Mastering Oral Presentations

Econ. Nerio D. Mavarez I.

March 2009
 Today´s Objective:
Becoming a Better Presenter

• Effective presentations are a mixture of a variety of

elements. You have to know what your audience wants.
You need to prepare good, interesting, engaging
content. You must be confident in presenting the
material, you have to know how to manage your
environment successfully, and you need to make sure
that your message has maximum impact.
 Overview
$232 million a day!

• This is a conservative estimate of the amount wasted on useless

presentations, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. This
is probably an understatement given the realities of the presentation
world today:
– presentations with a high “snooze” factor,
– slides with 12 bullets and 18 point type
– or a presenter who reads every word on their slide.
• Sadly, too many presentations are easy to forget. And that's a big
problem because the only reason the presenter gave the talk was to
communicate something to you!
 Better Public Speaking and Presentation

• There are four basic things that you can do to ensure that your
verbal messages are understood – and remembered – time and
time again.
• Although somewhat obvious and deceptively simple, these are:
– Understand the purpose of the presentation
– Keep the message clear and concise
– Be prepared
– Be vivid when delivering the message
• Before you start working on your talk or presentation, it's vital that
you really understand what you want to say, who you want to tell
and why they might want to hear it. To do this, ask yourself: Who?
What? How? When? Where? Why?
 Be an Effective Presenter:
Effective presenters will be more successful if :

• Is enthusiastic
• Has organized the session well
• Has a feeling for the subject
• Can conceptualize the topic
• Has empathy with the audience
• Understands how people learn
• Has skills in teaching and managing learning
• Is alert to context and ‘classroom’ events
• Is teaching with their preferred teaching style
• Has a wide range of skills in their teaching repertoire, including
‘questioning, listening, reinforcing, reacting, summarising and
leadership’ (McCrorie, 2006, p. 8).

Or…….
 Preparation
• Prepare the structure of the talk carefully and logically, just as you
would for a written report. What are:
• the objectives of the talk?
• the main points you want to make?
• Make a list of these two things as your starting point
• Write out the presentation in rough, just like a first draft of a written
report.
• Review the draft. You will find things that are irrelevant or
superfluous - delete them.
• Check the story is consistent and flows smoothly. If there are things
you cannot easily express, possibly because of doubt about your
understanding, it is better to leave them unsaid.
 Content
• Purpose
– Complement speaker
– Talk ≠ technical report
• Density
– 7 lines/page
– 6-7 words/line (Font Size 20 -24)
– ARIAL (Please!!!!!!)
 Content
• Purpose
– Complement speaker
– Talk ≠ technical report
• Density
–7 lines/page
– 4 words/line
– ARIAL (Please!!!!!!)
 Content
• Purpose
– Complement speaker
– Talk ≠ technical report
• Density
–7 lines/page
– 4 words/line
– ARIAL (Please!!!!!!)
 First Impression…….

• You have just a few seconds to make a good first

impression and it’s almost impossible ever to change it.
• So it’s worth giving each new encounter your best shot.
Much of what you need to do to make a good impression
is common sense.
• But with a little extra thought and preparation, you can
hone your intuitive style and make every first impression
not just good but great.
 First Impression…….
Tips:
• Be on Time
• Be yourself, Be at ease
• Present Yourself Appropriately
• A Winning Smile!
• Be Open and Confident
• Small Talk Goes a Long Way…
• Be Positive
• Be Courteous And Attentive
 Introduction: Do it or Die…
• This is the most important part of your presentation because the
audience will make judgments about you.
• They will decide in the first few minutes what you are like.
• They will also decide whether you deserve their attention. Therefore,
it is very important that you plan carefully what you want to say in
the introduction.

Tips
• Try to do these things in your introduction:
• Get the audience’s attention
• Introduce yourself
• Explain why you are there
• Explain what you hope to achieve
• Build a good relationship with the audience
 Introduction: Do it or Die…
Did you know?
• The tone of your voice and your body language can account for
68% of the message. Your body language (body movements) can
express your attitudes and thoughts.
• Therefore pay attention to the following tips:

7%

32%

61%

Corporalidad Voz Visual

 Body Language:
Your voice:
• Speak slowly so that everyone can follow.
• Speak loudly so that everyone can hear
• Speak clearly so that everyone can understand

Your face:
• Smile to give your audience reassurance and try not to look
confused, bored or scared.
• Try to be yourself and natural.

Your eyes
• You can build a good relationship with the audience by looking at
them when you are presenting your message.
• Looking at someone when you are talking to them is called ‘eye
contact’. Don’t read from your notes all the time.
 Body Language:
Your posture:
• Stand up straight and don’t lean against objects.
• Make sure you are not standing in the way of the
• visual aid. Check that everyone can see the board.

Your hands
• Don’t play with objects e.g. a pen in your hand and don’t
leave your hands in your pockets when you are talking.
• Do not hide your hand(s) while you are talking.
 Body Language
Your feet
• Try not to walk up and down the room too much or tap your feet
when you are talking.

Your appearance
• Dress appropriately for the presentation – not too casual (e.g.
jeans). Remember to dress for the audience and not yourself. Try to
remember not to wear jewellery that might shine or move about.

Your attitude
• Be enthusiastic about the subject you are presenting and be
confident. Try to stay calm and be professional!
 Body Language
Negative Body Language

• Match your words and body language:

– The customer will trust you less if you attempt to use body
language that differs markedly from what you are saying. If you
are honest in both, and use both to express your sincere interest
in helping the customer, this will show.
• Maintain the right distance
– People have a comfort zone for how close they want other
people to come.
Body Language (The Audience)
Negative Body Language

• Negative body language is somewhat less reliable as an

indicator of the person's comfort with the current
conversation than positive body language.
• Body tense: Stiffness, wrinkled brow, jerky body motion,
hands clasped in front or palms down on the table.
These can indicate concern with the topic or dealing with
the other person.
• Arms folded in front: Creates a barrier; can express
resistance to what is being said.
Body Language (The Audience)
Negative Body Language

Hand on face:
• A hand over one's mouth is a closed gesture. Leaning on one's
elbow with the chin in the hand can communicate boredom.
Fidgeting:
• Moving around a lot, playing with things and drumming fingers are
usually a sign of boredom, nervousness or impatience.
• Arms behind head, leaning back
Yawning
• Boredom, confusion. The other person is talking too much or in too
much technical detail.
Impatience
• Trying to interrupt what the other person is saying; opening one's
mouth frequently as if to speak.
 Making the presentation

• Greet the audience (for example, 'Good morning, ladies

and gentlemen'), and tell them who you are. Good
presentations then follow this formula:
– tell the audience what you are going to tell them,
– then tell them,
– at the end tell them what you have told them.

DON’T DO THIS
An often heard, but poor start
of a presentation is:
"Good morning, ladies and
gentlemen. I am … ... and I’d
like to tell you something
about
 Making the presentation

• Never read from a script. It is also unwise to have the talk written
out in detail as a prompt sheet - the chances are you will not locate
the thing you want to say amongst all the other text. You should
know most of what you want to say - if you don't then you should not
be giving the talk!
• So prepare cue cards which have key words and phrases (and
possibly sketches) on them. Postcards are ideal for this. Don't
forget to number the cards in case you drop them.
 Making the presentation

• Keep to the time allowed. If you can, keep it short. It's

better to under-run than over-run.
• As a rule of thumb, allow 2 minutes for each general
overhead transparency or Powerpoint slide you use, but
longer for any that you want to use for developing
specific points.
• So switch the display off, or replace the slide with some
form of 'wallpaper' such as a company logo.
• Press ¨B¨.
• Stick to the plan for the presentation, don't be tempted to
digress - you will eat up time and could end up in a
dead-end with no escape!
 The Attention Curve
• The average attendee of a conference is by all
means willing to listen to you, but he is also easily
distracted.
• You should realize that only a minor part of the
people have come specifically to listen to your talk.
• The rest is there for a variety of reasons, to wait for
the next speaker, or to get a general impression of
the field, or whatever.
 The Attention Curve
What can you do to catch the audience’s attention for the whole
duration of your talk?

The attention curve immediately gives a few recipes:

• Almost everyone listens in the beginning. This is THE moment to

make clear that you will present work that the audience cannot
afford to miss.
• If you want to get your message through, you should state it loud
and clear in the beginning, and repeat it at the end.
• The best approach, however, is to divide your presentation in
several parts, each ended by an intermediate conclusion. Therefore
you can get back the distracted and get them back to attention
mode.
Attention Curve
 Delivering the Presentation
• Speak clearly. Don't shout or whisper - judge the
acoustics of the room.
• Don't rush, or talk deliberately slowly. Be natural
- although not conversational.
• Deliberately pause at key points - this has the
effect of emphasizing the importance of a
particular point you are making.
• Avoid jokes - always disastrous unless you are a
natural expert
 Delivering the Presentation
• Use your hands to emphasize points but don't indulge in
to much hand waving. People can, over time, develop
irritating habits.
• Ask colleagues occasionally what they think of your
style.
• Look at the audience as much as possible, but don't fix
on an individual - it can be intimidating. Pitch your
presentation towards the back of the audience,
especially in larger rooms.
 Delivering the Presentation
• Avoid moving about too much. Pacing up and
down can unnerve the audience, although some
animation is desirable.
• SLIPKNOT SYNDROM.
• Keep an eye on the audience's body language.
Know when to stop and also when to cut out a
piece of the presentation.
 Speaker Reads Slides

• A speaker may put his entire presentation on his

slides. He turns his back to the audience and
reads the slides aloud. Perhaps he feels this
approach guarantees all the information will get to
the audience.
• This may be the most annoying way to give a
presentation. Audience members feel insulted:
they already know how to read! They wonder why
the lecturer doesn’t simply hand out a copy of the
slides.
• The visual presentation dominates the presenter.
The presenter is not adding any value to what is
on the slides.
 Visual Aids
• Keep it simple though - a complex set of hardware can
result in confusion for speaker and audience.
• Make sure you know in advance how to operate the
equipment and also when you want particular displays to
appear.
• Sometimes a technician will operate the equipment.
Arrange beforehand, what is to happen and when and
what signals you will use.
• Edit your slides as carefully as your talk - if a slide is
superfluous then leave it out. If you need to use a slide
twice, duplicate it. And always check your slides - for
typographical errors, consistency of fonts and layout.
 Visual Aids
• Watch your laser pointer. It might become annoying or
distracting for the audience. Use it to highlight key points
during your presentation.
• Room lighting should be considered. Too much light
near the screen will make it difficult to see the detail. On
the other hand, a completely darkened room can send
the audience to sleep.
• Try to avoid having to keep switching lights on and off,
but if you do have to do this, know where the light
switches are and how to use them.
The ¨Z¨ is not for Zorro
Typical Eye Movement

Upper left

Upper right

Lower left

Lower right
Image reproduced from www.animationalley.com
 Wall of White

Increases glare

Causes eyestrain

Distracts from speaker
 Red/Blue Conflict

Red letters on blue background

creates “flicker effect”

Blue letters on red background

just as bad
 Low Contrast

White on yellow Yellow on white

Black on blue Blue on black

Subliminal Message:
Decline
Subliminal Message:
Improvement
 Closing Summary:
• Attentive at the begining
• Less attentive at the middle
• More attentive at the end
• Say what you are say
• Say it
• Say it again
• Time (min.10, max.12minutes)
 Always remember…..
Planning
• Defining Your Presentation Objectives and Purpose
• Know Your Audience
• Know Your Venue
• Know Your Equipment
• Story Telling – Beginning, Middle and End
• Use of Repetition
• Prioritizing Information
Preparing
• Presentation Model
• Tools for Presentation Planning
• Effective Visuals
• Effective Fonts
 Always remember…..
Avoiding “Death by PowerPoint”
• Use of Templates
• Use of the Slide Master
• Using the Task Pane
• Use of PowerPoint Plug-Ins
• Handouts and the Handout Master
• Stock Photography Resources
• Charts from Excel – Do’s and Don’ts
 Always remember…..
Delivering the Presentation
• Reading the Audience
• Audience Interaction
• Overcoming Presentation Anxiety
• The Importance of Practice
• Checking Your Equipment
• Handouts – pros and cons
• PPT Keyboard Shortcuts
• Evaluating & Improving Your Presentation
 Unforgettable delivery

• Your delivery of your speech or presentation will make or break it,

no matter how well you've prepared and crafted your clear, concise
message. Some useful tips for keeping your presentation vivid
include:
– Use examples to bring your points to life
– Keep your body language up-beat – don't stay stuck behind a rostrum
– Don't talk to fast. Less is more here too. Pauses are effective.
– Use a variety of tones of voice
– Use visual aids.

• Be yourself!!!!!!!
Product and Promotion Management

Econ. Nerio D. Mavarez I.

September 2008