Presentation Power: Getting the message across

Posted by Faizel Mohidin on Jun 13, 2009 in Mind Maps at Work | 0 comments

This is a continuation of my previous article on Presentation Power and is part of the ‘Mind Maps at Work’ series.

The Big Idea

Whenever you are making a presentation, your first task is to identify The Big Idea. This is the idea that you want the audience to ‘get’, even if they don’t get anything else.

You will probably present this idea in several ways throughout your presentation and spend quite some time proving it.

You may not even mention the point specifically. However, it is critical that you know what it is and that you understand that your goal in the presentation is for the audience to get The Big Idea.

Visual Aids to Strengthen Your Message

This is your second task when preparing a presentation. If the audience is presented with good visual aids during the presentation, their ability to remember the message will be strengthened dramatically. People’s memory is very short lived and facts, details and information quickly fade, unless reinforced.

Tony Buzan, in his Book Mind Maps at work asks the following two questions:

1. What do I need on this note page to help trigger my imagination?
2. What do I need on this note page to help me associate those things that have triggered my imagination?

The answer to the first question includes:

• Images
• Colours
• Codes
• Key Image Words
• Symbols
• Visual Rhythms

The answer to the second question includes:

• Lines
• Arrows
• Connections in space
• Numbers
• Colours
• Codes

If you put these all together, you get a Mind Map!

The type of visual aids depends of course on your audience and the material you have available. The following guidelines can help you.

Small Informal Groups

Whiteboards, chalkboards and easel boards can all be used. These are great if you have not prepared presentation material beforehand and build the picture as you go along. This is usually best for presenting relatively uncomplicated material.

You could get a bit more complicated if you had Mind Map notes from which you are working from. You can build this Mind Map for your audience as you go along.

Small Formal Groups

Prepared Flip charts, posters and overhead transparencies or slideshows allow complex information to be presented quickly and completely.

Large Formal Groups

Slideshows are the best for large audiences, as they allow the widest range of graphics and provide the best quality. Having a computer and a projector available allows you to give presentations of the same or better quality as professional presenters.

Try not to turn the lights down too much. When it gets dark, people go to sleep!

Audiovisual Do’s and Don’ts

Do:

• Check the equipment beforehand
• One idea per slide
• Dark background and light lettering or light background and dark lettering
• Maximum of six lines per slide
• Maximum of six words per line
• Change slides regularly (every 15-20 seconds)
• Use build up slides for complex points
• Use bar charts, pie charts, etc.
• Use special effects for emphasis
• KEEP IT SIMPLE!

Don’t:

• Turn off the lights
• Crowd information
• Read the slides
• Turn your back to the audience
• Distract attention with a pointer
• Back up to previous slides. Use copies if you want to repeat

Use title slides before each major section. Use of a standard border and logo and the same colour background throughout gives a professional image.

When using graphs, bar charts, pies, etc. make sure your message comes across and the audience does not have to solve a cryptic puzzle to ‘get’ your message.

Vary your slides so that you have a mixture of text, graphs, illustrations and special effects.

Ensure that your message is telegraphed to the audience by using good headlines.

Finally, ALWAYS check your equipment prior to presenting. If you can have backup equipment available, even better. Use a remote controller if possible. If someone else will be controlling the slide, ensure that they know the script.

Handouts

The use of handouts can be tricky. They can be useful as it is always great if you can leave your audience with high quality material that will reinforce your presentation.

The downside is that the audience will read any material you hand out as soon as they get it. This could be before your presentation begins, or even worse, during your presentation.

If you have a small group, you can hand out material as you progress through your presentation.

If your group is large, handing them out at the end of the presentation may be an acceptable alternative. This will ensure that they are focused on the presentation and still have the opportunity to reinforce the ideas later.

I hope this article and the previous one, makes your presentations a bit easier and a bit more exciting. If you have any questions, you can always drop a comment on the post found at www.mindmaptutor.com or use the contact form.