Speaking for Excellence:Giving Effective Presentations

Jamilah Alsaidan, Msc.

When you are part of the audience

What Bothers you about other peoples presentations?

What do you like about other peoples presentations?

Why do we give presentations?Why give presentations when its such an

anxiety producing activity?Share informationGain prestigeAs part of studying for a degreeJob requirementTo polish up your CV

As healthcare professionals presentations are essential in:

CME, orHospital Morning ReportRoundsPharmacists: Education on medication to

staffPatient consultation in layman's terms

Things we gainEffective speakers have the ability to adapt to

different situations, to react to an audience, and be flexible.

Learning how to present effectively gives us confidence and helps us think on our feet.

An effective presentation forces presenters to know and organize their material.

They research their material better and retain it longer.

Writing Vs. SpeakingConveying information through writing and

speaking are similar in some aspects yet differ in other aspects.

A good presentation, like a good written article, must be:

PurposefulAudience basedClearConciseAccurateWell organized

Writing Vs. SpeakingWriting ( The reader)

Speaking (The listener)

The reader can re-read something till he understands it. (IN CONTROL)

If useful, can keep it for future reference

Chooses time and atmosphere

The listener is reliant on his own listening skills and the talking pace of the speaker to try to understand.

If try to write notes on a particular point might miss out on preceding slides

Might be uncomfortable or too far from speaker

Effective presentationsThe prescription for success is

preparationPrepare content of the presentation

and use references to increase confidence

The fxn of a lecture is to arouse interest, enthusiasm, and to entertain

Consider these things before researching your topic:Subject- Am I familiar with it? Would I enjoy

presenting it? Ask for specific topics, not broad ones. Confirm with the person who asked you to speak.

Audience- Know exactly the peoples qualifications, expectations, etc. Never over/underestimate your audience.

Purpose-THE POINT; reason the audience is there

Setting- Analyze setting and occasion.

The beginningA lecturer must introduce and conclude

rather than simply start and end talkingA good beginning can be achieved by: Using a bold, controversial statementA rhetorical (symbolic)question at arouses

interestAn informative statement about a little known

fact

The Body- Great Deal of EffortDecide on a limited number of points and

present them in logical sequence.People listen most carefully, and remember

best what is said in the first fifteen minutes. Therefore the complex concentration demanding part of the material should be done in the first half of the presentation.

Relate the number of main points to the time available. If you allocated a time slot for a one hour talk, make sure you speak for 50mins and leave ten or more for questions.

The effective speaker puts a lot of effort into the arrangement of ideas in the presentation.

It helps convey the message and ensures audience comprehension

It helps avoid a bored audience and wasted time

The ConclusionIts important to make a strong finishNever fade away, or simply stop talkingBe prepared to answer questions in a session,

it may be as useful as the presentation itself.Some audience members will try to irritate

the speaker so the presenter must stay calm and focused.

A good way is to finish with a (summary) slide or two.

SlidesSlides are the most useful visual aid but they

are also the most abused.Well designed simple slides can aid

understandingTake care not to make slides:Overcrowded ( not more than 9 lines)Complex with complicated graphs and tablesInstead use: Diagrams and cartoons if appropriateSimple tables or graphs

7 sins of speaking1. Not meeting the needs of the audience2. An unclear purpose3. Lack of organization4. Unnecessary information5. Monotonous voice and sloppy speech 6. Unnecessary, unclear, or inappropriate

visual aides7. Reading your talk

The actual deliveryPRACTICEWatch your toneVideotape or record yourself if possible

(distracting mannerisms)Watch it and let someone else watch itGestures minimizedEye contact maximized

Thank youFor your attention