Oral communication preparation

1. Oral Presentations
The Good, the Bad,
and the Tongue-tied

2. Oral Presentations
Studies have shown
that the many of
people would rather
die…

3. Oral Presentations
. . . than speak in public!

4. How important is public
speaking in the profession
of engineering?
“Professionals live and die on
presentations. It’s as important as
being able to turn on your
computer.”

5. The Preamble
The previous slides did two things:
1. Introduced the topic (presentations)
2. Underlined the importance of the
topic to the audience – POWER
STATEMENT.
This helps get the audience’s attention
and can be effective “ice breaker”
techniques.

6. Elements of a good
presentation
3. Delivery
1. Preparation
2. Content
Note: This slide previews the 3 main ideas that will be
developed in this presentation – provides a “road map for
the audience to follow.

7. 1. PREPARATION
Check room and equipment
AV
Windows
Seats
Plug ins
Know what you will have to work with; avoid surprises

8. Preparation
Check room and equipment
Know your audience
• Experts or innocents?
• Jargon or plain speech?
• Time of day?
• Cultural concerns?

9. Preparation
Check room and equipment
Know your audience
Rehearse your talk
Time yourself
Plan pacing
Plan emphasis
Record yourself

10. Preparation
Check room and equipment
Know your audience
Rehearse your talk
Look and Act like a TEAM
Smooth hand-offs (practice)
Consistent dress and tone

11. 2. CONTENT
KNOW your purpose! Know your content!
ORGANIZE your content logically
Introduce your team and state your purpose
Speaker 1: [specific content sections]
Speaker 2: [specific content sections]
Speaker 3: [specific content sections]
Ask for questions; answer them thoughtfully
Suggest additional resources, if relevant
Conclude with a polite “thank you”

12. 3. DELIVERY
Don’t rush
Speak slowly and clearly

13. Delivery
Don’t rush
Avoid physical distractions
Don’t fidget, fiddle with noisy objects, jangle pockets, etc

14. Delivery
Don’t rush
Avoid physical distractions
Avoid verbal distractions
Um….
Well…
Right?
You know…
Like…

15. Delivery
Don’t rush
Avoid physical distractions
Avoid verbal distractions
Don’t read from notes!
Speak naturally as you
would to a colleague
Vary tone and emphasis
so you sound like you
are speaking naturally.

16. Delivery
Don’t rush
Avoid physical distractions
Avoid verbal distractions
Don’t read from notes
Make eye contact.

17. Visuals
Make sure visual effects such as slides are
• Clearly visible
• Print color contrasts background
• Consistent and readable font type
• Minimal use of text
• Simply designed
• Avoid overly complicated or gratuitous graphics
• Use animation sparingly if at all
• Keep text to a minimum
• Relevant and explicitly referred to in your presentation

18. Effective
Presentations
Careful
Preparation
Solid
Structure
and
Content
Strong
Delivery
Note: recap of presentation

19. Presentation Tips (key take-aways)
Arrive on time; be professional
Know what your audience wants and needs. Review
assignment criteria to determine the key informational
items you are expected to communicate and how much
time you will be allotted to present it.
Present as a TEAM. Rehearse your transitions and
handoffs. LOOK and ACT like an effective team.
RESEARSE! Know the information you will present.
DON’T READ!

20. In conclusion…
Concluding is often the hardest
part of the presentation. You
should
Ask for questions

21. Wrapping Up…
Offer additional resources

22. Wrapping Up…
If time permits, you might revisit an
opening strategy (story, joke, ice
breaker, example, etc)

23. Wrapping up…
Be sure to thank your audience.
This is a great way to close your
presentation as it lets the audience
know you are done.
Avoid ending your presentation
awkwardly…. with a “well, I guess
we’re done….” This shows lack of
preparation.

24. Questions?

25. Thank you!
I look forward to seeing many
engaging and educational
presentations.