Giving Great Presentations in easy steps

by Drew Provan

Overview

Whether it’s in a one-on-one meeting with the boss or at an international conference to an audience of thousands, presenting information is a integral part of modern working life. And since few businesses offer any training in presentation skills, nearly everyone dreads these occasions: even the most confident can give mediocre talks simply through stage fright and poor preparation. This in-depth, easy-to-follow guide offers a thorough grounding in the art of public speaking and presentation. Emphasizing the importance of proper preparation, it walks readers step by step through every stage — developing a key message, designing effective slides and audiovisual aids, dealing with anxiety, appropriate dress, achieving good delivery, and dealing with questions from the floor. Written in clear, jargon-free English, this practical guide aids those wishing to hone their speaking skills as well as those gearing up for their first talk.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781840783711
Publisher:	In Easy Steps Limited
Publication date:	02/17/2009
Series:	In Easy Steps
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

Table of Contents

1 Successful Presentation 7

The Art of Presentation 8

Keys to Success 10

Why Have They Asked You? 12

What is Expected From You? 13

Formal Presentations 14

Informal Presentations 15

The Audience 16

Key Messages 18

Gauging Your Performance 20

Presentation Pitfalls 21

Summary 22

2 Solid Foundations 23

What Makes a Great Presenter? 24

Things to Avoid 26

Answer The Question! 28

Know Your Material 30

Plan Your Story 32

Grab Their Attention Early! 34

Engage The Audience 36

Seek Opportunities to Present 38

Summary 40

3 Preparation is Key 41

Prepare Yourself 42

Get Organized 44

Mind Mapping 46

Use an Outliner Program 48

Tailoring Your Presentation 50

Sourcing Material 52

Use Visuals! 54

Less is More 56

Practice Makes Perfect 57

Summary 58

4 Raising The Bar 59

Death by PowerPoint 60

Deliver With Passion 62

Tricks of The Trade 64

Banish Bad Habits 66

Seek Feedback 68

Design Does Matter 70

Sourcing Images 72

Final Thoughts 74

Summary 76

5 Different Audiences 77

Presenting One-on-One 78

Presenting a Business Plan 80

Small Group Discussion 82

Chairing a Meeting 84

Academic Conferences 86

International Meetings 88

Chairing a Conference 90

Presenting to The Lay Public 91

Impromptu Speeches 92

Summary 94

6 Slide Design 95

Slide Design: General Points 96

Switch Off The PC 98

PowerPoint 100

Apple Keynote 102

Adding Images 104

Slide Enhancers 106

Why PowerPoint Fails 108

Creating High Impact Slides 110

Choosing Fonts 112

Displaying Tables 114

Displaying Graphs 115

Technical Glitches 116

Handouts 118

Prepare a Portable Version 120

Summary 122

7 Looking The Part123

Dress For The Occasion 124

Nerves! 126

As The Big Day Approaches 128

Ask The Organizers 129

The Big Day! 130

8 Delivery 131

Initial Checklist 132

Don't Dim Those Lights! 133

Create a Strong Start 134

Talk to The Audience 135

Jokes and Humor 136

Less is More 137

Laser Pointers 138

Microphones 139

Bad Habits 140

Keep to Time 141

Don't Read The Slides 142

Memory Aids 143

Voice Control 144

All Good Things Come to an End 145

Summary 146

9 Using Different Media 147

Insert Video Into Slideshow 148

Split Projection 150

Using Hyperlinks 151

Phone Presentations 152

Flip Charts 154

Whiteboards & Blackboards 156

Overhead Projectors 157

Video Conferencing 158

Webcasts 160

Dealing With The Media 162

Summary 164

10 Any Questions? 165

Questions From The Floor 166

Learn to Predict Questions 168

Hostile Questioners 169

Off-Topic Questions 170

Difficult Questions 171

What Was The Question? 172

Baptism of Fire 173

Summary 174

11 Resources 175

General Presentation Books 176

PowerPoint Resources 178

Apple Keynote Resources 180

Alternative Free Programs 182

Public Speaking Websites 184

Fonts and Type Design 185

Obtaining Great Images 186

Index 187