Oral Presentations Part 1

Chapter 14
 Audiences Like Presentations

• Presentations replace reading through large

amounts of data

• Presentations are a quick means of

disseminating information

• Presentations allow instant feedback

 Doing Oral Presentations
• Not everyone’s favourite thing, but anyone can
become competent at it
• Public speaking skills are essential
• Speaking skills can:
– Get you hired
– Get you promoted
– Allow you to pitch an idea that makes your career
 Choosing a Topic

• Must be IT/computer related

• Cannot be a topic covered in other courses

• Should be something you know more about

than most of your audience

• Should be something you’re interested in

• Check your topic with me first
 The Fear of
Speaking in Public
 What are People Afraid of?

• Making mistakes

• Exposing gaps in knowledge

• Being judged by others

• Aggressive behaviour by a mob

 Overcoming Fear
• Prepare, prepare, prepare
– A good presentation is like a commercial…

• Practice, practice, practice

– The 10,000 hr rule

• Expect to make mistakes

– Even the pros do, and no one cares
 Overcoming Fear
• Relax before speaking
– Breathe deeply

• Expect a friendly audience

– They are friendly

• Focus on the audience, not you

– Self-awareness can be a curse
– The message is important, not the messenger
 Overcoming Fear

• Reprogram yourself

• Be positive, not negative

• “I’m no good at this” is no excuse

• If you argue for your limitations, they will

become your limitations
 Self-fulfilling Prophecy
• People procrastinate about doing things that
cause them anxiety

• Procrastination means they don’t prepare

enough beforehand

• Then they don’t perform well

• Then they confirm their misbeliefs

Oral Presentations Part 2
 3 Steps of a Presentation

1. Preparation
2. Organization
3. Performance
 Preparation
• Who are you presenting to?
– Age
– Culture
– Education
– Occupation
– Interests
– Socioeconomic level
– Political perspective
 Preparation
• What do you want to tell them about?

• Why?
• What’s your main idea that you want to
communicate about the topic
• Will they care? Why?

• What’s in it for them?

 Preparation
• What does your audience need to know?

• What’s the best way to inform them?

• What’s interesting about it?

• How can you keep their attention?

• How can you persuade them?

Organization
 Organizing Material
• Use a cluster diagram or mind map to
generate ideas and connections ð
 Organizing Material
• Brainstorm new ideas
• Link related ideas together:
– Topic and evidence
– Chronology
– Logic
– Problem and solution
 There Must be a Main Idea
• What is your conclusion about your topic?
• That’s your main idea
• Focus on a single idea, not several
• That idea becomes the organizing principle for
your presentation
• It determines what you include, exclude, and
in what order you present it
 Organization

• Use a three-part structure:

1. Introduction (main idea / background)

2. Body (tell them your story)

3. Conclusion (sum up and provide meaning)

 The Introduction
• The introduction has several objectives:

1. Capture the listener’s interest

2. Introduce your main idea
3. Establish your credibility
4. Preview the topics covered
 Introducing Yourself
• Be brief

• Establish your credentials or why you’re

talking about this topic

• Be modest
• Have someone else introduce you
 Opening Statements
• Controversial or incongruous statements get
attention

• “More people lose money in the stock market

than make it.”

• “Want to improve your reflexes and memory

and keep your mind sharp? Start playing video
games.”
 The Simple Opening

• If you can’t think of something clever, then

just be simple and straightforward

• Tell them why you’re interested

• Tell them why they should be interested

 The Body
• Back up your main idea with details: data,
illustrative stories, etc.

• Stories entertain, teach, and aid memory

• Look for benefits for the audience

• Divide body into logical topics

• Keep your main idea in mind throughout

 The Body

• Sequence material appropriately for your

intended audience

• Provide cues and transitions between sections

if the change in focus is abrupt:

“I’ve covered X and now moving on to Y”

 The Conclusion
• Sum up with main idea

• Use Amplification (repetition with a difference)

• Persuasive conclusion: remind them why they
should do something
• Persuasive conclusion: a call for action
 The Conclusion

• Is what the audience will remember vividly

• Oral messages can’t be reviewed

• Now that they understand the basics, you can
add a bit of complexity at the end

• Give them something to think about

Oral Presentations Part 3
Oral Presentation Performance
 Performance
• Believe in your topic

• Project your voice

• Speak to the back of the room

• Make eye contact

• Engage the entire audience

• Look for friendly faces
 Performance

• DO NOT READ YOUR PRESENTATION

• REALLY, DON’T READ YOUR PRESENTATION

• Use cue cards or slides

• Use key words, not sentences

 Performance

• Show your own interest and passion

• Interest is contagious

• If you don’t believe in it, they won’t either

• Use projection and gestures appropriately

 Solutions to Common Performance
Problems

• Practice with the equipment you’ll use

• Project your voice

• Be aware of posture

• No review mirror

• No dancing bear
 Managing Time
• Keep track of time with a watch/phone

• Speed up or slow down as needed

• Get a friend in the audience to help

• When it’s time to end, end it

 Visuals in Oral Presentations
• Visuals should be prepared last
• Get your ideas organized first

• Then find visuals to support the ideas

• Not vice versa

 Visuals in Oral Presentations

• Reinforce and clarify your ideas

• Aid in understanding

• Help your audience remember

• Give your audience something to focus on

 Text in Visuals

• Show the structure of your presentation

• Provide visual signposts for your audience

• Don’t turn your audience into readers!
 Scuba Diving Safety Rules

• Always dive with another person so

that you can watch out for each other.
Safety is paramount when diving, so
never dive alone, and always keep the
other person in sight when diving.
VS.
• Always dive with a buddy.
 Text Format
• Use a large type size and legible font
• Some fonts are better than others for
• being seen from a distance.
• Some fonts are too light

• Some fonts should never be used

 Increase White Space
• The default spacing
• For PowerPoint
• Leaves lines of text
• Too close together
 How Much Does a Slide Cost?

• Zero dollars

• Spread your message out over many slides

 Graphics
• Can get the audience’s attention
• Should look professional
• Use one graphic per screen
• Label graphics if necessary
• Keep graphics simple
One graphic per screen
 Use of Colours
• Use simple colours
• Use contrast:
• Dark background and light font
• Light background and dark font

• Use two or three colours

• Use your third colour sparingly for emphasis
 Impact of Automation
• Loss of up to 7.5 million jobs

• High-risk jobs

• Lower-risk jobs

• Are high skilled jobs safe?

 Keep It Simple

• Simple is better for

– Colour
– Background
– Graphics
– Animation
• Use visuals to enhance your presentation, not
overpower it
 Video: Don’t Use it

• Don’t use video clips for your presentation

unless absolutely necessary

• Video clips will completely take over and turn

you into a member of the audience

• If they absolutely must be used, keep them as

short as possible – 30 seconds or less