59:005  Engineering Problem Solving-I    Sections 9 and 10

Presentation Tips

• Rehearse
• Appear to be confident
• Present a clear and authoritative image
• Have clear uncluttered slides
• Be positive and upbeat
• Research shows that the audience responds to how you present, second to the visual information in the slides and, least, to what you actually say.

(The following is from Engineering Fundamentals & Problem Solving, A.R. Eide, R.D. Jenison, L.H. Mashaw and L.L. Northup, 4th ed., McGraw-Hilll)

Be prepared: consider your audience and how to communicate effectively with them, time allowed, and room conditions, e.g., size, lighting, acoustics, seating arrangements, media equipment; rehearse the presentation (the magic number is four - go through the final presentation four times; consider doing it in front of a mirror or in a room with similar layout and equipment to what you will use for the presentation); organize your presentation to be clear and concise; use clear, uncluttered slide formats; quality graphics & figures can help communicate complicated ideas; test out your presentation materials and equipment prior to the presentation
Be effective: stand so as not to block the projected image on the screen (point to screen, when necessary, but face audience); don’t use gestures or shift body positions, excessively
Maintain eye contact: look at your audience; try to communicate with each person in the audience; look for cues from the audience & adjust appropriately
Project your voice: consciously try to speak to the people in the back row; if people can’t hear you easily, they will likely lose interest
Speak clearly: be concerned for the listener; slow down your speech; pronounce words clearly; avoid acronyms or expressions your audience may not understand
Finish strong: save something important to say at the end; don’t end with “Well, I guess that’s all I have to say.”