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice! Effective Technical Presentations