Giving Great Presentations in easy steps

When was the last time you attended a presentation and thought "That was fantastic! I really enjoyed listening to the speaker and learned something today"? It doesn't happen often enough, because most people who present give mediocre talks at best. But it shouldn't be like this.

Presenting information or data, whether it be one on one to your boss, or at an international conference to an audience of thousands, is very much part of modern business and academic life. But such occasions are feared by most people, and even people who are outwardly confident in their work can fall apart at the podium and give the most mediocre presentations simply through anxiety, nervousness and lack of preparation.

We have all watched great presenters in action and envied their talent for public speaking wishing we could do the same. What most people fail to realise is that these awe-inspiring presentation gurus suffer stage fright too but have overcome this through a variety of methods which are explored in this book. Central to their performance is a solid preparation for the event. Every slide has been designed with one aim in mind — to enhance their talk and emphasize their key messages. They have done their homework, put together a presentation with a clear beginning, middle and end, and have not tried to dazzle the audience with fancy irrelevant graphics and gimmicky effects. The best presenters will use fairly simple slides which serve to complement the spoken presentation.

However, such techniques are not innate but are learned, and this book aims to show you that with effective preparation and good audiovisual aids your key messages will be presented with clarity. By keeping to time and answering questions smoothly, you can give an above-average presentation which will be memorable for the audience.

The author has years of experience in this area. As a regular presenter at all types of meeting, he has made every mistake possible! He's crammed slides too full, disengaged from the audience, used distracting animations on his slides, and committed most sins as a presenter. Happily, he has learned from these and improved considerably, and in this book he helps the less confident presenter avoid the mistakes that most presenters make today. With patience and practice and using the guidance in this book you will soon be giving memorable presentations and become a real asset to your organization! Or if you're just planning to talk to a small group of enthusiasts at a local club this book will help you there, too!

Drew Provan MD FRCP FRCPath

Drew Provan is currently Senior Lecturer in Hematology at Bart's & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. He studied molecular genetics before going on to study medicine. After junior medical posts he undertook research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston in 1993-4.

He enjoys writing and editing books and has been involved in the production of a number of medical textbooks. He also lectures regularly both nationally and internationally to varied audiences, including medical and biomedical science students, scientists, pharmaceutical companies and others. He is an experienced PowerPoint® and Keynote® user who is passionate about the use of these tools as visual aids, and as a means of reinforcing a strong pitch. He is constantly improving on his own delivery techniques and enjoys helping others do the same.

1. Successful Presentation
   • The Art of Presentation
   • Keys to Success
   • Why Have They Asked You?
   • What is Expected From You?
   • Formal Presentations
   • Informal Presentations
   • The Audience
   • Key Messages
   • Gauging Your Performance
   • Presentation Pitfalls
   • Summary
2. Solid Foundations
   • What Makes a Great Presenter?
   • Things to Avoid
   • Answer The Question!
   • Know Your Material
   • Plan Your Story
   • Grab Their Attention Early!
   • Engage The Audience
   • Seek Opportunities to Present
   • Summary
3. Preparation is Key
   • Prepare Yourself
   • Get Organized
   • Mind Mapping
   • Use an Outliner Program
   • Tailoring Your Presentation
   • Sourcing Material
   • Use Visuals!
   • Less is More
   • Practice Makes Perfect
   • Summary
4. Raising The Bar
   • Death by PowerPoint
   • Deliver With Passion
   • Tricks of The Trade
   • Banish Bad Habits
   • Seek Feedback
   • Design Does Matter
   • Sourcing Images
   • Final Thoughts
   • Summary
5. Different Audiences
   • Presenting One-on-One
   • Presenting a Business Plan
   • Small Group Discussion
   • Chairing a Meeting
   • Academic Conferences
   • International Meetings
   • Chairing a Conference
   • Presenting to The Lay Public
   • Impromptu Speeches
   • Summary
6. Slide Design
   • Slide Design: General Points
   • Switch Off The PC
   • PowerPoint
   • Apple Keynote
   • Adding Images
   • Slide Enhancers
   • Why PowerPoint Fails
   • Creating High Impact Slides
   • Choosing Fonts
   • Displaying Tables
   • Displaying Graphs
   • Technical Glitches
   • Handouts
   • Prepare a Portable Version
   • Summary
7. Looking The Part
   • Dress For The Occasion
   • Nerves!
   • As The Big Day Approaches
   • Ask The Organizers
   • The Big Day!
8. Delivery
   • Initial Checklist
   • Don't Dim Those Lights!
   • Create a Strong Start
   • Talk to The Audience
   • Jokes and Humor
   • Less is More
   • Laser Pointers
   • Microphones
   • Bad Habits
   • Keep to Time
   • Don't Read The Slides
   • Memory Aids
   • Voice Control
   • All Good Things Come to an End
   • Summary
9. Using Different Media
   • Insert Video Into Slideshow
   • Split Projection
   • Using Hyperlinks
   • Phone Presentations
   • Flip Charts
   • Whiteboards & Blackboards
   • Overhead Projectors
   • Video Conferencing
   • Webcasts
   • Dealing With The Media
   • Summary
10. Any Questions?
    • Questions From The Floor
    • Learn to Predict Questions
    • Hostile Questioners
    • Off-Topic Questions
    • Difficult Questions
    • What Was The Question?
    • Baptism of Fire
    • Summary
11. Resources
    • General Presentation Books
    • PowerPoint Resources
    • Apple Keynote Resources
    • Alternative Free Programs
    • Public Speaking Websites
    • Fonts and Type Design
    • Obtaining Great Images