This is a guest post by Dr Jim Anderson. Jim runs a consulting company in the US and blogs on all sorts of communication skills topics. He agreed to share with us some advice he follows when preparing presentations.
If you don’t know who Edward Tufte is, then you really should. He is a Professor Emeritus at Yale University and his specialty is teaching people how to present data using information graphics. Dr. Tufte is truly an expert on the best way to present complex information. A while back I was scanning the web for tips on how to create a presentation that contained a lot of detailed information in it. I ran across some notes that Craig Kaplan up at the University of Waterloo had jotted down on how to deliver great presentations after attending one of Tufte’s seminars. I now share these suggestions on how to give a good presentation with the reverence that one must show to the words of someone who is really, really good at what they do:
- Show Up Early!: Good things happen to speakers who show up early. Specifically, you can solve problems before they become unsolvable and you can take the time to introduce yourself to the audience as they arrive. This way when you start to you will not be a stranger.
- Have A Strong Opening: There are three questions that every opening must quickly answer: (1) What’s the problem? (2) Who cares?, and (3) What’s your solution? Answer these questions and the audience will listen to your every word.
- Remember PGP: As you introduce a new sub-topic, make sure that you move from the particular, to the general, and then back to the particular. Although what you want the audience to take away from your presentation is the general info, the particulars will help make the info “stick”.
- Take Care When Answering Questions: There is a good possibility that your audience’s take-away impression of your presentation won’t be based on your presentation, but rather on how you answer questions AFTER the presentation. Allow for long pauses after the question has been asked and before you answer — this will give more weight to your reply.
There you have it. Now please remember that Tufte also has the ability to use amazing graphics with his presentations that clearly communicate what lots of data has to say. However, even the best graphics won’t do you any good if you don’t remember these presenting rules from the master. Good luck!
Dr. Jim Anderson, “The Speech Doctor”, is on a mission to prevent audiences from being harmed by bad speeches. Although many of us are deathly afraid of standing up in front of a group and giving a speech, that’s no excuse for not doing a good job of it. Dr. Anderson has developed the Clear Blue Presentation System™ that is designed to help speakers create and deliver high quality speeches that work. We can all be good public speakers, we just need to be shown how to do it. Learn more about Dr. Anderson at his web page at www.BlueElephantConsulting.com
Thanks Jim – I agree with all of the points you shared with us; maybe we should all go and read up on Edward Tufte.
