PRESENTATION

STYLE
Unlike advertising executives, engineers are ill equipped to sell their ideas. Secondhand
information represented by company officials may not answer all of the client’s
questions. This section discusses the specifics and techniques of oral presentations.
OBJECTIVE
■ Every presentation should have an objective.
■ Determine who your audience is and what their educational level may be.
■ An easy way to evaluate the effectiveness of a presentation while on a team is to
practice through role playing.
ORAL PRESENTATION
OBSTACLES
To sell your ideas to others, you should first be convinced that your ideas will
accomplish the task at hand. Oral presentation requires a high degree of creativity.

People resist change, although they may announce that they embrace it. Humans like
familiar methods. Change requires additional effort, which humans generally resist.
Typical reactions to change include

■ We tried that before.

■ It is a too radical change.
■ We have never done that before.
■ Get back to reality.
■ We have always done it this way.
■ I don’t like the idea.
In addition, keep in mind the following

■ Only 70% of the spoken word is actually received and understood. Complete
understanding can come through repetition and redundancy in speech.
■ People mostly understand three-dimensional objects. Two-dimensional projections
need to be transmitted with added details.
■ People usually perceive problems from their own perspectives.
■ Convey ideas so that they may be interpreted with the least expenditure of energy.
ORAL PRESENTATION
DO’S AND DON’TS
Remember the following in making oral
presentations
■ Check the pronunciation of key words
■ Include short breaks, pauses
■ Do not read from a manuscript use cue cards if necessary
■ Try to maintain eye contact with the entire audience show interest and enthusiasm
■ Stay within the time allotted
■ Include relevant humorous stories, anecdotes, or jokes, but only if you are good at it.
ORAL PRESENTATION
TECHNIQUES
The following will help you make your oral
presentation as effective as possible
■ Organize your thoughts
■ Have a strong opening
■ Define terms early
■ Finish with a bang.
■ Design PowerPoint slides to introduce important information.
■ Time yourself.
■ Create effective notes for yourself.
■ Practice, practice, practice.
 QUESTION-AND-
ANSWER SESSION
The question-and-answer (Q&A) session is very important. It shows the degree of
enthusiasm of the audience and usually reveals interest and attention.
In the Q&A session you should

■ Allow the questioner to complete the question before answering it.

■ Avoid being argumentative.
■ Avoid letting the questioner feel that the question is stupid.
■ Adjourn the meeting if the questions slack off.
■ Thank the audience one final time after the Q&A session.