Tell the audience, where you are right now
Know your destination and the correct path leading to it because the world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going.
Anonymous
A presentation should be pleasant for both the presenter as well as the audience. This is possible only when there is a meaningful sharing of ideas between the presenter and the audience. But in many instances the audience is ambulating, i.e. they won't attend your presentation right from the beginning to the end. They will leave midway to attend their mobile phone or some may be the late joiners. For such audience it becomes almost impossible to catch up with the presentation. Not only do they become disinterested themselves but also prove to be a nagging source of disturbance to the others as well.
To help such audience, it is a good idea to include map indicator in your slides. It is a small numerical or pictorial depiction that appears at the bottom of every slide. It helps the audience to find out exactly at what stage the presentation is. There are two ways to put map indicators numerical and in the form of a pie chart.
Numerical map indicators: Here you assign numbers to various parts or sections of your presentation. At the bottom of the slide the numbers are put serially and the current part is highlighted by putting a circle around the relevant number or by changing its colour.
Pie chart map indicator: This method consists of creating a pie chart, i.e. dividing the circle into small parts and assigning the section number or writing the name of the sections, if the space permits.
There is no such thing as a self-made man
Gratitude is a fruit of great cultivation and civilisation.
Anonymous
Behind an able man there are always other able men or women. In your endeavour of presentation, you are helped, encouraged and guided by many. Now it's your duty to thank them. Some of those who have assisted you may be present in the audience. Not acknowledging their support could lead to disastrous results for your future projects. Hence, a thank you slide is a must. But it's worth giving consideration about two points: extent or length of the slide and the timing of projecting this slide.
Normally, refrain from reading a long list of persons as this will consume a significant part of your presentation time, and as most of these are unknown to the audience, warrant their little interest. Instead, you can prepare a photomontage of the people instrumental in developing your presentation and thank them.
If you borrow slides, photographs or data from other people, acknowledge their contribution on that slide itself. This saves the ignominy of looking ungrateful as well as saves valuable presentation time.
Then think about the timing of presenting the acknowledgement slide. If possible present it at the beginning of your talk. This will automatically make you spend only the optimum time on it and chances of skipping it due to lack of time at the end are nullified. This approach may be new to most presenters but it works in most settings.
Last but not the least, don't forget to thank your audience; as without the audience a speaker has no value and he is brought to a naught.
Edit, Edit, Edit
Adopt the pace of the Mother Nature, her secret is patience.
R. W. Emerson
Editing the visuals is a tough job. It's like a battle, but as a dictum goes "Never lose your head in a battle; you won't have a place to put your helmet. Here are some questions you ask yourself while editing:
Simple is powerful
Have you made use of bullet points? (If you have used complete sentences, convert them into points.)
Is my font size appropriate for the projected number of the audience?
Are my font type and the font effects clearly visible?
Are the colors used in the visuals looking restrained or luminous and gaudy?
Are there any visual distractions like moving text or awful animations that reduce the attention span and induce fatigue in the audience?(For the above four questions, project the slide preferably in the same hall you will be presenting and check with your friends seated in the last row.)
Is there a balance between the text and the illustrations on my visuals? (Too much text makes the visuals monotonous while too much of graphics amuses the audience without making them understand what is happening.)
Are there unusual abbreviations or jargon in the text? (Since it may become an impediment in the meaningful communication and indicate a less than professional approach, better avoid non-standard abbreviations.)
And finally the most important question with these number of visuals will I be able to finish my presentation in the allotted time? (Overshooting the assigned time is a breach in the contract with the audience as well as the organisers. Never ever do it.)
Visuals are like stomach; it is not how much you put into it that counts, but how much of it that you and the audience assimilate that really matters. Probably editing is the only place where your ruthlessness will be appreciated by one and all.
^ Top
Astrology & Palmistry
