How to Deliver an Effective Presentation? Download the entire document at: www.gazhoo.com

Agenda Presenter audience dialogue: Overview Word choice Vocal delivery Physical delivery Personal style Key takeaways Download the entire document at: www.gazhoo.com

Presenter audience dialogue: Overview

Word choice

Vocal delivery

Physical delivery

Personal style

Key takeaways

Overview An effective presentation is an organized, audience-centered communication of key insights derived from highly-focused analysis. It engages the audience in a dialogue created by a logical structure, and supported by word choice, the voice and body, and personal style. Presenter audience dialogue Presentation structure Word choice Voice Body Personal style Answer-First/ Pyramid Principle Word choice Directive language Active speech Bad habits Vocal delivery Vocal “tics” Physical delivery Presenting slides Self-communication Credibility Overcoming fear Handling questions Closing Download the entire document at: www.gazhoo.com

Answer-First/ Pyramid Principle

Word choice

Directive language

Active speech

Bad habits

Vocal delivery

Vocal “tics”

Physical delivery

Presenting slides

Self-communication

Credibility

Overcoming fear

Handling questions

Closing

Dialogue Through Pyramid Structure The pyramid structure creates an engaging rhythm of idea  audience question  answer (idea)  question  answer (idea). Situation: Mayflower has $800MM in cash, no debt, and strong earnings (“Yes. So what?”) Complication: These attributes often attract unwanted suitors Question: Is Mayflower vulnerable to a hostile takeover? Answer: It is unlikely that Mayflower will become a target at today’s market price (“Why?”) Mayflower does not fit acquisition profile Post-acquisition financials look unappealing Key voting shareholders remain loyal MF is largest non-oil MF has highest P/E Post-acquisition cashflows negative Negative earnings through 1999 Ames family (28%) Omnibank (15%) (“In what way?”) (“What do they look like?”) (“Who?”) (“Why?”) (“Why?”) Requires steady capex Synergies will be minimal Combined cost structure is high Market will remain flat Download the entire document at: www.gazhoo.com

Active Speech Source: Adapted from D. David Bourland, Jr. and Paul Dennithorne Johnston, To Be or Not: An E-Prime Anthology (San Francisco: International Society for General Semantics, 1991) Eliminate barriers to audience engagement by using the active voice, direct speech, and lean grammatical construction. Recommendations Avoid Use Change verbs from the passive to the active voice “ The sample was taken from…” “ A team of four assemblers from the Saginaw plant took samples from…” Replace “is” with an action verb “ We found 3 out of 5 lid assembly lines were inefficient.” “ Poor maintenance contributed to 43% of downtime in 3 out of 5 lid assembly lines.” Make an “is” statement more concrete “ We believe the decision is a good one.” “ The decision will save you $214K per month in purchasing costs.” Get to the point by saying what you mean “ At this point in time, it is our opinion that you proceed to trim your portfolio of businesses that siphon off valuable resources from your core business.” “ Divest. Now.” Link assertions to your experience by eliminating “seem.” “ The data would seem to indicate that…” “ Our experience in similar situations leads us to suggest that…” Download the entire document at: www.gazhoo.com

Change verbs from the passive to the active voice

Replace “is” with an action verb

Make an “is” statement more concrete

Get to the point by saying what you mean

Link assertions to your experience by eliminating “seem.”

Physical Delivery: Gestures to Avoid “ What me? Worry about presenting?” “ at ease” “ Toscanini” “ Freudian Clutch” “ Penguin” “ Papal Special” “ I’m a little teapot” “ the Diva” Download the entire document at: www.gazhoo.com

Presenting Slides: Orient Place the slide on the overhead projector Pause , checking image alignment on screen Provide verbal and physical slide orientation [Pointing to Y axis] “We analyzed revenues [indicating X axis] over five years, beginning with [pointing to] 1992.” Use slides to support insights through the HOT process. First, present the highlight, or key insight. Then, orient the audience to the way information is organized on the slide. O Orient the audience to the way information is organized on the slide Download the entire document at: www.gazhoo.com

Place the slide on the overhead projector

Pause , checking image alignment on screen

Provide verbal and physical slide orientation

[Pointing to Y axis] “We analyzed revenues [indicating X axis] over five years, beginning with [pointing to] 1992.”

Presenting Slides: Tell Answer anticipated audience questions in response to your insight Avoid abdicating your communicator role to your slide Eliminate “This slide says…,” it is a meaningless, utterly null and void way of communicating all claims to the phrase’s being a figure of speech aside, you (expert, confidant, and advisor) - and not the slide - are in dialogue with your audience Extract observations relevant to your objectives Monitor audience reaction - agreement, enthusiasm, skepticism, confusion, boredom Transition to next highlight/insight Use slides to support insights through the HOT process. First, present the highlight, or key insight. Then, orient the audience to the way information is organized on the slide. Finally, tell how the data support the insight. T Tell how the data support the insight Download the entire document at: www.gazhoo.com

Answer anticipated audience questions in response to your insight

Avoid abdicating your communicator role to your slide

Eliminate “This slide says…,” it is a meaningless, utterly null and void way of communicating

all claims to the phrase’s being a figure of speech aside, you (expert, confidant, and advisor) - and not the slide - are in dialogue with your audience

Extract observations relevant to your objectives

Monitor audience reaction - agreement, enthusiasm, skepticism, confusion, boredom

Transition to next highlight/insight