Presentation Technique

MODUL 6 KEY LANGUAGE AND HANDLING QUESTIONS

2006-03-22T17:40:00.000-08:00

Reviewer: Manto

KEY LANGUAGE
The most important expressions to help you with the content of your presentation.

Business Terms
An important part of preparing your presentation is to decide precisely what topics you are going to discuss and what words you are likely to need to discuss them.

Presenting is not just about giving information, but also about commenting on it. You need adjectives to comment on the main themes of your presentation.

The first step in preparing your presentation is to establish the key topics you want to deal with. This helps you to predict many of the words you may need.

Many processes – price movements, product development etc, - describe a more or less fixed sequence of events. Make sure you know all the words you need to describe each stage in the processes you want to talk about.

Formality
In general, Latin words (Affirm, conclude, demonstrate, discover) suggest formality; shorter, often Germanic, words and phrasal verbs (say, end, show, find out) sound more conversational.

In technical and scientific presentation, where processes and procedures are being described, it is common to use the passive;
Each component was tested to destruction.
The first studies were carried out in Germany.
To sound less formal, use the active with we or they;
We tested each component to destruction.
They carried out the first studies in Germany.
Unattributed facts and opinions certainly sound confident;
It’s a well-known fact that what the West researches the East develops.
It’s a little-known fact that 90% of all new products fail.
It’s a common misconception that advertising works.
But the following generalizations sound more friendly:
Everybody knows that what the West researches the East develops.
A lot of people don’t realize that 90% of all new products fail.
People often make the mistake of thinking that advertising works.

Useful Expressions
You can cut down the amount of thinking you have to do in presentation by learning in advance some of the most common expressions you might need. Simple verbs like make, do, give and take are the basis of many of these.

English is full of useful fixed expressions which native speakers use all the time, almost without thinking. The ability to use some of these will make your talk sound more confident and idiomatic.

Most of the arguments you put forward in a presentation depend on several factors eg. Time, money, manpower, the competition, the state of the market.
Sentence qualifiers are short phrases:
in theory on average up to the point
They put the rest of what you say into context.

Short phrases in effect, on the other hand, at a guess) help you to qualify your arguments or organize you presentation better. Learn these by heart, so that you can use them when you need them.

More important than the expressions which you have been presented with in this section ate those which you yourself find and decide will be useful in your situation.

HANDLING QUESTIONS
How to deal with questions from the audience both friendly and hostile

ClarificationsWhen you give a presentation, one of your main objectives is to sound clear. But when there are misunderstandings, a small audience should be prepared to interrupt you to clarity what you said.

In an informal presentation being able to interrupt a speaker politely and effectively to ask for clarification is an important professional skill.

A large audience may not get the chance to ask questions until the presenter has finished the talk. So, if you want to clarity something the presenter said, first focus their attention on the subject you are unclear about.
1. Focus You talked about concentrating on our core business.
2. ClarificationCould you say a bit more about that?

In a longer presentation you may need to contextualize your question more:
1. Context When you were talking about raising capital;
2. Focus you mentioned the possibility of a flotation,
3. Clarification Could you clarify your position on that?.

Dealing with Question
When someone in the audience asks you a question, it’s a good idea to comment on it before you actually answer it. This gives you time to think. There are four basic types of question:

Good questions
Thank people for asking them. They help you to get your message across to the audience better.

Difficult questions
These are the ones you can’t or prefer not to answer. Say you donn’t know, offer to find out or ask the questioner what they think.

Unnecessary questions
You have already given this information. Point this out answer briefly again and move on.

Irrelevant questions
Try not to sound rude, but move on.

When people ask you questions, listen carefully. Avoid the temptation to interrupt. Take a moment to think about and then comment on each question before you actually answer it.

The exchange of question and answers at the end of your presentation is something you need to prepare for. Simple questions can be easily answered. But the answers to more complex questions are often negotiated between the presenter and the questioner.

If sometimes seems as if the person asking the questions has all the power. But try to remember that, by giving your presentation, you have set the agenda.

Try to see the question-and-answer session at the end of your presentation as an opportunity to relax and share more of your ideas with your audience.

Note: You may need more either explanation or information. Find them in the different sites. Then discuss it about.

MODUL 5 BASIC AND FURTHER TECHNIQUES

2006-03-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

REVIEWER: MANTO

BASIC TECHNIQUES

Simple Technique to help you communicate your message to maximum effect.

“It’s nice to see so many of you, but I’ve only got 20 samples.”

You can dramatically change the significance of what you say in a presentation by stressing words which would normally be unstressed or contracted.
The detailed explanation could be defined by knowing about what is:
EMPHASIS?
FOCUSING?
SOFTENING?
REPETITION?
Don’t forget to determine some examples for using them in the sentence form.

FURTHER TECHNIQUES

How to develop your public speaking style to impress and influence your audience.

“It’s look as if the bulb’s gone!”

It is often more interesting to present your ideas as questions rather than direct statements. Questions involve the audience. They also make your presentation sound more conversational and create anticipation in the minds of your audience.

Here you are several the further techniques to make you presenting the ideas become more interesting. What are the further techniques? That could be explained after defining about:
RHETORICAL QUESTION
TRIPLING
MACHINE-GUNNING
BUILD-UPS
KNOCK-DOWNS
SIMPLIFICATION
CREATING RAPPORT

Look for their example in using to make you understanding them quite well!!

MODUL 4. USING YOUR VOICE

2006-03-08T13:38:00.000-08:00

(Reviwer: Manto)

How to speak in public to create the effect you want, using techniques for highlighting, pausing and stressing.

“Perhaps I’d better go over that again ……. In more detail.”

The following tips are presented for general purpose. For more detailed information about how you and your company might benefit from improved presentation, please search to www. Itpwebsite.com. Seeking and printing more detailed information of using your voice, especially about these six strategies.

1. Articulation (what the meaning and giving several example)
2. Chunking (what the meaning and giving several example)
3. Stress (explain and giving several example)
4. Intonation (what is it? and giving several example)
5. Pacing (what the meaning and giving several example)
6. Sound Scripting (what the meaning and giving several example)

You may search by searching engine above to these key words (Presenting in English or Mark Powell)

You are allowed to join the class after completing information of how to use your voice in Articulation, Chunking, Stress, Intonation, Pacing, and Sound Scripting.

I’ve no sorry, If you made a mistake (means; your are losing for not showing me the information which I would like you ….. to have it).

Thank you for joining the advices. (Manto)

Module 3 Exploiting visuals

2006-03-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

How to use visual aids to maximum effect

Visual are important in any professional presentation. But when you give a presentation in a special moment, they are even more important. Visual information is highly memorable and reduces the amount of talking you have to do. Good visual speak to you.
Visual help you to give a lot of information in a short space of time. They are really ‘quick snapshots’ of situations, development, events and processes which would take a long time to explain fully in words.

Good visuals speak for themselves and require little or no description, but you often need to draw your audience’s attention to one or more key points before you discuss them in more detail.
1. Highlights ==== which parts of the visual are most significant?
2. Comments === why?
3. Interpretations === what conclusions you can draw?

These expressions highlight important in a visual.

I’d like us to look at this part of the graph in more detail.
I’d like us to focus our attention on one particularly important feature.
I’d like you to think about the significance of this figure here.
I’d like to point out one or two interesting details.
I’d like to draw your attention to the upper half of the chart.

These expressions comment on important in a visual.

As you can see, there are several surprising developments.
If you look at it more closely, you’ll notice a couple of apparent anomalies.
However you try to explain it, this is very bad news.
Whatever the reason for this, the underlying trend is obvious.
Whichever way you look at it, these are some of our best results ever.

These expressions interpret important information in a visual.

I’m sure the conclusion to be drawn from this are clear to all of us.
I’m sure the lesson to be learned from this is clear to all of us.
I’m sure the implications of this are clear to all of us.
I’m sure the significance of this is clear to all of us.
I’m sure the message here is clear to all of us.

Change and development

In many professional presentations you need to talk about changes and development. Usually a visual will explain these for you. But if you do not have a visual to illustrate a particular point, you need the specialized language of change and development.
Sometime it is not enough to talk about increases and decreases. You may also want to draw your audience\s attention to the scale and speed of change and comment on its significance.
BIG < ……….> SMALL
FAST < ……….> SLOW
GOOD < ……….> BAD
Except in complex technical and scientific presentations, you don’t usually need to quote precise figure. It is better to include these in a handout or report given out before or after your talk.
It can be helpful, however, when describing very detailed visual aids, to mention overall trends and approximate figures.

Cause Effect and Purpose

As a presenter, your job is not just to present facts, but also to explain the reasons behind the facts and their likely causes and effects. We have a lot of expressions which are used to link cause, effect and purpose, but these are mostly used in written reports. The language used in presentations is often much simpler. Compare the following:

REPORT
TQM was introduced
In order to increase efficiency
The introduced of TQM
Led to a 20% increase in efficiency was
A result of the introduction of TQM

PRESENTATION
We introduced TQM
to increase efficiency
we introduced TQM
and efficiency increase by 20%
because we introduced TQM

Here, I’ll show you several opinions about public speaking included presentation. These are from experts. What they have been saying:

Public Speaking: 10 Simple Steps to Confident SpeakingBy Alan Moreton

1. Preparation
The most important step in public speaking is preparation. It is the No. 1 key to success in every endeavour and this applies especially to speaking in public. To make a successful speech requires in depth research of your topic. For every minute that your speech lasts you will probably have to spend one hour in research and preparation!
If you think that 10 hours is a lot of time to devote to a 10 minute speech then consider Muhammad Ali-The Master of Preparation. Some of his fights only lasted 10 minutes but he spent several months in preparing himself. He knew that preparation creates confidence:
Confidence in your abilities Confidence in your knowledgeConfidence in a successful outcomeConfidence to overcome fearConfidence to take action

2. Practice
Training and Exercise is the next simple step in developing confident public speaking. If you want to become physically fit then you need to engage in training and exercise. It is the same with public speaking. Be prepared to feel foolish, awkward and nervous while you are learning and trying out new skills. Just do it anyway. The more you practice in public the more and quicker you will learn. So take every opportunity to speak in public. Remember, while you are learning you don’t have to be perfect, just use those occasions as learning opportunities. One way to get practice is to join a speaking club, as I did. That way you are working together with others who are also learning. You will receive lots of constructive feedback, which is what you need while you are learning.

3. Perseverance
This is simply a matter of being determined to master the art and skills of public speaking and deciding never to give up. No matter how badly you think your last speech went or how badly you feel about it, give it one more try, then another and another. Improvement is incremental, if you keep on trying.
TRI, TRI again. Take action. Review it. Improve it. Then TRI again.
Alan Moreton

4. Plan a Simple Structure
Introduction: Tell them what you are going to tell them.Body: Tell them two or three clear ideas.Conclusion: Tell them what you have told them.
Nothing could be simpler.

5. Pleasure
Speaking in public is a pleasurable, exhilarating experience. It provides an opportunity to share your experience and your knowledge. You may not feel that speaking in public is a pleasure at first. You may feel absolutely petrified. Many people do. This is only natural. But once you have had the opportunity to learn a few skills and have learnt how to control your nerves then you will experience the satisfaction of confidence in your abilities to speak in front of an audience.

6. Personality
You are invisible! Until you express your ideas and make them clear to others you are invisible. To make an impact on other people you must express your personality. Speaking in public is a wonderful way to do this. You have to make the invisible part of you visible. By sharing your real self, the hidden part of you, your feelings, your attitudes, your dreams and aspirations with your audience you connect with them in a very real and dynamic way. They see the real person and they are then able to enter into your world and empathise with you. By expressing yourself, your opinions, your ideas and your beliefs and expressing them in your own unique style you make your personality visible to others.

7. Projection
When tackling the art of public speaking one of the strategies you can use is to see yourself as successful. Use positive Self Talk to enthuse yourself with confidence. Walk up to the podium with your head held high and with a confident air. No one can see what you are feeling inside. Act confident even if you don’t feel it. You will soon feel confident as your feelings catch up with your actions.

8. Passion
To be at all convincing you must have a passion for your subject. It must be something you are vitally interested in. You must exude enthusiasm and you must communicate this excitement to your audience. So concentrate on this one thing until it becomes an all-consuming obsession. Then you will speak about it with conviction and your audience will be convinced of its importance to you and they will sit up and take notice.

9. Progress
After you have made a few speeches take time to reflect on how far you have come. See the progress you have made. Begin to appreciate that you are feeling more confidence and that you are communicating more effectively. This will provide even greater motivation and it will renew your determination to keep on trying.

10. Perfecting
By putting these simple steps into effect you will learn how to become a confident speaker and by continually thinking about them and practicing them you will desire to perfect your skills. There are many resources available to enable you to improve your abilities.
There are speaking clubs, professional speaking organizations, books, courses and articles available. You may wish to use some or all of these resources to perfect your skills as a public speaker.

MODULE 2 GETTING STARTED

2006-02-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

¨ How to make an immediate impact on your audience

INTRODUCTION
How you begin your presentation depends on how formal the situation is. Most audiences prefer a relatively informal approach.

Below you will find two alternatives ways of introducing yourself and the subject of your presentation – one fairly formal, the other more friendly. At each stage choose the expression you would feel more comfortable using and highlight it.

FAIRLY FORMAL
Erm, perhaps we should begin.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
On behalf of ….., may I welcome you to ….
My name’s ….
For those of you don’t know me already,
I’m responsible for ….
This morning I’d like to ….
Discuss …
Report on …
And present …..
If you have any questions you’d like to ask, I’ll be happy to answer them.
Or
Perhaps we can leave any questions you may have until the end of the presentation.

MORE FRIENDLY
OK, let’s get started
Morning, everyone.
Thanks for coming.
I’m …..
As you know,….
I’m in charge of …..
What I want to do this morning is….
talk to you about ….
tell you about …..
And show you ….
Feel free to ask any questions you like as we go along.
And don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of time left over for questions at the end.

Now put together an introduction of your own using some of expressions you choose above. Remember how important it is to be totally confident about this part of your presentation.
Don’t waste a lot of time at the beginning of your presentation introducing yourself, your company and the subject of your talk. Get on with it!

Stating your purpose 1

It is essential to state the purpose of your presentation near the beginning. To do this clearly and effectively you need a few simple presentation verbs:
take a look at - report on - give an overview on etc

Prepare to introduce and state the purpose of a presentation of your own by completing the note below. Then present your introduction.

Perhaps we should begin or OK, let’s get started.
Good morning/afternoon/evening, anyone.

Thanks for coming. I’m ……………….And as you know, I ……………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

This morning. I’m going to be - talking to you about
- telling you
- showing you
- reporting on
- taking a look at
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
So, I’ll start off by - filling you in on the bacgkground to
- bringing you up-to-date on
- giving you an overview of
- making a few observation about
- outlining
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

And then I’ll go on to - highlight what I see as the main
- put the situation into some kind of perspective
- discuss in more depth the implementation of
- talk you through
- make detailed recommendation regarding
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Stating your purpose 2

When you give a presentation, clarity is very important, particularly if there are non-native speakers in your audience. It often helps if you state your purpose at each stage of your talk as well as at the beginning

The first one has been done for you as an example.
1. First of all, I’d like to outline the main points of my talk.
2. Perhaps I should start off by stressing that this is just a preliminary report. Nothing has been finalized as yet.
3. But later on I will, in fact, be putting forward several detailed proposals.
4. One thing I’ll be dealing with the issue of a minimum wage.
5. And I’ll also be raising the question of privatization.
6. So, what we’re really looking at are likely developments in the structure of the company over the next five to ten years.
7. If we could just focus our attention on the short-term objectives to begin with.
8. The eighteen-month plan, which by now you should’ve all had time to look at, sets out in detail our main recommendations.
9. Basically, what we are suggesting is a complete reorganization of staff and plant.
10. I’d now like to turn my attention to some of the difficulties we’re likely to face.
11. I’m sure there’s no need to spell out what the main problem is going to be.
12. But we do need to seriously address the question of how we are going to overcome it.
13. The basic message I’m trying to get across here is simple. We can’t rely on government support for much longer.
14. Disappointing end-of –year figure underline the seriousness of the situation.
15. And the main conclusion we’ve come to is that massive corporate restructuring will be necessary before any privatization can go through.

Effective Opening
Communications experts are all agreed that the first three minutes of a presentation are the most important. They talk about ‘hooks’ – simple techniques for getting the immediate attention of the audience.
A good start makes you feel more confident. Here’s how the experts suggest you ‘hook’ your audience:

1. Give them a problem to think about. (Have you ever wondered why it is that Americans are easier to sell to than Europeans? And why nine out of ten sales gurus are American? You have? Well, if I could show you what stops Europeans buying, would you be interested?)

2. Give them some amazing fact.
(According to the latest study, by 2050 only one in every four people Western Europe will be going to work. And two will be old age pensioners).

3. Give them a story or personal anecdote.
(You know, R&D is90% luck. When I think about creativity, I’m reminded of the man invented the microwave oven. He spent years messing around with radar transmitters, then noticed the chocolate in his pocket was starting to melt).

Sign posting
In a good presentation, what you say – the content – is much more important than anything else. But the clear structure helps. When you move on to your next point or change direction, tell the audience.

You can do this easily and effectively, using simple phrases as ‘signposts’ to guide the audience through your presentation.

To move on……
To expand on……
To digress……
To go back……
To recap……
To conclude……
To summarize……
To turn to……
To elaborate on……

Survival Tactics
Giving a presentation is a challenge. Concentrate too hard on the facts and you make language mistakes. Concentrate too hard on your language and you get your facts wrong.

What you think what you say

1. I’ve got my facts wrong a. Sorry, what I meant is this
2. Too fast! Go back. b. So, let’s just recap on that
3. I’ve forgotten to say something! c. Sorry, I should just mention one thing.
4. Too complicated! Make it simple. d. So, basically, what I’m saying is this…
5. I’m talking nonsense. e. Sorry perhaps I didn’t make that quite clear.

Module 1. PRESENTATION TECHNIQUE

2006-02-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

PRESENTATION TECHNIQUE AND WRITING REPORT

Lecturer: Asep K. Supriatna / Manto
(Program Diploma 3 Computer Sciences - Unpad)

Module 1

PRESENTATION TECHNIQUE

A. Purposes
- Understanding what the presentation is.
- Understanding how to prepare the presentation
- Analyze the audience while presentation done.
- Making presentation tools.
- Handling questions skillfully.
- Presentation effectively.

B. Topics –
· Introduction of Presentation Technique.
· Audience Analyzing (getting started).
· Presentation Styles (exploiting visual, using your voice).
· Presentation Procedure (basic and further techniques).
· Handling questions (key language).
· Presentation’s tools (preparing and using them).

C. Method
- Experiential Learning- Games- Exercises- Case Studies- Multimedia
WHAT MAKES A GOOD PRESENTATION?
· Without exception, all good presenters have one thing in common, enthusiasm, both for their subject and for the business of presenting it.
· Enthusiasm is infectious.
· Audiences can’t help but be affected by it, and the best public speakers always make what they say sound as if it really matters.
· They know that if it matters to them, it will matter to their audiences.
· Many things contribute to the success of a presentation – new and unusual content, a clear structure, a good sense of timing, imaginative use of visual aids, the ability to make people laugh …and think.
· BUT ABOVE AND BEYOND ALL OF THESE IS ENTHUSIASM, WHAT KIND OF LANGUAGE AND WHAT KIND OF TECHNIQUES WILL BEST SHOW YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR YOUR SUBJECT.

HOW TO BECOME A GOOD PRESENTER?

• LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANGE
• KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO START
• GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
• TALK TO YOUR AUDIENCE
• KNOW WHAT WORKS
• BE CONSISE
• SPEAK NATURALLY
• KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
• TREAT YOUR AUDIENCE AS EQUALS
• BE YOURSELF
• TAKE YOUR TIME
• DON’T MAKE A SPECIAL EFFORT TO BE FUNNY
• LET YOUR VISUALS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
• NEVER COMPETE WITH YOUR VISUALS
• DEVELOP YOUR OWN STYLE
• ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE
• WELCOME QUESTIONS FROM YOUR AUDIENCE
• FINISH STRONGLY

LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANGE
· Check everything before you are due to speak – room, seating, visibility, acoustics and equipment

KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO START
· Plan for the first minutes of your presentation down to the last detail.
· Try to memorize your opening words.
· This will help you to sound confident and in control

GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
· Don’t waste time on long boring introductions.
· Try to make at last one powerful statement in the first two minutes.

TALK TO YOUR AUDIENCE
· Many of the best presentations sound more like conversations.
· So, keep referring back to your audience, ask them questions, responds to their reactions.

KNOW WHAT WORKS
· Certain things are always popular with an audience: personal experiences, stories with a message, dramatic comparisons, and amazing fact they didn’t know.
· Use them to the full.

BE CONCISE
· Keep your sentences short and simple.
· Use deliberate pauses to punctuate your speech.

SPEAK NATURALLY
· Don’t be afraid to hasitate when you speak, but make sure you pause in the right place.
· Remember, you are not an actor trying to remember lines.
· A certain mount of hesitation is actually quite natural.

TREAT YOUR AUDIENCE AS EQUALS
· Never talk down (or up) to your audience.
· Treat they as equals, no matter who they are.

KNOW YOUR AUDINCE
· Speak for your audience, not yourself.
· Take every opportunity to show how much common ground you share with them.
· Address their goals, their needs, their concerns.

BE YOURSELF
· As far as possible, speak to five hundred people in much the same way you would speak to five.
· You will obviously need to project yourself more, but your personality shouldn’t change.

TAKE YOUR TIME
· Whenever you make a really important point, pause and let the full significance of what you have said sink in ... Before you move on.

DON’T MAKE A SPECIAL EFFORT TO BE FUNNY
¨ If you make a joke, don’t stop and wait for laughs.
¨ Keep going and let the laughter (if it comes) interrupt you

LET YOUR VISUALS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES
· Good visuals are just that – visual.
· Don’t put boring tables of figures and long lines of text on the overhead and read them out. Stick to the main points.
· Experiment with three-dimensional charts, cartoons, interesting typefaces – anything to catch your audience’s attention

NEVER COMPETE WITH YOUR VISUALS
· When showing a visual, keep quiet and give people time to take it in.
· Then make brief comments only.
· Point to the relevant parts of the visual as you speak.
· If you want to say more, switch off your projector to do so.

DEVELOP YOUR OWN STYLE
· Learn from other public speakers, but don’t try to copy them.
· Be comfortable with your own abilities.
· Don’t do anything that feels unnatural for you, just because it works for someone else.

ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE
¨ The secret of being an excellent speaker is to enjoy the experience of speaking – try to enjoy the experience!

WELCOME QUESTIONS FROM YOUR AUDIENCE
· When member of your audiences ask you a question, it is usually because they have a genuine interest in what you are saying and want to know more.
· Treat questions as an opportunity to get your message across better.

FINISH STRONGLY
· When you are ready to finish your presentation, slow down, and lower your voice.
· Look at the audience and deliver your final words slowly and clearly.
· Pause, let your words hang in the air a moment longer, smile, say thank you and then sit down.

Why Should You Use Presentation Technology?

2006-02-14T13:22:00.001-08:00

The PowerPoint Lifeguard If you have been using overhead transparencies or 35mm slides for years, you may wonder if there is any good reason to start using presentation technology such as laptops, data projectors, remote controls and presentation software. After all, why change when it still works. And all that technology is pretty complicated, isn’t it. And doesn’t it break down at just the wrong time. Let me suggest that there are a number of good reasons why presentation technology should become a larger part of your speaking or training business. It gives you a very professional image. The better overall image you project to the audience, the more credibility they give to your message and the greater impact you can make.
The message is consistent. If your presentation is delivered more than once, by different presenters or by one presenter at different times, presentation technology gives each audience member the same experience each time.
It is easy to change. You can change the presentation easily, even in the middle of a session if that adds value to the audience experience.
It is not as hard to use as you think it is. The advances in technology have not only made the projected images much better, but the equipment and software has got much easier to use and easier to carry when travelling.
It increases the ways we can reach our audience. It is very easy to distribute electronic presentations on the Web, on disk, CD-ROM, via e-mail or even live across the Internet, increasing the number of people you can reach and your sources of revenue.
Your competition is using it. No matter what topic you speak on, there are some speakers who are already using this technology to impact the audience. If you are perceived to be behind the times, your message will lose credibility and you may start to lose income. One speaker told me recently that their clients were starting to make negative comments about this speaker’s use of overheads when many other speakers were using the technology. This speaker is now having to adopt presentation technology just to stay competitive in the client’s mind.
So how do you start if you don’t use any of this stuff right now? I suggest you start by loading a presentation software package (like Microsoft PowerPoint) on your computer and getting some training on how to design and create presentation slides. Then print them as overheads or slides and use them in your current presentations. This will help you get familiar with the development side of the technology. When you are comfortable with creating your slides in this way, visit a good audio visual company to learn about the data projector and remote control device that will fit your needs. Make sure that you get training on how to use it and how to prevent and deal with the problems that can occur. Then practice, practice, practice until you feel comfortable enough to appear in public using it. Once you start, you won’t believe the increase in the impact your presentations will have with better visual support. (By Dave Paradi, MBA, )