Formal/Power-point Presentations

By Jaidev Bishnoi
Outline…
 Planning: Occasion, audience, purpose, thesis, and material
 Outlining and structuring: Introduction, main body, and conclusion
 Choosing the mode of delivery
 Guidelines for effective delivery
 Verbal elements
 Non-verbal elements
 Vocal elements
 Visual aids
 Stress management and Time Management
Planning

 What is the Occasion: time, context, venue, and the available facilities of the
presentation
 Who are the Audience? Clients, colleagues, professionals, laypersons, age group,
size of the group, Gender distribution, etc.
 What is the Purpose of the presentation? to inform, to analyze, or to persuade
 Thesis: simple, declarative statement
 Sources, Material and research: the library, Internet, magazines, newspapers,
organizational records, statistics, and publications.
 Tips for Creating an Impact on the Audience

 Before beginning your presentation, look at all the sections of the audience.
 Always begin with a smile and greet them in pleasant tone.
 Give the impression that you are not lecturing but sharing your views with them.
 Modify your tone/material according to the reaction of your audience.
 Choose examples that are familiar to the major section of the audience
 Choose words as per your audience’s background
 Do not get annoyed if there is a slight disturbance among the audience
 Concentrate on your ideas and be with the topic
 Encourage audience for questions
 Anticipate their problems and expectations
OUTLINING AND STRUCTURING

 Introduction should grab attention, introduce topic, contain a strategy for establishing
credibility, preview the speech, establish rules for questions, and have a smooth transition
to the main text.
 Main body should contain all the main points and supporting material; the entire matter
should be organized into a logical sequence (Chronological, Categorical, Problem–
solution, cause-effect)
supporting material: definitions, diagrams, examples, statistics, analogy, testimony
 Conclusion should contain signal, highlight/summary, closing statement/re-emphasis, a
vote of thanks, and invitation to questions.
Modes of Delivery

 Extemporaneous
 Manuscript
 Impromptu
 Memorization
Guidelines for effective delivery

 Verbal elements
 Word pictures
 Similes and metaphors
 Impact words: avoid first person, instead prefer we, us
 Smooth flow: We completed the project in January. Meanwhile other developments were taking
place.
Non-verbal elements
Our appearance, facial expressions, eye contact, postures, gestures, and the space we share with
our audience, all communicate our interest, enthusiasm, dynamism, intention, and confidence to
our audience.
 Wear a formal dress and use simple accessories; take care of your personal hygiene
 Use facial expressions to exhibit your enthusiasm and interest; do not show your irritation or
anger
 Make eye contact with all sections of the audience
 Use well-timed gestures; avoid monotonous gesture
 Stand tall and straight with shoulders upright; walk/move swiftly; avoid too many and
monotonous movements
 Do not come very close to the audience; maintain a distance of at least 4–12 feet
 Avoid looking outside even if there is some external noise.
 Try to concentrate on your ideas and audience
Vocal elements

 Vocal elements, namely the tone, pitch, rate, and volume, reflect our attitude about
ourselves, our message, and our audience. Try the following tips :
 Speak with enthusiasm and sincerity
 Adjust the volume of your voice
 Use silence and pauses effectively
 Avoid monotones or vocalized pauses
 Articulate each word clearly
 Use your optimal pitch
 Avoid fast delivery
 VISUAL AIDS IN PRESENTATIONS

Why visual aids? Because they

Increase audience interest,
Illustrate key points,
Signal transition from one part of the presentation to the next,
Increase impact of message,
And help listeners retain information
Stress

How to overcome
12 Stress Management

 Homework: thorough Preparation

 Practice before the Mirror/ Friends
 Take a Deep Breath
 Do Physical Exercise/ Yoga
 Self Confidence in your Ability
 Prepare Brief Notes with Key Phrases

“All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
13 Time Management

 Punctuality
 Attention
 Balanced Development of Each Idea
 Total Time Spent on Presentation
 Time Spent on Answering each Question
General Tips for Effective Presentations and
Speeches (1)
 Be clear with your purpose.
 Know your audience.
 Keep enough time for preparation.
 Develop interest in the topic; know more about it by reading books, newspapers, etc.,
listening to and discussing with people.
 Collect adequate material and then select what to present according to the purpose and
time given.
 Organize and make an outline with the main points and sub-points.
 Structure your presentation into three parts: beginning, middle, and end.
General Tips for Effective Presentations and
Speeches (2)
 Prepare illustrations, such as graphs, maps, drawings, tables, etc., accurately. Ensure that
they are visible to everybody in the audience.
 Familiarize yourself with the venue and the available equipment.
 Arrive early and check the arrangements and your PowerPoint slides.
 Be excited about your presentation. Think all positive qualities in you and feel confident.
 On reaching the stage, look at the audience for a few seconds before you start speaking.
 See to it that your introduction goes smooth. You have won half the battle if this is done.
 Use transitions effectively so as to provide a smooth flow to your speech.
General Tips for Effective Presentations and
Speeches(3)
 Give a feeling to your audience that you are not dictating but sharing information.
 Explain each slide adequately. Do not just flip slides. Give time for the audience to grasp
its contents.
 Maintain eye contact with all sections of your audience.
 Exhibit your enthusiasm, excitement, sincerity, and interest through appropriate facial
expressions.
 Use well-timed gestures to substantiate your points.
 Adopt postures that reveal your confidence. Avoid monotonous postures. Do not move
excessively.
General Tips for Effective Presentations and
Speeches (4)
 If necessary you sit and present in front of a small group.
 If necessary distribute handouts (copy of your slides or any other material) at the right time
 If you sit and present in front of a small group, adopt a straight posture on your chair and
lean forward while presenting.
 Do not sit in a relaxed posture as it will reflect a casual attitude.
 Listen to questions carefully and answer them completely
18 Before Ending

 Signal the Presentation is Coming to an End

 Reinforce the Main Message
Tips for Making Effective PowerPoint Presentations (1)

 Use the slide master feature to create a consistent and simple design template. It is fine to vary the
content presentation (bulleted list, two-column text, text and image, etc.), but be consistent with other
elements such as font, colors and background.
 Simplify and limit the number of words on each screen. Use key phrases and include only essential
information.
 With in a slide, generally no more than 6 words a line, generally no more than 6 lines a page, no long
sentences, emphasis important information with a larger font, keep font size at between 16 to 48
 Limit punctuation and avoid putting words in all-capital letters. Empty space on the slide will enhance
readability.
 Use contrasting colors for text and background. Light text on a dark background is best. Patterned
backgrounds can reduce readability.
 Graphics, Images and Clipart should enhance and complement the text, not overwhelm it (generally no
more then two images per slide)
 Use good-quality images that reinforce and complement your message. Ensure that your image maintains
its impact and resolution when projected on a larger screen.
Tips for Making Effective PowerPoint
Presentations(2)
 Learn to navigate your presentation in a nonlinear fashion. PowerPoint allows the presenter
to jump ahead or back without having to page through all the interim slides.
 Know how to and practice moving forward and backward within your presentation.
Audiences often ask to see a previous screen again.
 If possible, view your slides on the screen you’ll be using for your presentation. Make sure
the slides are readable from the back row seats. Text and graphic images should be large
enough to read but not so large as to appear “loud.”
 Do not read from your slides. The content of your slides is for the audience, not for the
presenter.
 Do not speak to your slides. Many presenters face their presentation onscreen rather than
their audience.
 Do not apologize for anything in your presentation. If you believe something will be hard to
read or understand, don’t use it.
Tips for Making Effective PowerPoint
Presentations(3)
 Avoid the use of flashy transitions such as text fly-ins. These features may seem impressive
at first but are distracting and get old quickly.
 Overuse of special effects such as animation and sounds may make your presentation
“cutesy” and could negatively affect your credibility.
 If you use builds (lines of text appearing each time you click the mouse), have content
appear on the screen in a consistent, simple manner; from the top or left is best. Use the
feature only when necessary to make your point, because builds can slow your presentation.
 Limit the number of slides. Presenters who constantly “flip” to the next slide are likely to
lose their audience. A good rule of thumb is one slide per minute.
 Practice with someone who has never seen your presentation. Ask them for honest feedback
about colors, content and any effects or graphic images you’ve included.
22 Criteria for Evaluation

 Content and Organization (Verbal)

 Accuracy of Language
 Fluency of Expression
 Effectiveness of Visuals, the Slides (Visual Cues)
 Pronunciation, Voice Modulation (Vocal Cues)
 Linking Devices
 Delivery
 Body Language (Non Verbal)
 Grooming
 Stress, Space, Time Management
 Audience Connection/ Interaction
23 Thank you

“An Effective Communicator can Evolve as

a Successful Professional.”