Getting a bunch of stuff handed back tonight.Next week and the week after, we’ll be doing presentations of our analytical reports. Determining who goes when by lottery. I pulled April 24 for my presentation date.
Talking about presentations today, in preparation for the next weeks.
Presentations should be coherent, logical, and deliver a smooth progression of ideas.
- Begin with an agenda slide
- Use divider slides between sections
- Use summary slides for long sections
The Presentation Process
- Plan
- Organize
- Develop Visual Aids
- Practice
- Deliver the Presentation
The first part of planning a presentation is knowing the purpose of the presentation. Figure out what you want to accomplish, and make sure every component of the presentation helps that accomplishment. A clear definition of purpose will help determine what should be included in the presentation and what excluded from it, the order in which information is to be prevented, and what emphasis should be placed on each point.
Audience considerations matter. Figure out how big your audience will be and who you expect to comprise it. That can determine the formality you need to use.
With an uninformed audience, use clear, easy to understand language, lots of visual aids, and lots of examples. With a hostile audience, use lots of experts and supporting facts. If the audience is mixed, try to strike a balance, and aim for the key decision-maker’s needs.
Organizing the Presentation
- In the opening
- Establish rapport with audience
- Be positive, don’t apologize
- Preview your remarks
- Communicate your expectations to the audience
- The body
- Choose an organization that suits your purposes and your audience’s needs.
- Establish your credibility
- Deal with negative information
- The Ending
- Summarize main points
- Show the significance of the material
- Conclude
- Make specific recommendations