Prepare and present a topic to an audience is an art. Unfortunately, this art is mastered by very few people if I trust what I see for years. This is not because we know how to use PowerPoint you can do a presentation. Make a presentation, it is contact with his audience to send her a message and not read aloud what is written on the screen!
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Attending the presentation? What is their background? What level of knowledge do they have of the subject presented? What is the purpose of this event? Is this for inspiration? Are they looking for specific information and how-to? They prefer the theory or best practices? Why you do we asked to speak? What are their expectations of you?
Where does the presentation take place? Inquire as much as possible about the location and logistics. What time is held your presentation? Do you have enough time to prepare properly? If there are other presenters, what is the order (by the way, I recommend that you volunteer to go first or last)? What day of the week? All these questions are important.
Warning! Although I stress the importance of content, thanks, do your audience a information overload. Information overload, unfortunately common phenomenon occurs when a presenter includes too much information in a presentation without making the effort to make it relevant to the audience. Sometimes it's as if the presenter wanted to show that he knows much, or more often, he is afraid that if he did not tell the "whole story" in detail, the public will not understand.
(1) __________
(2) __________
(3) __________
Sketch outline 5.
I suggest you start thinking on paper, not in PowerPoint. Personally, I use a large whiteboard to sketch my ideas. This allows me to be more creative. I can also take a step back, literally, and imagine the sequence of my presentation in PowerPoint. I can also write the important points and develop some structure. I can quickly draw some graphics or photos to be integrated later in PowerPoint. Do not forget that even if you use technology for your presentation, speaking to an audience and get in touch with him to persuade, inform or sell, is far from technology, but rather human.
In his book "Beyond Bullet Points" published in 2005, Cliff Atkinson compares a speaker who develops a presentation directly in PowerPoint to a filmmaker who committed actors and the film starts without the script in hand.
I take a look at my notes to remember what the visual elements that I thought, and then I go on the website iStockphoto , or I dig in my own library of images to be find the one that best supports my point. (NDDL: You can also use some pictures on the website Flickr Be sure to respect the rights of authors.).
Your audience needs to know where you go. It is not enough to have a slide "Agenda" or "Plan of the presentation." If you do not have a clear and solid plan, then such a slide will be useless. In addition, the audience can become even more irritated if you fail a subject you had announced earlier presentation.
The author of "I Can See You Naked" Ron Hoff, reminds us that presentation should pass the "test of David Belasco" when you are at the stage of its development. David Belasco was a producer who insisted that the main idea of any successful play he produced can be described in a few sentences on the back of a business card. Try it. Can you summarize the gist of your presentation and write on the back of a business card? If this is too difficult, you should probably rethink your speech. This test is a good thing to do before you open PowerPoint.
In addition, it is a good idea to think about your 30 minute presentation as an opportunity to tell a story. A good story speaks to you in the beginning, keeps your interest thereafter and ends with a punch. I've seen good presentations without being extraordinary, were very effective because the presenter told relevant stories in a clear and concise to support his speech.
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10. At all times, be courteous, affable and professional
When someone from the audience asks a question or makes comments, be gracious and thank him for his contribution to the presentation. Even if someone is difficult, always act like a gentleman or lady. A true professional always keeps his composure. Remember, it is your reputation. Stay always affable, even with the most difficult of audiences.
PowerPoint was designed to present visual information to support about the speaker. The slide itself was never intended to be the "star of the show" (starring, of course, the public). People came to hear you and be affected or informed (or both). Do not derail your about due to slide unnecessarily complicated or overloaded by the "visual pollution" as Edward Tufte said. Nothing in your slide should be superfluous, nothing.
Your slides should include plenty of white space. Do not feel obligated to fill every free space on your slide. Banish logos and other visual or textual element that does not serve your speech. Your slide is less crowded, more powerful will be your visual message.
2. Minimize use of bulleted lists
Your presentation is for the interest of your audience. Bored an audience with bulleted lists do not add much. Which brings us to the question text. The best slides have no text at all. This may seem foolish given the dependence on text slides today, but the best PowerPoint slides will be virtually useless without the narration (that is you). Remember, slides are designed to support the speech of the speaker, not to make it unnecessary.
Many people often say something like: "Sorry, I missed your presentation. I was told that it was great. Could you send me your PowerPoint file? ". If it is good slides, they will not their very useful without you. Better prepare a document summarizing your comments. The audience will be better served by such a document as your PowerPoint presentation. If you have a detailed document or publication to your audience that you can give it after your presentation, you will not feel obliged to fill your PowerPoint slides with lots of text.
10 top tips for preparing
1. Begin by having in mind the end of your presentation
Before you even start PowerPoint, sit down and take the time to think about the day of your presentation. What is the reason you made this statement? Why you do we asked to speak? What is the expected audience? What do you want the audience to take away from your presentation? Remember that presentation is not a simple reading of slides. This is much more than that. Otherwise, the audience could happen to you while reading a book (book, report, etc..) On the topic of your presentation to get the same information.2. Know your audience in the best possible
Before developing the content of your presentation, you need to ask yourself several questions to become the best presenter for this audience. You must at least meet the classic Who?, What?, Why, Where? and When?Attending the presentation? What is their background? What level of knowledge do they have of the subject presented? What is the purpose of this event? Is this for inspiration? Are they looking for specific information and how-to? They prefer the theory or best practices? Why you do we asked to speak? What are their expectations of you?
Where does the presentation take place? Inquire as much as possible about the location and logistics. What time is held your presentation? Do you have enough time to prepare properly? If there are other presenters, what is the order (by the way, I recommend that you volunteer to go first or last)? What day of the week? All these questions are important.
3. Content, content and content yet
Regardless of your performance, or quality and professionalism of your PowerPoint presentation, if your intention is not sitting on a solid content, you will fail. Understand me, I do not say that only a good content can ensure the success of your presentation. Great content is a prerequisite, but it is not enough. However, the preparation of your presentation begins with a solid content for your audience. It is this content that you develop a story that will touch your audience.Warning! Although I stress the importance of content, thanks, do your audience a information overload. Information overload, unfortunately common phenomenon occurs when a presenter includes too much information in a presentation without making the effort to make it relevant to the audience. Sometimes it's as if the presenter wanted to show that he knows much, or more often, he is afraid that if he did not tell the "whole story" in detail, the public will not understand.
4. Promote simplicity
"Simple" does not mean "simplistic". Suggests that simplification is simplistic ... is simplistic! Simplicity is a difficult goal to achieve, but your audience will appreciate. Simplicity requires more thought and planning on your part, because you need to decide what should be part of your presentation ... and what should be excluded. Here's a simple exercise:EXERCISE:
If your audience can not remember three things from your presentation that would they?(1) __________
(2) __________
(3) __________
Sketch outline 5.
I suggest you start thinking on paper, not in PowerPoint. Personally, I use a large whiteboard to sketch my ideas. This allows me to be more creative. I can also take a step back, literally, and imagine the sequence of my presentation in PowerPoint. I can also write the important points and develop some structure. I can quickly draw some graphics or photos to be integrated later in PowerPoint. Do not forget that even if you use technology for your presentation, speaking to an audience and get in touch with him to persuade, inform or sell, is far from technology, but rather human.
In his book "Beyond Bullet Points" published in 2005, Cliff Atkinson compares a speaker who develops a presentation directly in PowerPoint to a filmmaker who committed actors and the film starts without the script in hand.
More about planning "paper"
I generally use a block of legal size paper and a pencil (or a whiteboard if there is enough space) to create a draft of a screenplay. I think the approach "paper" stimulates my creativity more, as I said earlier. No software to harm me and I can easily see the sequence of the presentation. I sketch images that I use as support for a particular item, such as a pie chart, a photo, a curve, and so on. You may think it is a waste of time, why not start PowerPoint and create your images once and for all? The fact is that if I tried to create the presentation directly in PowerPoint, it would take more time because I constantly spend the "Normal" mode to "Slide Sorter" mode to get an overall view of the presentation. The paper or whiteboard sketch approach allows to develop my ideas and create a draft sequence, which helps to strengthen and simplify my message. Thereafter, it is much easier to put my ideas page in PowerPoint. Generally, I do not even look at my pad of paper (or my whiteboard) when I use PowerPoint because I now have a clear idea of my presentation. Certainly,I take a look at my notes to remember what the visual elements that I thought, and then I go on the website iStockphoto , or I dig in my own library of images to be find the one that best supports my point. (NDDL: You can also use some pictures on the website Flickr Be sure to respect the rights of authors.).
6. Have a clear and solid structure
Take a page from the book of McKinsey presentation: presentation structure predominates. Without this structure, your personal style, your speech and your visual aids will have no impact. If you took the time to clarify and organize your thoughts, then your thinking should be clear. You can see the logic of your content and sequence of presentation. If your ideas are not clear at the beginning, it will be impossible to design a proper structure when you create visuals to support your point.Your audience needs to know where you go. It is not enough to have a slide "Agenda" or "Plan of the presentation." If you do not have a clear and solid plan, then such a slide will be useless. In addition, the audience can become even more irritated if you fail a subject you had announced earlier presentation.
7. Then?
In Japanese, I often say "dakara nani? "Or" sore of ...? "Which translates roughly as" So what? ". I constantly ask this question while I prepare my presentation. When developing the content of a presentation, always put yourself in the shoes of your audience and ask yourself "So what? ". It is important to ask these questions during the planning process. For example, is that what you bring is relevant? Is it just "cool"? Does it matter? Does it helps to get your message or is it just air? You already part of an audience. Have you ever wondered what that was about to do with the topic of the presentation? You said "So what? ". Ask yourself this important question constantly. If you can not answer, cut this part of your presentation.8. Can you pass the test of the elevator?
Check the clarity of your message with the elevator test. This exercise forces you to "sell" your message in 30-45 seconds. Imagine the following situation: you have an appointment with the president of your company to present the concept of a new product. When you arrive at his office at the scheduled time, the Chairman informed that he must leave you unexpectedly and asks you to make it your presentation while he went to his car. Imagine this scenario. Could you tell him "sell" during the journey that leads him to his car? While this is unusual, but it is still potential. That said, what is more likely is that we ask you to shorten your presentation, say half. Would you be able to present your point anyway? This perhaps never happen, but the fact that you prepare for this eventuality is an exercise that will allow you to tighten your speech and get to the point.The author of "I Can See You Naked" Ron Hoff, reminds us that presentation should pass the "test of David Belasco" when you are at the stage of its development. David Belasco was a producer who insisted that the main idea of any successful play he produced can be described in a few sentences on the back of a business card. Try it. Can you summarize the gist of your presentation and write on the back of a business card? If this is too difficult, you should probably rethink your speech. This test is a good thing to do before you open PowerPoint.
9. The art of storytelling
A good presentation includes stories. The best presenters illustrate their concepts with stories, often personal. The best way to explain complex ideas is to use examples or share a true story. Stories are easier to remember for an audience. If you want an audience remembers your presentation, find a way to make it memorable. You should try to tell interesting stories short and to support your point.In addition, it is a good idea to think about your 30 minute presentation as an opportunity to tell a story. A good story speaks to you in the beginning, keeps your interest thereafter and ends with a punch. I've seen good presentations without being extraordinary, were very effective because the presenter told relevant stories in a clear and concise to support his speech.
10. How to be assertive
The more you master your subject, you will be less nervous. If you have taken the time to meticulously prepare the sequence of your presentation, think about the images and graphics that best support your speech, there is no need to be nervous. Moreover, if you have repeated several times your presentation with a computer and a projector, your nervousness should have melted like snow in the sun. We fear what we do not know. If we master our subject and have said, if we know what is the next slide and we anticipated the questions, then we have eliminated much of the unknown. When you eliminate the unknown and reduce anxiety and nervousness when confidence returns naturally.10 top tips for presentation
1. Express your passion
If I had only one thing to you, it would be passionate. Surely you must have great content. Of course, your presentation should look professional. But all this is useless if you do not believe passionately that you say. The main element that separates mediocre presenters of those world-class is the ability to interact with the audience so exciting and honest. Do not hold back. Trust. And let your passion to express themselves!2. Begin by lion
You already said, first impressions are very important ... and it's true! The first 2-3 minutes of your presentation are crucial. The audience just waiting to love you. In this regard, the audience will give you a few minutes early presentation to be seduced. Do not miss your chance! Most speakers fail at this stage simply because they lose too much time to appear ... and praise their achievements. (Audios You can prevent this by asking someone to present very briefly).3. Be brief
Human beings have a short attention span when it comes time to sit passively listen to a presenter. The attention of an audience is highest at the beginning ... and the end of the presentation when you say something like "In conclusion ...". It is simply human. This is even more true for today's workers who are busy and often tired. So if you have 30 minutes for your presentation, finish in 25 minutes. It is better to feel that the audience wants more than to feel he has had enough! Entertainment professionals know something.Stage
4. Depart from the
Get closer to your audience as you move away from the platform. The latter acts as a barrier between you and the audience, which is bad since the purpose of your presentation is to establish contact with the audience.5.Use a remote control
To move from one slide to another, using a remote control. In this way, you will not be "attached" to the stage. It is an imperative. I highly recommend the remote "Presentation Remote" from Keyspan . Many people also like the remote control of the company Interlink .6. Remember the "B" button
If you press the "B" button for a PowerPoint (or Keynote), the screen will go blank. This is particularly useful if you need to "get out" of the subject shown on the slide. Emptying the screen, you can now have all the attention. When you're ready to resume, just press the "B" key to release the slide previously displayed.7. Establish Good eye contact
Make eye contact with people in your audience instead of simply scanning the group look. Never look into the projection screen (although you can use your computer screen as a monitor). The best way to lose contact with the audience is to turn your back. Also, while you maintain good eye contact, do not forget to smile. Unless your subject is severe and austere, a smile can be a very powerful element.8. Keep the lights on
If you talk in a meeting room or a classroom, it can be tempting to turn off the lights so that the presentation is clearer and the colors are more beautiful. Opt instead for a compromise between a bright image on the projection screen and a room too dark. Turn off the lights focuses all attention on the screen, not to mention the soporific effect. It is you who should get the attention of the audience, not the projection screen. Note that recent projectors are bright enough that you can leave the lights on.9. Use a TV for small groups
If you go to a small group, you can connect your computer to a TV with a big screen (via the video input). When you use a TV screen, you can leave most, if not all the lights on. Make sure that the text and graphics are large enough to be seen on a small screen. You may need to increase the size of your text significantly.10. At all times, be courteous, affable and professional
When someone from the audience asks a question or makes comments, be gracious and thank him for his contribution to the presentation. Even if someone is difficult, always act like a gentleman or lady. A true professional always keeps his composure. Remember, it is your reputation. Stay always affable, even with the most difficult of audiences.
10 top tips composition slides
1. Promote simplicityPowerPoint was designed to present visual information to support about the speaker. The slide itself was never intended to be the "star of the show" (starring, of course, the public). People came to hear you and be affected or informed (or both). Do not derail your about due to slide unnecessarily complicated or overloaded by the "visual pollution" as Edward Tufte said. Nothing in your slide should be superfluous, nothing.
Your slides should include plenty of white space. Do not feel obligated to fill every free space on your slide. Banish logos and other visual or textual element that does not serve your speech. Your slide is less crowded, more powerful will be your visual message.
2. Minimize use of bulleted lists
Your presentation is for the interest of your audience. Bored an audience with bulleted lists do not add much. Which brings us to the question text. The best slides have no text at all. This may seem foolish given the dependence on text slides today, but the best PowerPoint slides will be virtually useless without the narration (that is you). Remember, slides are designed to support the speech of the speaker, not to make it unnecessary.
Many people often say something like: "Sorry, I missed your presentation. I was told that it was great. Could you send me your PowerPoint file? ". If it is good slides, they will not their very useful without you. Better prepare a document summarizing your comments. The audience will be better served by such a document as your PowerPoint presentation. If you have a detailed document or publication to your audience that you can give it after your presentation, you will not feel obliged to fill your PowerPoint slides with lots of text.