1. John von Neumann Institute, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City
Tutorial:
Keys to Effective Communications
Prof. Vu Duong
Director & Chair of Systems Science
John von Neumann Institute, Vietnam National University HCM
2. Keys to Effective Presentations
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
Strategy
Impossible d'afficher
l'image. Votre ordinateur
manque peut-être de
mémoire pour ouvrir
l'image ou l'image est
endommagée. Redémarrez
l'ordinateur, puis ouvrez à
nouveau le fichier. Si le x
rouge est toujours affiché,
vous devrez peut-être
supprimer l'image avant
de la réinsérer.
Structure
Delivery
Visual Aids
4. 2. Structure
Organizing
The
Presentation
Indirect structure
• start with question, and end with
recommendation
• more typical in academic and
technical settings
Direct structure
• start with recommendation,
support it then reiterate it
• more typical in business settings,
and to managerial audiences
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
6. Vocal Channel
How
You
Sound
Strive for natural variation in tone,
pitch, rate
Use pauses for emphasis
Convey enthusiasm
Avoid filler words (um, uh, ah, …)
Copyright (c) John von
Neumann Institute, VNUHCM
2014
7. Nonverbal Channel
How
You
Look
Show confidence and knowledge
Connect with the audience
Leverage nonverbal tools
• Posture and stance
• Gestures
• Movement
• Facial expressions
• Eye contact
Copyright (c) John von
Neumann Institute, VNUHCM
2014
9. Enhance Your Presentations
Purpose
Clarify structure
Emphasize important ideas
Illustrate relationships visually
Enhance and maintain interests
Copyright (c) John von
Neumann Institute, VNUHCM
2014
11. Enhance Your Presentations
Checklist
check equipment and room in advance
Have alternatives in case of equipment failures
Avoid blocking audience’s view
Interact with visuals effectively
Focus on audience, not the visuals
State transitions aloud
Copyright (c) John von
Neumann Institute, VNUHCM
2014
14. Creating Visual Aids
Use
Consistent
Template
Create a simple, clear template
Test for effective projection; test
handouts for note taking
Use sharp color contrast
• Computer projection: consider white or
yellow against dark background
• Transparencies: consider dark color
against clear background
Copyright (c) John von
Neumann Institute, VNUHCM
2014
16. Creating Visual Aids
Other
Considerations
Use color to focus vs. decoration
Avoid distortion from special
effects
Use clear, concise texts
Don’t overload
Copyright (c) John von
Neumann Institute, VNUHCM
2014
17. Managing Q/A
Before During After
Plan, anticipate
and rehearse
Listen before you
answer
Summarize main
points – Regain the
floor for final word
Set rules about
timing (during or
after)
Answer using tips
Copyright (c) John von
Neumann Institute, VNUHCM
2014
18. Managing Q/A
Use Q/A
To Hone
Your
Message
Listen actively and answer the question!
Restate, paraphrase and clarify
Empathize
Turn question to audience or questioner
Answer honestly
Look at entire audience – not just questioner
Reinforce main points
Copyright (c) John von
Neumann Institute, VNUHCM
2014
20. Managing Q/A
Accepting
Received
Feedback
Take a moment before responding
Restate or paraphrase back
Clarify
Evaluate feedback later
Try to understand speaker’s point-of-view
Take notes
Copyright (c) John von
Neumann Institute, VNUHCM
2014
21. Presentations: Summary
Copyright (c) John von
Neumann Institute, VNUHCM
2014
Develop Strategy/Structure
• Context: Purpose, Audience,
Credibility
• Structure: Direct/Indirect
Owning Delivery
• Tone, Fluency
• Confidence, eye contact
Create Visual Aids
• Uncluttered, purposeful
• Well titled, consistent
Handling Q/A
• Plan
• Listen, Answer
• Summarize
Effective
Presentations
24. 1. Plan the Talk
A Steve Jobs presentation has all the elements of a great movie
—heroes and villains, stunning visuals, and a supporting cast.
And, like a movie director, Steve Jobs "storyboards" the plot.
Before you go digital and open PowerPoint, spend time
brainstorming, sketching, or white-boarding.
Remember, you’re delivering a story. Slides complement the
story.
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
26. 2. FOCUS ON BENEFITS
Steve Jobs sells the benefit behind every new product or
feature—and he’s very clear about it:
• Why buy an iPhone 3GS? Because "it’s twice as fast at half the price.”
• What’s so great about Time Capsule? "All your irreplaceable photos,
videos, and documents are automatically protected and easy to retrieve
if they’re ever lost."
Your listeners are asking themselves one question: why
should I care? Nobody cares about your product or
service. They only care about how your product or service
will improve their lives.
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
28. 3. Sell Dreams, Not Products
Steve Jobs doesn’t sell computers. He sells the
promise of a better world.
• When Jobs introduced the iPod in 2001, he said, "In our own
small way, we’re going to make the world a better place."
Where most people see the iPod as a music player, Jobs
presents it as tool to enrich people’s lives.
Of course, it’s important to have great products.
But passion, enthusiasm, and a sense of purpose
beyond the actual product will make the difference.
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
30. 4. Create Friendly headlines
Steve Jobs offers a headline, or description, for every
product and each headline can easily fit in a Twitter™
post.
• For example, when Jobs introduced the MacBook Air™ in January
2008, he described it simply: "The world’s thinnest notebook."
That one sentence speaks volumes.
• Jobs will fill in the details during his presentation and on the Apple
Web site, but he finds one sentence to position every product.
Can you describe your product or service or problem in
140 characters?
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
32. 5. Draw a Roadmap
Jobs outlines the story—the narrative—at the
beginning of every presentation.
• At the Sept. 9, 2009, music event, Jobs told the audience
he would be talking about three products: iPhones™,
iTunes™, and iPods™. Along the way he provides verbal
guideposts such as "iPhones. The first thing I wanted to
talk about today. Now, let’s move on to the second,
iTunes."
Help your listeners follow the storyline.
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
34. 6. Create Visual Slides
There are no bullet points in Job’s presentations. Instead he
relies on photographs and images. Where the average
PowerPoint slide has 40 words, it's difficult to find seven words
on 10 of Jobs' slides.
• The technique is based on the idea that information is more effectively
recalled when text and images are combined.
• For example, when Steve Jobs unveiled the Macbook Air™, Apple's ultra-thin
notebook computer, he showed a slide of the computer fitting inside a manila
envelope. That image was worth a thousand words. "Simplicity is the ultimate
sophistication," Jobs once said.
Be sophisticated. Keep it simple!
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
36. 7. Demo
In addition to stunning visual backdrops (his slides),
Steve Jobs brings props for show and tell.
• After introducing new products or features, Jobs will
often sit down at a computer or pick up an iPhone and
demonstrate how it works. These demos are simple, but
often very dramatic.
• When Jobs introduced Macintosh in 1984, he walked to
the center of a darkened stage and slowly pulled the
computer from inside a black bag. He pulled a floppy
disk out of his pocket, slowly inserted it into the
computer, and walked away as the computer came to
life.
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
38. 8. Plan “water cooler” moments
There's always one moment in a Steve Jobs presentation that is
the water cooler moment, the one part of the presentation that
everyone will be talking about.
• These showstoppers are completely scripted ahead of
time. For example, when Jobs unveiled the MacBook
Air™, he removed the computer from an inter-office
envelope to show just how thin it was. It's the one
moment from Macworld 2008 that everyone
remembers.
Plan a showstopper.
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
40. 9. Obey the 10-Minute Rule
Neuroscientists have found that the brain gets
tired after 10 minutes of any presentation.
• In other words, no matter how engaging the speaker,
audiences will tend to tune out after approximately 10
minutes.
• A Steve Jobs presentation lasts about 1.5 hours but
every 10 to 15 minutes, he breaks up the content with
video, demonstrations or guest speakers.
Don't give the audience time to get bored.
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
41. 10. Use “Catchy” words
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
42. 11. Practice – A Lot
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
44. 13. Make Numbers Meaningful
In every Apple presentation, big numbers are put into
context.
• On Sept. 9, 2009, Apple Vice-President Phil Schiller said that 220
million iPods had been sold to date. He placed that number into
context by saying it represented 73% of the market.
• He broke it down even further—and took a jab at the competition
—by saying Microsoft was "pulling up the rear" with its 1% market
share.
Schiller learned his technique from Jobs who always
puts large numbers into a context that's relevant
to his audience.
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
45. 14. Share the Stage
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
46. 16. One More Thing … HAVE
FUN!
Copyright (c) John von Neumann Institute, VNUHCM 2014
47. Persuasive Presentation Exercise
Reminders
Make a presentation about your
team (discussion and prep 20mn)
Persuade the class that you have
the best team for “your project”
Don’t forget strategy, structure,
context
Timing: five minutes + 2 for Q/A
Copyright (c) John von
Neumann Institute, VNUHCM
2014
