Preparing and Delivering the Most Effective Presentations

Chelsea J. Shanahan

August 13, 2014

Creating and Delivering PresentationsOverview

• 8 main steps to creating the presentation:

• Delivering the perfect presentation

The Information

What you are saying is as important as how you are saying it. When deciding what information to share, pay close attention to make sure your

presentation is:

Clear

Concise

Simplified

Colors and Text

• When choosing texts and colors for your presentation, be aware of what is easiest to read.

For example: This type of font is more difficult

to read than this type of font.

• Avoid red/green color combinations for people

that are color blind (Pugsley, 2010).

• Some text colors will be more difficult to read if

you do not choose a good background color. For

example:

white background with a peach text

Images and Graphics• Images and graphics should be relevant to

your • Images and graphics should enhance what

you are presenting, not confuse a listener (Nemec & Sullivan-Soydan, 2008).

• Diagrams or flow charts may be helpful for people who are visual learners.

Sales 1st Qtr

2nd Qtr

3rd Qtr

4th Qtr

Special Effects

Animations and slide transitions may help to keep your listeners engaged in the presentation (Guffey & Loewy, 2011).

An example of a distracting special effect would be rotating text such as the title at the top of this page.

Hyperlinks

Using videos or other visuals in your presentation via hyperlink is another great way

to make your presentation more interesting (Guffey & Loewy, 2011). When using video clips or other hyperlinks to create visual aides, make

sure they are relevant to your presentation.

Hyperlink Example to New Document

Interaction

Including your audience during the presentation in the format of a quiz or poll questions is a good way to maintain a level of involvement and understanding.

How many people have taken a class on public speaking?

Internet

Once your presentation is perfect, move it to the internet or your company’s intranet (Gufffey &

Loewy, 2011). This allows easy access for anyone to view your presentation.

Perfecting the Presentation

• Prepare and rehearse your presentation thoroughly

• Greet the audience and make eye contact throughout your presentation

• Control your speed, voice, and tone

• Provide handouts

• Summarize your information and answer questions

Summary

• Follow the eight steps to create a effective presentation:

• Practice your presentation and deliver a strong final presentation

References

• Guffey, M. & Loewy, D. (2011). Business communication process & product 7th edition. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

• Nemec, P. & Sullivan-Soydan, A. (2008). The medium isn’t the message. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 31(4), 377-379.

• Pugsley, L. (2010). Design and effective PowerPoint presentation. Education For Primary Care, 21(1), 51-53.