Presentations and Communications 101

for Information Professionals

 By Jennifer R. Pitarresi, Esq.

Presented June 6, 2004SLA-LMD Program

Nashville, TN

Proprietary Materials - Do not reprint without permission of JP Consulting

Road Map Overview Presentation w/ mini-break Questions Break Prepare Exercises Perform Exercises

Overview General Rules for Presentations

Dealing with Nerves Preparing Your Presentation

Dealing with PowerPoint Performing Your Presentation

Dealing with People Dealing with Questions

Post-Presentation

GENERAL RULES

The “Three Tenets” of Presentations Preparation, Preparation, Preparation - if you

know your material, you will be confident 

Know your target audience -- their interests, their communication preference, how they like to be addressed (“firm” vs. “company”)

Give your audience a “road map” -- what you will cover, order and length of topics, when to expect a break, and the WIFM (“What’s In It for Me?”)

DON’T Don’t picture anyone in their

underwear – reserve that for Calvin Klein models

Tip: If you find nerves getting the better of you

– take a few deep breaths and begin speaking – or start by engaging the audience Ex. “Show of hands, how many people have attended a presentation like this before?”

Fight or flight syndrome and its adrenaline rush will dissipate as you get into speaking and breathing normally.

DON’T  Don’t try gimmicks outside your

comfort zone – this will only make you less real, appear nervous, more focused on getting the gimmick right

DON’T Don’t use lingo, slang, and/or

acronyms without giving an explanation

DO

Observe time limits – humans can only pay attention in short spans.

Let people know how much time they will need to pay attention, and break up the time with topic and subtopic switches – or audience interaction - that create gaps, allowing the mind to switch and refresh.  

DO Pack your sense of humor –

technology glitches and other problems occur; if you handle it with humor, your audience will still remember the presentation and not the problems. 

To Move or Not to Move…

Walk or Plant Moving among the audience can

promote interactive exchange, informality

Do not do so if you are uncomfortable, uncoordinated, the room is not conducive or the presentation format does not allow (formal, panel discussion, etc.)

Goal: Do not become a duck in a shooting

range -- nor a lamp post 

… and Other Such Questions Sit or Stand Podium or Table Notes/Scripts or Freestyle Pointers, Lasers Table Microphone, Lavalier or None

PREPARING

What Is Your Presentation’s “Special Purpose”?

Informative -- conveying facts/news/ideas to an affected group

Educational – teaching new information or reviewing a topic to an interested group

Persuasive – presenting a position or argument intending a particular result/decision 

Dress for the Team That Shows Up Consider the type of presentation and

audience when choosing your outfit – appearance inspires confidence – for you and the audience members

Typical boardroom presentation – be “trial ready” with a suit or more formal dress

Be careful of large or noisy jewelry, flashy nails – anything that will distract attention from your presentation and its substance

A Word About Language… Be cognizant of the language you use and match it

to the purpose of your presentation.

Be aware of the “feminine voice” – avoid use of words like “I feel” rather than “we have found”, “the facts show”, “indications are” – especially in a budget, ROI or boardroom presentation.

Be diligent about spellchecking and proofreading – print out and edit your slides and any hardcopy handouts.

Using PowerPoint or Other Presentation Media Follow the “paragraph rule” -- 1 major idea or theme per

screen

3 to 4 items per screen and shorter sentences or phrases

Keep it simple – don’t get too fancy with backgrounds and animation that detract from the presentation. Make an effort to match the format to the topic. Keep the same font throughout.

No “eye charts” – don’t use graphs or tables in small fonts, crowded with too much information. Never put up screens you have to “apologize” for –the “confessional” speech.

Tips:  Use PPT screens effectively ---

pick an important point to illustrate with a set of numbers of a graph

make it clear, colorful, put words in boxes or borders EXPLAIN how the graph is to be read before launching

into all of the information contained therein (cover the four corners – how to read the chart.)

If you have voluminous or complex information to convey, use a hard-copy appendix and refer to documents with more details (for later review). Give the page reference so the audience can note it.

Points about graphs and charts: Great for:

showing changes,fluctuations, or measurements over time

to give a visual depiction of percentages, volumes, and other numbers

to track performance or other metrics for a number of departments or people.

Not especially good for: detailed, complex information narratives

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1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

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PRESENTING/PERFORMING

Care and Feeding of Your Audience

Keep a notepad for questions or ask someone to track questions and concerns for follow-up.

Decide whether you will pass out hardcopy of the presentation prior to starting.

Let the audience know if the presentation will be available electronically or otherwise afterward.

How To Deal with People

Dealing With The “Know It All”  “Tell us about that…how does it impact our discussion here? How does it relate to what we’re talking about today?”” or “Excellent point. Thank you for that.”

Dealing With The “Talker”

 Kindergarten rules : Move closer to the talker as you

continue your presentation. Put your hand on the table near the talker or on their shoulder. If the talking persists, ask if the person has a question you could address or something to add to the discussion.

Dealing With The “Too Busy Attendee”

Use similar tactics as with the talker or ask the person if they may need to check their e-mail or answer that call. If so, the group can take a break or they are free to go outside.

Tip:

Be careful….if the person is your boss.

“Is this a bad time? I know you feel the material is important. Should we reschedule?

Or should I continue for the group and we can schedule a one-on-one later?” 

How to Deal with Questions

Dealing With a Question That Is Answered Later in Your Presentation

“Great question – I cover that later in the presentation. Can we see if your concern is answered then? Or “Can it wait?”

Alternative – “I’ll be covering that more fully when we get to section 3, but the short answer is no, it’s not the same and you should see why when we get there. If it’s still unclear after that, please let me know.”

Dealing With a Question That Would Eat Up Time to Answer

“Excellent question – the answer is a bit more complex than we have time for here today. Could you come up and see me after the presentation to discuss?”

Dealing With Not Knowing the Answer

That’s a great question. It’s outside the scope of what I’m prepared to discuss here today, but I’d be happy to look into it and get you the answer.”

End on a high note Recap your key points at the end of your presentation

Ask if there are questions that have not been covered by the presentation

Schedule follow-up --- either a session or hardcopy or electronic – to answer more complex questions and provide additional information.

If your speech was intended to be persuasive, ask for a time when you might hear a result. If educational, ask what folks learned. If informational, ask if this was helpful material.

Thank your audience for their time, attention and input!

POST-PRESENTATION

 

 Recap The “Three Tenets”

Preparation Target audience Road map and “WIFM”

General Rules Don’t picture anyone in their underwear Do take deep breaths before beginning to speak Don’t try uncomfortable gimmicks Don’t use or limit lingo, slang, or acronyms Do observe time limits Do allow breaks, interaction, and topic switches Do pack your sense of humor Decide logistics based on your comfort level

Preparation One idea/theme and 3 - 4 items per slide – maximum New idea, new slide – “paragraph rule” No “eye charts” – use graphs or charts for salient points Use appendix or offline material for complex detail

Recap Performing

Consider your dress, voice, language and match it to target audience

Dealing with People Dealing with Questions

Post-Presentation Recap Ask for questions Offer follow-up Indicate where materials can be obtained Set a date for discussion of result or additional sessions Thank your audience

QUESTIONS

Exercises Persuasive – give a 5 min. speech intended to

persuade the audience to agree with a position you’ve taken Ex. Anti-death penalty; need a budget increase

Educational – give a 5 min. speech teaching the audience about a subject All about egrets, quilting 101

Informational – give a 5 min. speech intended to communicate info. How we performed 1st Quarter, strategy for 2005