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<img src="/icons/target_gray.svg" alt="/icons/target_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Source: https://www.gvsu.edu/ours/oral-presentation-tips-30.htm
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An oral presentation is more than just reading a paper or set of slides to an audience. How you
deliver your presentation is at least as important in effectively communicating your message
as what you say. Use these guidelines to learn simple tools that help you prepare and present
an effective presentation, and design PowerPoint slides that support and enhance your talk.
Preparing an Effective Presentation
An effective presentation is more than just standing up and giving information. A presenter
must consider how best to communicate the information to the audience. Use these tips to
create a presentation that is both informative and interesting:
- Organize your thoughts. Start with an outline and develop good transitions between
sections.
- Have a strong opening. Why should the audience listen to you? One good way to get
their attention is to start with a question, whether or not you expect an answer.
- Define terms early. If you are using terms that may be new to the audience, introduce
them early in your presentation. Once an audience gets lost in unfamiliar terminology,
it is extremely difficult to get them back on track.
- Finish with a bang. Find one or two sentences that sum up the importance of your
research.
- Design PowerPoint slides to introduce important information. Consider doing a
presentation without PowerPoint. Then consider which points you cannot make
without slides. Create only those slides that are necessary to improve your
communication with the audience.
- Time yourself. Do not wait until the last minute to time your presentation. You only
have 15 minutes to speak, so you want to know, as soon as possible, if you are close to
that limit.
- Create effective notes for yourself. Have notes that you can read. Do not write out
your entire talk; use an outline or other brief reminders of what you want to say. Make
sure the text is large enough that you can read it from a distance.
- Practice, practice, practice. The more you practice your presentation, the more
comfortable you will be in front of an audience. Practice in front of a friend or two and
ask for their feedback. Record yourself and listen to it critically. Make it better and do
it again.
PowerPoint Tips
Microsoft PowerPoint is a tremendous tool for presentations. It is also a tool that is sometimes
not used effectively. If you are using PowerPoint, use these tips to enhance your presentation:
- Use a large font. As a general rule, avoid text smaller than 24 point.
- Use a clean typeface. Sans serif typefaces, such as Arial, are generally easier to read
on a screen than serif typefaces, such as Times New Roman.
- Use bullet points, not complete sentences. The text on your slide provides an outline to
what you are saying. If the entire text of your presentation is on your slides, there is no
reason for the audience to listen to you. A common standard is the 6/7 rule: no more
than six bulleted items per slide and no more than seven words per item.
- Use contrasting colors. Use a dark text on a light background or a light text on a dark
background. Avoid combinations of colors that look similar. Avoid red/green
combinations, as this is the most common form of color blindness.
- Use special effects sparingly. Using animations, cool transition effects, sounds and
other special effects is an effective way to make sure the audience notices your slides.
Unfortunately, that means that they are not listening to what you are saying. Use
special effects only when they are necessary to make a point.
Presenting Effectively
When you start your presentation, the audience will be interested in what you say. Use these
tips to help keep them interested throughout your presentation: