pocket guide to delivering effective presentations

Effective PresentationsA Guide

2©Rothwell Douglas Ltd. 2015

The Four Key Elements

©Rothwell Douglas Ltd. 2015

1

2

3

4

Understanding your audience

Preparing your content

Delivering content

Controlling the environment

4©Rothwell Douglas Ltd. 2015

1. Understanding your audience


Did you know…

The average attention span is only 20 minutes


What do they do?What are their roles?What are their preferences?

What do they need to learn?What do they already know?

What would a generic profile of them look like?


What questions might your audience want to ask?

Prepare for tricky questions…


Do you use any technical jargon that might be difficult for the audience to understand?


What will leave your audience wanting more?

How will you capture attention?

2. Preparing Your Content


Often, it helps to draft on a piece of paper what you want each slide to look like.Don’t let a computer stifle your creativity!

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Use splashes of colour

that stand out!


WhiteSpaceCanAppear Calming And Clean


ArialGill Sans MTTahoma

Sans serif fonts are the most readable…


In your text, use three-part sentence structures to increase the impact of the statement…

Veni vidi vici

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Always distinguish the

important

parts of your slides.


Less is often more. Presentations will oftenbe most effective when there are amaximum of six lines of text and

a maximum of seven words per line.More than one paragraph decreases attention and

can cause the audience to read on.

3. Delivering confidently


Take speaker notes. Even if you don’t use them you will feel more confidentknowing they are there.


Pay attention to what you’re going to wear. You may have hundreds of eyes on you. Look the part as well as sounding the part!

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Modulate your voice – speak as if to a friend rather than an audience.

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Summarise key points at the end of the presentation. It will reinforce your messages.

4. Controlling the Environment


Practice in the same environment, or a similar environment, to which you will be presenting in


Keep the lights on!

Don’t shy away, be bold, confident and memorable.

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Have a back up plan in case of any technical problems…


1.Understanding your audience2.Preparing your content3.Delivering confidently4.Controlling the environment

Summary

pocket guide to delivering effective presentations

Presentations & Public Speaking