BMSW 4001

Academic and Employability Skills

Week 7

Giving PowerPoint
Presentations

1
 Lesson Aims
To learn how best to prepare yourself for your Powerpoint presentation in
terms of:
1. Pre-talk preparation
2. Handouts
3. Opening
4. Speaking
5. Body Language
6. Questions
7. Length
8. Behaviour
9. Conclusion

2
 1. Pre-talk Preparation
• Arrive a few minutes early to set up and test the
equipment
• Dress appropriately for your audience
• Turn off your mobile phone
 2. Handouts
• Consider if you really need to use them
• Many disadvantages:
– Audience will read ahead
– Distraction (not listening to you)
– Printouts won’t show any animations, might look boring
– Waste of paper – encourage the audience to take notes
• If using them, make about 10% more handouts than you
expect to use as extra people may turn up to listen to you
Image source: https://www.lauramfoley.com/the-secrets-of-awesome-powerpoint-handouts-2/
 3. Opening
• Use the opening to catch the interest and attention of the
audience
• Briefly state the problem or topic you will be discussing
• Briefly summarise your main theme for an idea or solution
• Don't improvise at the last moment
 4. Speaking
• Talk at a natural rate of speech
• Project your voice
• Speak clearly and distinctly
• Repeat critical information
• Pause briefly to give your audience time to digest the
information on each new slide
• Don’t read the slides aloud
 5. Body Language
• Keep your eyes on the audience
• Use natural gestures
• Don’t turn your back to the audience
• Only use notes as reference points to keep you on track

Image source:
http://www.victorialabalme.com/communication_and_presentation_skills/?p=776
 6. Questions
• Don’t take questions during the talk (unless you are very
experienced). Why?
• Always leave time for a few questions at the end of the talk
• Some questions are too specific or personal
• If you can’t answer a question, say so
 7. Length
• To end on time, you must PRACTISE!
• When practising, try to end early
• Allow time for audience interruptions and questions
Image source: http://quicklol.com/using-hilarious-images-for-powerpoint-presentations/
 8. Behaviour
• Show some enthusiasm, but don’t overdo it
• Involve your audience
• Ask questions, make eye contact, use humor
• Don’t get distracted by noises or audience movements
• If you temporarily lose your train of thought gain time to
recover by asking if the audience has any questions
 9. Conclusion
• Concisely summarise your key concepts and the main ideas of
your presentation
• End your talk with the summary statement or question you
have prepared
• Consider alternatives to “Questions?” for your closing slide
– A summary of your key points, a cartoon, a team logo, or a company
logo may be stronger
Source: http://www.danscartoons.com/comp12_demo.gif
 References
References
This presentation has been adapted from
Splane, M. (2006), “PowerPoint Presentation Advice,”
http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/splane_m/PresentationTips.htm