Presentation Tips

THE FOLLOWING TIPS WILL HELP TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL PRESENTATION:

AS YOU PREPARE YOUR PRESENTATION…

·          If you are speaking on a panel presentation, please arrange a meeting of presenters prior to the session. Determine the order in which the presenters will speak, discuss session content and flow, and any special instructions for introducing the presenters, the distribution of handouts, or any audio/visual needs.

·          As you design your presentation, please be sure that your content reflects the description in the printed brochure so that attendees’ expectations are met.

·          Create an outline– Although you may think you know exactly what you plan to say and do, it can be easy to lose sight of your purpose once you're conducting your session. That's what your outline is for.  Don’t read from a written document; use the outline to guide your presentation.

·          Introduction/Opening - State your goal or ideas in general terms.  Share a relevant story, anecdote, or quote.  Startle them with a statistic.  Use a metaphor or comparison to your topic.  Use humor very carefully; it can be powerful and engaging, but jokes, as a particular form of humor, are risky and difficult to use successfully.  Any one or a combination of these introductory methods may be used in your opening to draw your audience into the presentation.

·          Body - State the program objectives.  Discuss your main idea(s) in detail.  Use supporting examples and use visual aids to reinforce.

·          Closing - Summarize your main points.  Anticipate questions and prepare responses.  Restate your goal, in a memorable way and explain the value of your discussion.  Return to the opening theme or story.

·          Practice, Practice, Practice! Presentations should be well rehearsed and prepared.  Practice your presentation so that you feel comfortable talking to your audience and looking at your audience, not at a piece of paper. Notes are very important to help you remember points and to keep yourself organized. However, you should not be reading 100% of the time.  If you have practiced your presentation and are comfortable with your material and visual aids, then you will be more relaxed and an effective speaker.

DURING THE SESSION…

·          Arrive Early!  When you arrive be sure to check in with the your session moderator and co-presenters.  Make sure audio/visual equipment is working.  All presenters must be ready to speak before the session is scheduled to begin.

·          Use cheat sheets. An outline, flash cards, or graphics can help you keep your place without spoiling the spontaneity of your presentation.

·          Step out from the podium to get closer to the audience.  Movement throughout the session will keep the attendees alert and involved.

·          Make eye contact.  As you speak, look people in the eyes, but be sensitive to the duration of the eye contact. Try to maintain visual contact with both sides of the room.

·          Don't read your speech. Talk to your listeners as if you were speaking to each person individually. They are much more likely to pay attention.

·          Be interested in what you're presenting. If you sound bored, your audience will be bored, no matter how thrilling the subject of the talk may be.

·          Allow time for reading your PowerPoint presentation.  An audience that is reading a slide is not listening to you. Wait for everyone to absorb the information displayed before you begin speaking.

·          Effective Q & A – Prepare yourself by thinking of possible questions and rehearsing answers ahead of time.

·          When taking questions from the audience, be sure to repeat the question so everyone can hear it, and to confirm that you’ve understood what the person is asking.  Keep everyone involved by speaking to the entire audience instead of just the person who asked the question.

·          Stay within the allotted time limit when presenting your speech. Stop on time. Remember there are there are several other speakers presenting during the day, so be considerate of their time.

POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS…

·          In order to help your audience concentrate on your presentation and understand what you are saying, it is advisable to use visual aids. PowerPoint and other graphics programs have empowered you to add interest and variety to your presentation. It is critical to create good, clear visuals that enhance your presentation and hold the audience's attention. Following are hints to make your presentation more effective.

·          How long are you speaking? Plan your talk and the number of slides to allow for a relaxed pace. One slide per one to three minutes, and four to five points per slide is a good rule.

·          Show only the chart or slide that you are discussing. Otherwise, your audience will become confused.

·          Use effective titles and avoid wordiness. Someone should be able to look at the slide and understand its meaning without any explanation from you.

·          Use simple color combinations. Be sure that these combinations are not too dark or too light.  Color can add emphasis effectively.  Keep visual material simple and clear. Borders give your poster a polished look. Good-sized margins around the text and white space within the text are helpful to the reader. Frame each white sheet with a colored background.

·          Be consistent. Using the same background color, text size, text color and uniform fonts throughout all the slides makes it easier for the audience to follow the flow of your ideas. When using PowerPoint, it is a good idea to build your presentation using the slide master, which works with you to keep your presentation consistent.

·          Design PowerPoint slides for the back row.  Make sure all elements can be seen clearly in every part of the room. Presentation rooms are typically large, and your slides must be legible from the back row. If you can easily read your slide while holding it at arm's length, your text is large enough.

·          For legibility, try to keep words to a minimum no more than five to eight lines of type with, at most, five to seven words per line.

·          Type should be well spaced, and sized in 30 to 36 point for headings and titles and at least 24 point for body copy.

·          Use sans serif fonts (those without extenders on the ends of letters). They project better and are easier to read. Examples of sans serif fonts are Arial, Helvetica and Universal. Examples of Serif Fonts (harder to read) are Times New Roman, Book Antiqua, and Palatino should be Avoided.

·          Use italics, color and/or bold, not capitals, for emphasis. Avoid the use of CAPITAL LETTERS. Words written in caps are harder to read and take up more space on the slide. Avoid underlined text.

·          Use spell check!

·          Follow copyright regulations.

·          Participate in the AGA Speakers’ Corner – Allow conference attendees to view your bio and presentation both before and after the conference by submitting your presentation and other materials on the web.  Presentations should be sent to speakers@agacgfm.org.

·          Begin working on your PowerPoint presentation early.  You will be required to submit your presentation several weeks before the conference.