The

The Professional
Professional Presentation
Presentation
Introduction
Professional Presentations

Introduction

• Definitions
• Role of the Presentation
• Presentation Skills
• Systematic Planning
Professional Presentations

The Professional Presentation – “the

public speech of the future.”
• A MULTIMEDIA speech form
• Carefully planned, prepared,
rehearsed, and evaluated
• Definite purpose, specified audience
• Audience size 5 to 30 to hundreds
• Authorized and assigned by a
supervisor
• Not given by a professional speaker
• Often given repeatedly

Borman & Borman, Speech Communication: An Interpersonal Approach

Professional Presentations

Role of Presentations

• Making Contacts
• Communicating Ideas
and Information
• Persuading
• Reporting
• Advancing Your Career
Professional Presentations

Presentation Skills

• Knowing the Information

• Planning
• Designing and Producing
• Preparing
• Delivery
• Assessment
Professional Presentations

Systematic Planning

• Purpose: to control the nature and quality of

presentation development (system)
• Content: the ideas, materials, facilities, and
techniques used in the process (system)
• Process: interactions among the elements of
the system
How subject matter relates to the script to the
photographer to the slides to the auditorium to
the rehersal to the projectionist to the follow-up
questions to program changes.
Professional Presentations

Solving Communication
Problems
• IDENTIFY NEED: What is vs. what
should be.

• IDENTIFY PROBLEM: What is

missing that causes the need?

• IDENTIFY SOLUTION OPTIONS:

What alternatives are there?
PowerPoint Presentations–Examples

Only You Can Prevent

Forest Fires

United States Forest Service 1996

Keep Titles Large and Use Graphics Where Appropriate

PowerPoint Presentations–Examples

Only You Can Prevent

Forest Fires

United States Forest Service 1996

Make Good Use of the Available Space

PowerPoint Presentations–Examples

Only You Can Prevent

Forest Fires

United States Forest Service 1996

Differentiate the Importance of Messages

PowerPoint Presentations–Examples

Presentation Evaluation

• Verbal Presentation
• Visual Presentation
• Content Organization
• Overall Considerations

Bullet Slide: Use a title and make clear points.

PowerPoint Presentations–Examples

Presentation Evaluation

• Verbal Presentation
• Visual Presentation
• Content Organization
• Overall Considerations

Bullet Slide: Use “Build” to Develop Your Points

 PowerPoint Presentations–Examples

Presentation Evaluation

• Verbal Presentation
• Visual Presentation
• Content Organization
• Overall Considerations

Bullet Slide: Use a Graphic Element to Visually Illustrate

PowerPoint Presentations–Examples

Presentation Evaluation
• Quality of Verbal Presentation
• Voice quality (nervous/controlled)
• Projection of voice to audience
• Flow of presentation (what was next?)
• Verbalization (did s/he use “um” “ya know” “ahh”?)

• Visual Presentation
• Size of letters (could you read everything?)
• Use of colors (dark background, light letters)
• Use of pictures/clip art (did some slides have pictures?)
• Spacing (were some slides too crowded or too empty?)

Bullet Slide: Limit the Amount of Verbal Information

PowerPoint Presentations–Examples

Presentation Evaluation

• Verbal Presentation
• Visual Presentation
• Content Organization
• Overall Considerations

Don’t Use Confusing Backgrounds.

PowerPoint Presentations–Examples

Presentation Evaluation

• Verbal Presentation
• Visual Presentation
• Content Organization
• Overall Considerations

Don’t Use Too Many Colors or Fonts

PowerPoint Presentations–Examples

Presentation Evaluation

• Verbal Presentation
• Visual Presentation
• Content Organization
• Overall Considerations

Keep It Simple!!!!!