Steps for Effective Presentations

Steps for Effective Presentations 1. Determine the purpose of your presentation, select and research your topic.
2. Analyze the level of your audience, support and outline your key points:
3. Develop an effective oral presentation:

Remember to research and practice unusual word pronunciations before giving a presentation. Check with online dictionaries i.e. www.Brittanica.com
Back up the presentations with clear visual images.
Listed below are some steps to overcome presentation anxiety:

Preparation is the key – you must know the material you are going to deliver
Remember - people want you to give a good presentation
Know the audience you have to present your topic to
Know the room you have to work in
Practice – it builds up your confidence, which is the key to effective speaking.
Learn to relax - concentrate on your topic - not the audience.
It’s OK to be nervous – turn your nervous energy into positive energy

See: http://www.kumc.edu/SAH/OTEd/jradel/effective.html

If you have ever given a bad talk then visit this web site for some goods tips on effective presentations, visual aids and poster presentation topics.

4. Design effective visual aids for scientific visualization presentations:

You can provide your audience with direct sensory contact with your speech by using simple visual cues. Remember with visual cues: keep all sentences simple. Never use whole paragraphs of text – it is bad practice.

The purpose of visual cues or visual aids is that they: Help you and your speech have lasting impact on your audience.
Enhance understanding of the topic you are presenting.
Add authenticity to your presentation.
Add variety - use a variety of visual aids, it enlivens the audience.
Finally, remember you are your best visual aid - pay attention to clothes, grooming, actions, gestures, voice, facial expressions, and demeanor. So stand up straight and be effective.

Pointers for constructing effective visual aids:

Make sure your visual aid supplements your speech rather than becoming the speech by itself.
Make sure the fonts you use are simple and have good size for clarity. Here are typical font sizes.
Flip chart – use the following font sizes:
      Title: 3 in. high
      Subtitles: 2 in. high
    Other text: 1.5 in. high

If you are creating overhead transparencies or handouts – use these standard computer print sizes:

	Transparencies	Slides	Handouts
Titles	36 pt	24 pt	18 pt
Subtitles	24 pt	18 pt	14 pt
Other text	18 pt	14 pt	12 pt

Emphasis: Your visual cues should emphasize what your speech is emphasizing
-It should be relevant to the topic

-It should be simple and not complex

-It should be balanced and pleasing to the eye.

-Use color only to add impact to the meaning of your speech.

How to use your Visual Aid successfully:

Practice. Make sure your visual aid is integrated into your speech.

Plan the placement of your visual aid prior to the speech

Check that electronic equipment is running, and you know how to properly operate it.

Do not display your visual aid until you are ready to use it. When finished with it remove, or cover it.

Do not stand directly in front of a visual aid, stand to the side and face the audience as much as possible.

When referring to your visual aid, point to it, don't leave your audience searching for the part you are trying to emphasize.

Do not distribute materials during your speech. If you have prepared handouts, distribute them before or after you speak. Try not to distribute them when you are speaking.

5. Other References to help you design a good presentation:

See also: http://www.guidancecom.com/alphabet/
See also: http://www.kumc.edu/SAH/OTEd/jradel/Poster_Presentations/PstrStart.html