The Top Eleven Ways to ‘Turn off’ or ‘Tick Off’ an Audience

How to make a really bad presentation and what to do differently.

ABE 425 Engineering Measurement Systems

#11 Talk to your screen, not your audience

Instead remember your audience Eye contact demonstrates and

generates interest Sense receptivity and comprehension Pace the presentation

#10 Use a laser pointer continuously as an excuse to talk to your screen

Get rid of the laser pointerUse well-designed slidesUse animations to focus attention

Build Dim after display Use ellipses to emphasize elements

Shaking laser dot makes people dizzy

#9 Apologize for the poor quality of your slides. Make it worse by blaming a graduate student /

secretary!

The presentation is YOUR responsibilityHonor your audience with great visual aidsPoor visual aids => Audience not importantALWAYS preview slidesALWAYS check spellingBring your own laptopBring a copy of your presentation as a backup

#8 Choose low contrast or extreme contrast color schemes

Help your audience read comfortablyHigh intensity contrast, pleasant color contrastSome color combinations (orange and blue) “vibrate” violentlyKISS (keep it simple stupid)Don’t use too many colorsConsider color blind viewers

#7 Write your entire presentation on your slides and read them word by word

For the light source, a high-output 940 nm infrared light emitting diode (RadioShack, 276–143) was used. For reliable operation, this diode must deliver at least 2.5 mW/cm2 of radiation at the receiver and to ensure consistent switching points, its output has to remain constant. The timing signals tp, tf were measured with a counter/timer board (National Instruments, PCI-6601), under control of LabView

#7 Write your entire presentation on your slides and read them word by word

Presentation is more than words

A good presentation shows energy and spontaneity =>

Reading slides =>

#6 Show a video clip and talk while it is playing

#5 Show a large table of numbers and point out two or three important ones and tell them to

ignore the rest

ID Number temp C Entropy Mass (kg) Moisture (%) Gain (1) Phase (deg) Drive

1 7.8333 4.3866 1.3377 6.0854 6.9921 0.4975 4.586

2 6.8085 4.9831 2.0713 0.1576 7.2751 0.7838 8.6987

3 4.611 2.1396 6.072 0.1635 4.7838 6.4082 9.3424

4 5.6783 6.4349 6.2989 1.9007 5.5484 1.9089 2.6445

5 7.9421 3.2004 3.7048 5.8692 1.2105 8.4387 1.603

6 0.5918 9.601 5.7515 0.5758 4.5075 1.739 8.7286

7 6.0287 7.2663 4.5142 3.6757 7.1588 1.7079 2.3788

8 0.5027 4.1195 0.439 6.3145 8.9284 9.943 6.4583

9 4.1537 7.4457 0.2719 7.1763 2.731 4.3979 9.6689

10 3.05 2.6795 3.1269 6.9267 2.5477 3.4005 6.6493

11 8.7437 4.3992 0.1286 0.8408 8.656 3.1422 8.7038

12 5.5 9.3338 3.8397 4.5436 2.3235 3.6508 0.0993

13 7.6795 6.8333 6.8312 4.4183 8.0487 3.9324 1.3701

14 9.7084 2.1256 0.9284 3.5325 9.084 5.9153 8.1876

15 9.9008 8.3924 0.3534 1.5361 2.3189 1.1975 4.3017

16 7.8886 6.2878 6.124 6.7564 2.3931 0.3813 8.9032

#5 Show a large table of numbers and point out two or three important ones and tell them to

ignore the rest

A confused audience does not mean you have impressed them, you just confused themShow only significant informationUse graphs instead of tablesTest: Printed slide must be viewable at arm’s length in poor lightRecommended max 8 lines of text per slide

#4 Use an overhead projector. Mess up your transparencies and take two trips through the

light beam to change them

Make the presentation flow smoothly‘Dead air’ time => FrustrationAvoid light-dark-light-dark-light eye fatigueUse transparencies>

#3 Insist that you do not need a microphone to be heard

Be sure everyone can hear you clearlyIf a microphone if offered, it is needed!Repeat questions from the audience

Shows that you understood the question Gives an opportunity to wake up people in the back

#2 Breathe into the microphone

Use the microphone correctly Speak over the microphone, not into it Listen for breath noise, change microphone

position if needed Arrange for a ‘spotter’ in the audience

#1 Use technology for its own sake, not for conveying information

Use it, do not abuse it Avoid irritating animation techniques Typewriter Cash register Spinning Bouncing Random effects!

Use consistent subtle or neutral backgroundsDon’t obscure information by dimming to illegible colors

#1 Use technology for its own sake, not for conveying information

Use it, do not abuse it Avoid irritating animation techniques Typewriter Cash register Spinning Bouncing Random effects!

Use consistent subtle or neutral backgroundsDon’t obscure information by dimming to illegible colors

If you have succeeded in making your audience ignore or hate you.. Now you

make your fellow presenters really angry!

Since you are the most important speaker, take twice as much time as

allotted

Respect your fellow presenters and audience! Know the schedule Talk to moderator before presenting Practice to meet the schedule Be prepared to cut if necessary Yield graciously to hints to stop

Tip: Write the contents of the slide in the title

This allows people to read and checkMakes reading easier for international audiencesUse different words in spoken English than in textUse combination of text and visual aidsMake a link to a known object to make audience rememberGive credit to information suppliersExample:

The flow of cars on streets form a Poisson process. This is similar to the flow of particles

dropping in a tube

Image from Google Earth

contents of the slide in the title

Give credit to source

Why do we need training?

Speaking in public is fear #2 (fear of death is #1)People are uncomfortable being placed outside of the groupThere is only one way to learn to present

Practice Practice Practice

Summary 1

Presentation = a gift to your audience Prepare the presentation for your audience.

Who are they? Technical? Managers? Peers? Students?

What do they want to know or need to know that only you can give them ?

How can you express it most effectively? (3P’s)

Get to know some people in the audience, it’ll make you more comfortable

Smile, relax and be personable The audience wants to enjoy your

presentation. Try to enjoy it yourself

Summary 2

Everyone is nervous. Everyone.How to tell if you are nervous ?

Shoulders up Arms folded Not breathing Transpiring profusely Dry mouth Shaking laser pointer!

What to do about it ? Stand with feet shoulder width Lower shoulders Get some water before presenting Take time to breathe Slow down!

Summary 3

If you try to please the audience, they will forgive your mistakes and inexperienceThere is no perfect presentation, aim to be excellent, not perfectGive them your best!

Thank your audience for their attention

Discussion

Write down the most embarrassing or annoying / disturbing presentation you have ever experienced and share it with the group