The Art of Effective Presentation Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi Smart - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

12/27/2015 The Art of Effective Presentation Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi Smart Energy Lab (SEL) Department of Electrical Engineering University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195-2500 e-mail: elsharkawi@ee.washington.edu web: http://SmartEnergyLab.com Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 1 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 2 Myth 1: Details “Audience wants a lot of in-depth details in order to evaluate the speaker’s ideas.” Popular Myths and Mistakes • Actually, listeners want talks to be – easily followed – well organized • Simplifying and repeating the main idea will result in increased attentiveness and retention. “less is more.” Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 3 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 4 1

12/27/2015 Myth 2: Style is Unimportant Myth 3: Style is Unimportant “The text on the visuals is more important than the speaker.” “Content is everything. Style is unimportant and enthusiasm is offensive.” • Actually, audience wants • Actually: – effective style, which included better visual assistance – Presenters traditionally rely too much on slides. – more enthusiasm – Often, audiences find slides distracting and boring. – Unenthusiastic delivery will ruin a speaker’s effectiveness. • Keep in mind • Speaker is always the focal point of presentation – Body language and tone of voice together account for – Visual assistance helps as much as 90% of the overall message impact. – Pace of the presentation is important. – Flow of the information presented is important. Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 5 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 6 Myth 4: Strategic Organization is Unimportant “Strategic organization is not critical. – as long as we supply all the details, the audience is capable of drawing the appropriate conclusions. – jump into the body of the presentation. Strategic Planning of Presentation – the objective of the talk can be at the end of the talk.” • Actually, speaker must not rely on the audience to fill in gaps and reach appropriate conclusions. • Speaker must understand different types of presentations, organization, and strategies for a particular type of speech. • Don’t leave your audience missing the big picture! Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 7 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 8 2

12/27/2015 Successful Presentation Ultimate Goal of a Presentation • Provide highlights of your subject to • Successful presentation has – Logical flow of motivation/ideas/results 1. Stimulate intellectual thought – Fluent language capability 2. Encourage discussions – Well prepared visual material • Practice, practice and practice are essential for skilled presentations Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 9 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 10 10 Before you Start Before you Start 1. Know the purpose of your presentation • Ask yourself questions: 2. Know your audience (peers vs. general audience) – What kind of approach can best bring your message across? 3. Know your time limits – Will it be better to ‘beat around the bush’ or to be direct? • A 30 minutes presentation – What kind of support will be most effective? • No more than 4-5 main points could be covered adequately • Audience expects only highlights • Use illustrations Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 11 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 12 3

12/27/2015 Keep in Mind • Don’t waste others’ time; make your points – Simple Presentation Modality – Clear – Sequential – Concise Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 13 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 14 Basic Formula Basic Formula for Presentation Organization for Presentation Organization 1. Opening – grab attention 4. Conclusion – summarize briefly main points 2. Introduction – “Why bring this topic up?” 5. Close – last strong sentences that leave the 3. Body – bulk of the presentation audience with something to remember – Every important point that you make must provide support – Must tie to your main idea and should tie to • Statistics, analogies your opening to be effective • Testimony • Illustrations • Specific examples • … ... Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 15 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 16 4

12/27/2015 Openings Good Openings • Startling question: • Purpose – “Can fasting kill you?” – Grab the audience’s attention so that they will want to hear more • Challenging statement: – Should be a “grabber” or “attention seeker” – “A great part of world civilization is based on Islamic innovations?” – Not only arouse interest, but also suggest the theme of the speech • An appropriate short quotation or illustration – Openings can be dramatic, emotional, humorous or rhetorical • A surprising generalization: – Give a big picture – “Seattleites are coffee addicts” • An exhibit – object, article, picture • Personal story related to the subject Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 17 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 18 Poor Openings • A long or slow-moving quotation • A self introduction • An apologetic statement • Story or joke which does not connect to the theme • A sour remark Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 19 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 20 5

12/27/2015 Closings of Presentation Good Closings • Purpose • A call or an appeal for definite action – Stress your objectives – Leave the audience with something to remember • An appropriate short quotation or illustration – Closing is the “clincher”, ultimately the “result getter”. • An exhibit – an object, article, picture – Closing can be dramatic, emotional, or humorous – Closing must tie with your opening and your theme • A personal challenge – Poor closing can seriously detract from an otherwise excellent presentation – Don’t run out of time and hassle the closing Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 21 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 22 Poor Closings • An apologetic statement • A stale remark • Hurried out statement Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 23 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 24 6

12/27/2015 Harvard Formula of Persuasive Speeches 1. Point of View “ Smoking is hazardous for your life ” 2. Reasons “ Smoking causes cancer ” Visual Assistance 3. Examples “ 50,000 people die per year from cancer ” Evidence “ If you want a long full life, give up 4. Point of view cigarettes ” restated “ Take the first step tonight and sign up 5. “You” oriented for ‘no more smoking’ seminar ” Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 25 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 26 Visual Assistance Visuals • Studies show that people store and access information in three • Visuals support the speech, they are NOT the primary message – used to clarify the message primary ways: • You must practice your main points of the presentation without relying on the – Visually, auditorially, kinesthetically visuals • Adults absorb, retain and learn: • Visuals should assist you in controlling – 10% of what they read – Pace of the presentation – Flow of the information – 20% what they hear • Important! – When you transition from one visual to the next, introduce the – 30% what they read and hear topic area of the next visual before it is revealed. – 50% what they hear and see – 90% what they do Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 27 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 28 7

12/27/2015 Creating Your Visuals Creating Your Visuals • A max of 12 lines per visual • Readable from the back of the room – Do not put too much information within a single visual – Print size at least 20 points • A title for each visual • No more than 3-5 major points – Title must be meaningful – Each point must be easily identifiable • Simple readable labels – Use highlights, colors, bullets, different text size – Labels on charts or graphs should be meaningful, specific and precise Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 29 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 30 Presentation Delivery • Body language – Contributes 55% toward message impact Delivery Techniques • Tone of voice – Contributes 38% toward message impact • Actual words – Contributes 7% toward message impact Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 31 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 32 8

12/27/2015 Body Language Body Language Eye Contact Lectern or Podium • Eye contact is a primary and vital part of interpersonal • Try not to stand behind lectern or podium communication • Have no barrier between you and the audience • By gazing directly into another’s eyes we establish link/closeness • When speaking to audience, maintain eye contact with audience • Perception of you trying to distance yourself from members; don’t focus on one person audience makes your talk cold and detached. • Perception of distrust are created when eye contact is NOT maintained. Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 33 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 34 Body Language Body Language Facial Expression Gestures • Most expressive part of body language • Speaker must be certain that his/her words and • Speaker uses his hands and arms to illustrate his words his/her face are communicating the same message. • Basic gestures show things such as: weight, shape, direction, importance, comparison, contrast • If not, he/she will leave the audience confused and uncertain of the true message. • Don’t fumble with a pencil, watch, or ring while you speak Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 35 Mohamed A. El-Sharkawi 36 9