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How To Present Technical Information
Gregory Barnes Nelson
STATPROBE Technologies greg.barnesnelson@statprobe.com

Neil Howard
Parke-Davis/Warner-Lambert Neil.Howard@wl.com

"It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech". Mark Twain
An old Chinese proverb says, "One doesnt speak unless he is sure he can improve upon the silence."

"If you dont understand something, use longer words. Share the ignorance with your audience". - Hortons Laws "The secret of being a bore is to tell everything". - Voltaire "A speech is like a love affair -- any fool can start one, but it requires considerable skill to end one". - E.C. McKenzie "A multiplicity of words indicates poverty of thought". - E.C. McKenzie "The chief fault with audiences is they often see the point before you get there. It is disconcerting." - J.K. Jerome "Practice is everything." - Periander of Corinth, 600 B.C.

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A Guide to Preparing Technical Presentations
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So, youve decided to give a SUGI paper. This can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your career. Developing and delivering a presentation at a local, regional, national or even international conference can be one of the most valuable services you can offer, as well as a personally rewarding experience. This supplement to the SUGI Paper Presentation Guidelines is designed to offer speakers some assistance in preparing themselves for the presentation at SUGI. It is also designed to supplement both the paper presentation guidelines as well as the Sunday presentation at SUGI by Neil Howard and Greg Barnes Nelson. This guide discusses tips that will give you an enhanced perspective on preparing technical information and preparing to present to an audience. It will help you analyze your speaking ability and performance style, and enable you to build and deliver more effective presentations, based on your objectives and the expectations of your audience. Start by answering the following questions:
 What is the purpose of a presentation at a conference?  What does your audience expect from you and your talk?  What is your objective?  What environment will you be presenting in?  How much time do you have?  What are your development alternatives?

We hope to help you answer these questions for yourself by focusing on the three phases of the presentation process: Preparation, Design and Delivery.

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Prepare well in advance. Know you presentation criteria and understand your message. There is no substitution for being prepared. When you fly by the seat of your pants, it's common for your presentation to jump all over the place, lacking logical, progressive flow. Ill-prepared presentation take too long to deliver and your audience may find them hard to follow. Frequently, you may leave out many of the points you want to make, including effective illustrations which bring the presentation to life.

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Take time to prepare and practice, using a logical outline. Be sure your presentation clearly and concisely covers all the points you want to make. Providing a copy of the outline to your listener may also be an effective way to gain audience participation and interest.

Choose Your Words Carefully

In an attempt to sound spontaneous and conversational many business speakers believe they need little or no preparation for their presentations. They forget how powerful the spoken word can be. Regardless of a judges admonitions, the jury will not disregard the inadmissible evidence they have heard. In fact, the information may gain more importance by the caveat. Executives are often enslaved by presentations created in "written style". These speeches read well because they conform to journalistic standards but dont speak well because they are missing rhetorical factors such as alliteration, repetition, personal pronouns and audience interaction. If you are not excited and convinced by what you have to say, chances are your audience will respond in a like manner.

Alternatives to your approach

Design a presentation that anticipates questions or alternatives and overcomes them before they become barriers to the audience listening to you. Try to find examples which are simple and effectively illustrate your points, not because you thought your code or example was really good.

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Below are some tips in basic design techniques that will make your work more polished and professional:
 Analyze your objective.

Do you intend to teach, sell or review a problem? Your design should reflect your objectives and the audience's expectations.
 K.I.S.S.

You've seen it before, remember it here- Keep It Short and Simple. Elaborate designs can impede the impact of the message. Design should enhance, not compete.
 Be consistent.

Create a master style to use for the whole presentation. Use the same fonts, colors and graphic styles for continuity and flow.
 Develop your message in outline form

Design and build on major points, then go back and emphasize or add special touches. This can be particularly effective in electronic presentations. Rather than bombard your audience with a lot of code on the same slide, you should try to build the code in sections to help them understand your point. The building sequence option is unique to slide and electronic presentations because you can
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smoothly transition from image to image. It can be a powerful tool when presenting a lot of code.
 Dont clutter

Leave lots of "white" space or blue space, whatever color you choose for a background. Dont overwhelm your audience with text or graphics.
 Use color carefully

Use no more than 3 or 4 colors for each presentation and rely on values (lightness or darkness of a color) for contrast while maintaining continuity.
 Choose a soothing background color

Use contrasting colors to emphasize a point. Remember the old color wheel from grade school? Get one, it still helps create good design.
 Choose on-line colors carefully

Choosing colors for electronic presentations can be very tricky. Especially if you use different kinds of projection equipment. What looks good on your desktop computer, may not look good on your laptop. Be prepared to spend some time with the equipment prior to your presentation choosing colors and backgrounds that look good from 75 feet away. The key here is not to wow the audience with your graphical talents, but to convey a message.
 Use audio appropriately

When working with audio, choose music or narration that reflects and enhances your style not interfere with it.
 Bigger is Better

Keep your graphs and text big. Remember that the audience is trying to learn something. They are most likely going to be taking copious notes. Make it easy for them to see what they need to write.
 Select appropriate images

When selecting artwork, labels, icons, video clips, and photos developing graphics for your presentations, continuously put yourself in the audiences mind. Often in the haste of production, the appropriateness of the images is not addressed.
 Ensure each "slide" meets your objective

The design of your presentation is meant to draw the audience in and increase learning and retention. In order to avoid meaningless and distracting items in your presentation, sketch out your ideas including the purpose of the slide/ overhead and the result you expect to obtain. Compare the purpose of each window to the core message to determine if it is necessary.
 Practice

Practice will help you: see the effectiveness of your visuals; detect poor logic and reasoning; look and feel more comfortable; improve vocal variety/inflection and phrasing; improve effectiveness of gestures, detect and avoid annoying mannerisms; get comfortable with visual aids; and time your delivery. Get and use feedback.
 Remember your audience

Your audience wants style and substance, being drawn to integrity, genuineness,
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enthusiasm, humility, your desire to give value. Take yourself out of the presentation if you remember your audience, the rest becomes very logical.

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y Responsibilities as a speaker: y y y y y y y y y y y y y y projecting your voice and personality moving with agility and sureness speaking expressively, with inflection total concentration commitment to the moment projecting excitement and enthusiasm convey believability and credibility being literate and cogent staying focused self-confidence and subject confidence notice audience mood/behavior accessibility humility and sincerity energy Developing Your Style y y y y get feedback on your body language become aware of your habits and gestures use a mirror, video tape, critics modify your body language to suit the image you want to portray identify your strengths and weaknesses as a speaker decide what you would like your audience to say about you when the presentation is over decide what it would take for your audience to want to see you again tomorrow create a "presence" Managing Anxiety y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y a little nervousness is good!!! practice in low-risk situations practice relaxation techniques experiment with mental imaging learn the causes of your anxiety create an anti-anxiety routine take a walk check out your appearance do deep breathing review your objectives double check your equipment take care if superstitions whatever it is, do the same thing every time and dont be self-conscious about it dont tell anyone youre nervous!! let go!!

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The Time Factor y y y y y develop good tempo and timing be aware of the session time limits time your speech dont run over or under time leave time for questions

Tips y y y dont use a podium -its a prop and a barrier move -to focus the audience, keep you alive involve the audience whenever possible, ask them a question... make eye contact cover the logistics: review equipment needs with session coordinator visit the room, own it, count the chairs review your own materials try out the microphone

Projecting the Proper Image y y y y y y y y compliment your audience by what you wear your attire is nonverbal communication you are what you wear, perception is everything appropriate business attire take loose change and keys out of your pockets remove distractions (to yourself or the audience) develop an attitude of purpose would someone say "Hey, he must be a speaker!!" about you?

Humor y y y y y y y adds entertainment value adds energy and liveliness make sure its appropriate collect humor, research it trap ad-libs and audience responses practice and get feedback go for it

y y y y y y

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Deciding on the Media: How should you present this information?

How do you decide which media to use for your presentation? The decision depends on five primary factors: audience, environment, objective, time, and cost. Your choices include: 35mm slides, overhead transparencies, electronic online screen show, and/or hand-outs. Your further choices include use of color, black and white, graphics and other enhancements. The attached media sheet isolates the PROS, CONS, Recommended Uses, and TIPS for each of the presentation types. Analyze your situation, objectives, budget, and the expectations of your audience before choosing.

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 If at all possible, use a remote control to advance your images. Move away from

the equipment so that your audience can view your whole body. Use gestures, body language and facial expressions as you would for every presentation.
 If a remote control is not available and you have a wireless microphone, step to

the side closest to the screen. Give your presentation in full view of your audience and advance your images with a simple reach of your hand.
 If you cant move away from the podium due to platform, lighting, microphone or

other configuration, you need to adjust your gestures. Facial expressions become the single most important element. Keep it exaggerated. Hand gestures should be higher and more dramatic than usual.
 Practice holding your facial and body gestures longer than in a typical

conversation. This gives the audience time to view your images, hear your words and see your expression.
 If your technology fails, tell the audience you have a problem. Try to reboot your

system and re-launch your presentation. If it does not work the first time, DO NOT TRY TO FIX IT! Say to your audience something funny to get them, and you, out of the uncomfortable situation. (Try, "Its nice to know we can all count on taxes, death and Murphys Law". ) Walk away from the equipment and deliver your presentation without the visuals. This tells your audience two things; your professional and prepared
 You should always have a paper hardcopy of your presentation next to your

computer for just such an occasion. That way, you can speak from your notes and the audience can follow along with their copy.
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(IIHFWLYH 3UHVHQWDWLRQ 6NLOOV :RUNVKRS SUNDAY Afternoon at SUGI
In addition to the more technical issues addressed in this supplement, these same authors will present a discussion of other issues relevant to public speaking, including:

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recognizing your roles as a presenter and the responsibilities inherent in being a facilitator, educator and student understanding the needs and expectations of your audience building a relationship with your audience the elements of style developing and improving style and performance overcoming obstacles what else??

The authors will also be available for individual questions, advice, and feedback.

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THE SMALL BUSINESS JOURNAL, July 1995, http://www.well.com/user/business/sbj0795.html, New Art Communications. 200 West 79 Street, Suite 8H, New York City, NY 10024 GreenStar Productions Presentation Resource Center, http://www.greenstar.com/index.html Joseph, Justin. The Power Presenter. Bedford, TX: AmberLane Press, 1989. Quick, John. Dog & Pony Shows: How To Make Winning Presentations When the Stakes Are High. McGraw Hill, Inc., 1992. Booher, Dianna. Presentation Secrets to Wow Any Audience. MN:Lakewood Books, 1995. Minneapolis,

Hoff, Ron. I Can See You Naked. Kansas City, MO: Andrews and McMeel,1992. Communispond, Inc. 1992. Executive Presentation Skills. Yoder, Elmon E. Powerful Presentation Skills. Shawnee Mission, KS:National Press Publications, 1988.

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