PRESENTATION BASICS

Originally Developed by :Center for Professional

Communication- Ohio University

Presentation Basics

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Organization & Preparation Tips

Top Ten Slide Tips
Creating a Professional Handout
Top Ten Delivery Tips
Selecting Career Apparel

Organization & Preparation Tips

Such power there is in clear-eyed
self-restraint.
- James Russell

Start with the end in mind

What is the real purpose of your
talk?
Why is it that you were ask to
speak?
What does the audience expect?
In your opinion, what are the most important
parts of your topic for the audience to take
away from your, say, 7-minute presentation?

Know your audience as well as possible

Who is the audience?
What is the purpose of the event?
Why were you asked to speak?
Where is it?
When is it?

Content, content, content

No matter how great your

delivery, or how professional
and beautiful your supporting
visuals, if your presentation is
not based on solid content, you
cannot succeed.

Keep it simple
Simple does not mean stupid.
Exercise:

If

your audience could remember only three things

about your presentation, what would you want it to be?

1.
2.
3.

______________________
______________________
______________________

Outlining your content

Introduction

I.

(transition)

Body

II.

A.

Main point
(transition)

B.

Main point
(transition)

C.

Main point
(transition)

III.

Conclusion

So what?

Can you pass the elevator test?

Check the clarity of your

message with the elevator
test. This exercise forces you
to "sell" your message in
30-45 seconds.

The art of storytelling

Good presentations include stories. The best

presenters illustrate their points with the use of
stories, most often personal ones.

Confidence How to get it

We fear what we do not know.

Top Ten Slide Tips

Do not feel compelled to fill empty areas on
your slide with your logo or other unnecessary
graphics or text boxes that do not contribute to
better understanding. The less clutter you have
on your slide, the more powerful your visual
message will become.

Keep it simple

People came to hear you and be moved or

informed (or both) by you and your message. Don't
let your message and your ability to tell a story get
derailed by slides that are unnecessarily
complicated, busy, or
full of junk.

Limit bullet points & text

This slide is not unusual, but Try to avoid text-heavy (and

it is not a visual aid, it is more sleep inducing) slides like this
like an "eye chart."
one.

Limit bullet points & text

Aim for something like this

simple slide above.

And this is even better...

Limit transitions & builds (animation)

A simple "Wipe Left-to-Right" (from the
"Animations" menu) is good for a bullet point,
but a "Move" or "Fly" for example is too tedious
and slow

Use high-quality graphics

Try to avoid cheesy clip art

like this.

This edited stock photograph

is more effective and
professional.

Have a visual theme

Your audience expects a unique presentation with

new (at least to them) content, otherwise why would
they be attending your talk?

Use appropriate charts

Pie Charts. Used to
show percentages.
Limit the slices to 4-6
and contrast the most
important slice either
with color or by
exploding the slice.
Vertical Bar Charts.
Used to show changes
in quantity over time.
Best if you limit the
bars to 4-8.

Use appropriate charts

Horizontal Bar Charts. Used to compare quantities.

For example, comparing sales figures among the
four regions of the company.
Line Charts. Used to demonstrate trends. For
example, here is a simple line chart showing that
our sales have gone up every year. The trend is
good. The arrow comes in later to underscore the
point: Our future looks good!

Use color well

Color evokes feelings.
Color is emotional.
The right color can help persuade and motivate.
Studies show that color usage can increase interest
and improve learning comprehension and retention.

Learn more:
[Link] has some great
Flash tutorials including one on color.
Go to the [Link] to learn more about color.
[Link] has a good short article on
how to use the Color Schemes in PowerPoint.

Choose your fonts well

Fonts communicate subtle messages in and of
themselves, which is why you should choose fonts
deliberately.
Use the same font set throughout your entire slide
presentation, and use no more than two
complementary fonts (e.g., Arial and Arial Bold).

Times

Arial Black and Arial

Use video or audio

Use video and audio when appropriate.
Using video clips to show concrete examples
promotes active cognitive processing, which is the
natural way people learn.

Spend time in the slide sorter

Using the slide sorter will enable you to notice more

extraneous pieces of visual data that can be removed
to increase visual clarity and improve communication.

Creating a Professional Handout

Business and Health Care

A Comprehensive Analysis of the Health Care Industry

The purpose of our presentation is to provide an informative, unbiased analysis of the United States health care industry
in relation to business. We will use a comparison of the health care systems in France and Great Britain to put the
analysis into perspective. Finally, we will prescribe three reforms that will correct the areas we felt were weakest in the
United States health care industry.

Insurance Providers in the United States

Presentation Outline

Employer
Provided
59.3%

Speaker: Ben Peach
I.

Individually
Provided
8.2%

Introduction

Speaker: Jack Cordes

II.

Health Care in the United

States (please reference
Insurance Providers Pie
Chart to the right)

Uninsured
15%

Government
Provided
27.8%

Speaker: Katie Bennett

III.
IV.
V.

Health Care in France

Health Care in Great Britain
Differences in Systems
(please reference the
Comparative Analysis
Chart)

Speaker: Stephanie Hrouda

VI.

Business Perspective

Speaker: Jack Cordes

VII.

Recommendations
a. More Competition in
Business
b. Universal Health Care

Speaker: Ben Peach

c. Improved Implementation
of Corporate Wellness
Programs
VIII.
Conclusion

Important Statistics

Government programs represented 45% of total health care

costs, although the only cover 28% of the population.
The United States spent 2.3 trillion on health care in 2007; this
was equal to 15.2% of GDP.
47 million people were uninsured at one point in 2007.
8.9% of Americans need financial assistance to get the care
they need.
14% of the United States population is underinsured.
88% of the United States population was offered coverage in
2004, 22% at increased rates.
Health insurance companies require employers pay at least
50% of premiums.
41.2% of Britons reported waiting more than weeks to see a
specialist.
The annual premiums for an employer to cover a family of four
were $12,100.
Every $1 a company spends an employee health screening, they
save $6.
The price of health care in the U.S. is increasing at 6.9% a year.

Comparative Analysis Chart

Responsiveness

Price

Coverage

Coverage Denial

United States

Ranked #1 in
responsiveness by the
World Health
Organization.

Employees that are

$7,600 per person,
covered under
and 15.2% of GDP,
company's plan.
Ranked #1 for
Individuals that seek
expenditures by WHO.
private insurance.

People can be
denied insurance
coverage if they have
preexisting illnesses
or may be expensive
to insure.

France

They have avoided the

long waits that plague
Great Britain and were
ranked 16th by the
WHO.

9.8% of GNP and will

be 70 million euro in
debt by 2020. Ranked
#6 in expenditures by
WHO.

No one is denied
coverage.

Great Britain

Known for long waits for

care. Citizens reported
Ranked #26 in
waiting up to 12 weeks
expenditures by WHO.
between appointment
and surgery.

All citizens have

partial to full
coverage for all
services.
All citizens have full
coverage for basic
services, some
groups can be
compensated for
other specific
expenses.
Lower rates will
provide more
accessibility. Also,
more comprehensive
plans available.

New technology would

More
create faster and more
Price will be driven
Competition in frequent communication down while quality
Industry
between industry and
will rise.
patient.
There will be more
The cost of providing
access to doctors
health care will
All citizens have
Universal
because people will not decrease for
partial to full
Health Care
be limited by their
employers but
coverage for all
insurance plans to
potentially increase
services.
certain doctors.
for the government.
Improved
Implementation
Healthier employees Employees and their
No change will occur in
Wellness in
lead to lower rates for families will be
responsiveness.
Corporate
employers.
covered by this plan.
Setting
Sources: National Coalition on Health Care, World Health Organization

People not
characterized as
children under 18,
pregnant women, or
pensioners may get
denied coverage for
specific expenses.
Coverage denial
remains an issue.

No one is denied
coverage.

Unemployed
individuals will be
denied access.

Presentation Tips
Be here now. Be somewhere else later. Is that
so complicated?
- David Bader

Top Ten Delivery Tips

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Show your passion

Start strong
Keep it short
Move away from the podium
Use a remote-control device
Remember the B key
Make good eye contact
Keep the lights on
Use a TV for small groups
At all times: courteous, gracious, & professional

Selecting Career Apparel

Wardrobe Engineering
Wardrobe Engineering: Describes
how clothing and accessories can
create a certain image
Effective packaging is an individual
matter based on a variety of
factors

What factors should be

considered when deciding if an
ensemble is appropriate?

Appropriate Business Professional for Men

Appropriate Business Professional for Women

The Business Casual Look

The Business Casual Look
Movement toward greater comfort
and individuality
Wear dressier business clothing when
meeting with customers or clients
Wear clothing that is clean, neat and
fits well

Appropriate Business Casual for Men

Appropriate Business Casual for Women

Presentation Basics

Organization & Preparation Tips

Top Ten Slide Tips
Creating a Professional Handout
Top Ten Delivery Tips
Selecting Career Apparel

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