This document provides guidance on how to better prepare and deliver presentations. It discusses assessing the audience, organizing main points in an outline, practicing presentations out loud, using consistent formatting and readable fonts, including relevant visuals, introducing yourself, summarizing key points, and engaging the audience with questions. The goal is to determine what information to convey, how to structure it effectively, and how to execute the presentation confidently.

1. Better Presentations How-To
Thomas Carpino
ORG 536– Contemporary Business Writing and
Communication
Colorado State University – Global Campus
Dr. Phillip E. Jackson
Dec 04, 2015

2. Overview
- Personal Preparation
- Presentation Preparation
- Presentation Execution

3. • What do you want to say/relay/inform?
– First step is deciding exactly what you want to create a presentation on. This will
help you organize your thoughts and how you want to articulate and present it.
• Assess your audience
– Who is this presentation for? Assess who is the intended receivers. What is their
age, education level, experience? All of these factors can assist in you deciding a
appropriate delivery. Adult learners are usually more pragmatic, put little stock in
theory, they look for information that is immediately applicable to their lives
(Pappas, 2013).
• Identify learning object/level of learning
– Do you want your audience to know information-
or be able to perform a task?
– Levels of learning help categorize the level of -
desired end state
Personal Preparation
“Blooms Taxonomy” (2015). Retrieved 04 Dec 2015 from
https://usflearn.instructure.com/courses/837241/pages/bloom-new

4. Personal Preparation
• Organize Main Points.
– Now that you know what you want to
say, figure out and write out how you
want to say it.
– Draft a outline just like you were
preparing a academic paper.
– Organize the main points you would
like to convey
– Generally, opening, body, and
conclusion is the standard order of an
outline (Dlugan, 2008) . However, the
more specific you are the more you
can visualize your presentation and
how you have to deliver it.
Standard Presentation Outline
• Introduction/Attention step
• Transition
• Overview
• Transition
• Main Point #1
• Transition
• Main Point #2
• Transition
• Main Point #3
• Transition
• Summary
• Closure/Re-motivation

5. • Practice presentation
– Verbally run through your presentation from start to finish.
– Speak out load and stand up in a room as if to simulate you standing in front of
a audience.
• Mentally prepares yourself for the delivery and articulation required to convey your message
and deliver your speech.
• Rosenthal (2013) says “You have to rehearse well enough so you can give all your attention to
the audience” (para. 1).
• Intent is not to memorize but to work through-
the verbalization of your main points.
Personal Preparation
(2015). Retrieved from
http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/a-primer-on-
communication-studies/s10-02-delivery-methods-and-
practice-.html

6. • Uniformity
– Ensure what ever font you use and format you settle on it is consistent
throughout your presentation.
• Text Selection
– Decide on a font that easy to read and professional
• Visual Theme/Use of color
– Spice up your presentation with the use of colors.
– Be careful not to over do it. No more than four different types.
– Paradi (2015) says “One of the most common mistakes in selecting colors for
presentation slides is to not have enough contrast between the colors chosen for
the background and the text or graphics” (para. 2).
– Ensure you select colors that will not be washed-out or distorted with the
environment (dark/bright rooms).
Presentation Preparation
TEXT TEXT TEXT TEXT

7. Presentation Preparation
• Visual Support
– Provide elements to draw and keep audience members who are visual learners.
– Pictures, clip art, and designs on the slide can grab attention or emphasis key points.
– Just throwing in pictures does not add value. Pictures must be relevant and powerful.
– Ensure support is sized accordingly and are positioned on the slide where it makes
sense.
“Good Image scale” (2007). Retrieved on 04 Dec 2015 from
http://www.powerpointninja.com/graphics/what-makes-an-
image-good-for-presentations-part-i/

8. Presentation Execution
• Introduce yourself, build a rapport with your audience.
• Start with an attention step, story, video, picture, pose a question.
Something that answers the question “what does this have to do with me ad
why should I care?” for the audience.
• The age old saying, “Tell the audience what you're going to say, say it;
then tell them what you've said” (Carnegie, 2015, para.1)
“Small Business” (2015). Retrieved on 05 Dec 2015 from
http://content5.videojug.com/84/84fd1f13-b27d-d46f-c7d8-
ff0008c9570b/small-business-how-to-make-a-five-minute.WidePlayer.jpg

9. • By practicing out loud you might have identified nervous ticks you have (saying
“um”, pacing, not pacing, over use of your hands, and maybe constantly looking
down or in one spot). Notice when you find yourself doing these things and
STOP.
• Make good eye contact with the audience and watch for non-verbal queues of
understanding information or being tire and needing a break.
• Control the speed, pitch, and tone of your voice.
• Use your built in transitions to move from one point to another in a fluid manner
Presentation Execution
(2015). Retrieved on 05 Dec 2015
fromhttp://nickusborne.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/07/boring-presentation1-
e1313249019808.jpg

10. Presentation Execution
• Check knowledge by asking question.
– Spot check how audience is receiving information by engaging with pre-
planned questions.
– Gets the audience involved and is interactive.
• Summary
– Recap on all main points by highlighting key areas.
– Answer any question that might be lingering
• Closure
– Re-motivate
• Remind the audience again why listening-
and understanding is so important
(2015). Retrieved on 05 Dec 2015 from http://www.thekcpost.com/wp-
content/uploads/2015/01/Utility1.jpg

11. • Personal Preparation
• Presentation Preparation
• Presentation Execution
Summary

12. References
Carnegie, D. (2015). Dale Carnegie Quotes. Retrieved Dec 05, 2015, from BrainyQuotes:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/dalecarneg156635.html
Dlugan, A. (2008, Feb 27). Speech Preparation #1: How to Prepare a Presentation. Retrieved Dec 05,
2015, from Six Minute Speaking and Presentation Skills: http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/speech-
preparation-1-how-to-prepare-presentation/
Feierman, A. (2010). Presentation Pointers. Retrieved Dec 04, 2015, from The Art of Communicating
Effectively: http://www.presentation-pointers.com/showarticle.asp?articleid=64
Pappas, C. (2013, May 8). Adult Learners' Traits. Retrieved Dec 04, 2015, from 8 Important
Characteristics Of Adult Learners: http://elearningindustry.com/8-important-characteristics-of-adult-
learners
Paradi, D. (2015). Choosing Colors for Your Presentation Slides. Retrieved Dec 05, 2015, from
Think Outside the Slide: http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/choosing-colors-for-your-
presentation-slides/
Rosenthal, B. (2013, Jun 19). The Only Way To Prepare To Give A Presentation. Retrieved Dec 04,
2015, from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2013/06/19/the-only-way-to-
prepare-to-give-a-presentation/