Effective Lectures

Seminar

Topic 14. Prepare

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 Using Notes

Notes are exceptional tools, in

terms of effective
presentations, as helpers but
also as obstacles when
performing your speech.

Using notes as a script reduces

your chances of connecting
with your audience, for the
Prepare

reasons we have given before.

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You may prefer to use

key words only, key
sentences, graphics or
some combination of
those. Sometimes you
can use an outline that
orders your thoughts
sequentially, or one
that breaks out your
ideas according to
content topic.
Prepare

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 There are also the technology-based mechanisms that
have been growing in use. It began with the now low-tech
teleprompter and moved on to encompass such things as
laptop screens, color printouts, and smartphones that can
zoom to large-size font, among others.
Prepare

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If you are going to use your notes, make it perfectly

clear; don’t try to be discrete because it looks worst.

Don’t memorize. It's just about impossible to

remember everything, which all but guarantees that
you'll come up blank at some point.

Work to internalize your presentation, focusing on the

ideas behind the words.

Rehearse as many times as you need to. That will

clearly reduce your need for notes in the first place.
Prepare

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 When using notes you should:

Make sure your

Never write in full
notes are easy to
sentences.
read

Learn how to
interact with the It's fine to look at
physical cards, your notes.
slides or paper.

Practice, practice,
practice until you
can use your notes
Prepare

smoothly and
seamlessly

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Arrange slides
according to topics
A. To report progress.

Describe the issue or assignment, including why it’s important.

Describe the critical outstanding problems.

Prioritize them, and describe how they’re being addressed.

Describe successes to date – positive progress made.

Close with action steps.

Prepare

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 Arrange slides
according to topics
B. To recommend a strategy.

Define the objective.

Describe the current conditions.

Describe the desired state.

List the possible strategies, with pros and cons of each.

Identify best one, describe next steps.

Prepare

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Arrange slides
according to topics
C. To persuade of the benefits of a particular product,
service; or sales talk.

Frame the need that the product, service, or idea addresses.

Describe the need in more detail.

Describe the ways in which your solution addresses the need.

Describe the benefits of buying in to your solution.

Prepare

Get agreement on a next step.

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 Arrange slides
according to topics

D. To choose among several alternatives.

Frame the situation.

Describe the criteria for success and prioritize them.

Describe alternatives.
Compare to the criteria and eliminate alternatives that don’t
meet criteria.
Prepare

Recommend best remaining alternative.

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Arrange slides
according to topics
F. To teach a procedure or a skill.

Frame the skill in terms of its importance to the audience.

Explain the skill or procedural steps involved.

Get the audience to try some aspect of the skill or
procedure.
Review and summarize, including anything the audience did
not try.
Describe what the audience can do on its own to acquire
Prepare

the skill or procedure.

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 • Carillo, F. (2005). Presentations skills: using notes. Retrieved from
http://totalcommunicator.com/vol3_5/expert5.html
• Morgan, N. (2011). 5 Quick Ways to Organize a Presentation.
Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorgan/2011/09/06/5-quick-
ways-to-organize-a-presentation/
• Reiffenstein, K. (2009). Presentation tip: use notes. Retrieved
from
http://andnowpresenting.typepad.com/professionally_speakin
g/2009/05/presentation-tip-use-notes.html
References

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© Universidad Tecmilenio

Author
David Baglietto Fernández, MBA
Academic design coordinator
Ma. Del Socorro Dávila Salinas, MIB, MBA
Universidad Tecmilenio
Production
Vicerrectoría Académica y de Innovación.
Credits

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