Assignment Five, The Presenter's Fieldbook

Chapter Three

Chapter Three is all about how to deliver presentations.  It boils down to making sure you know your audience. “Find out who will be in the audience and tailor your presentation directly to them” (Gregory).  The openings of a presentation are very important as they build rapport between you and them.  For the first few minutes of your presentation, it’s a good idea to stand still and let the audience “measure” you. They are there to learn from you so it’s important to earn their respect also.

Some groups are energy-less and others are too full of energy.  It’s important to know which your audience is displaying.  It may be that they don’t want to be there so you need to work with that.  Humor is a great tool if used correctly.  Sometimes it comes from the audience and helps to loosen everyone up.  “Humor clears the mind and opens the brain to higher levels of thinking” (Garmston).  Humor can happen before, during, and after the opening.

A lot of the things mentioned in the book are common sense things like speaking slowly and enunciating.  It’s also important to keep the momentum going.  Keeping in touch with your audience will let you know how this is working.  Another good point that I did not see mentioned in Garmston’s book but should go without saying is, “to earn and maintain the respect of your audience, always check the spelling and grammar in your presentation” (.

Unclear directions can make a person feel stupid.  This just happened to me on election day. I had not used the paper ballot and was not sure how to proceed.  The first guy told me the directions in a few words but it made no sense to me.  The second man retold them step by step and I knew just what to do.  As I was walking away, the first man said to the second man, “isn’t that what I just said?”  I wanted to go back and tell him that it was not!  Visual directions can help with this also.

After a break or lunch, the audience may start to slow down in their attention to you.  This can be taken care of with humor, movement, or having partners begin an activity.

When closing, do NOT summarize.  Talk about how what they’ve just learned is going to be put to good use.  Closing early is another good tactic and lets participants have time to “sort and store” (Garmston).  When you do close, do not throw anything else in there to throw the audience off track of what you wanted them to think about.

And something that we can take from Steve Jobs, “A Steve Jobs presentation looks effortless because it is well-rehearsed”.  The article said he would rehearse his speeches for several hours (Gallo).  “Your posture should communicate confidence and calmness” (The Wisconsin Experience).

Chapter Four

Something that I had not thought about is pointed out by Garmston, that blind children gesture while speaking to someone.  He states that “gesture is part of speech, inseparable from the spoken word”.  When presenting, not only are your words making an impact with the audience, but your “voice, body, breathing, and gestures” also add to the meaning (Garmston).  Where you stand in the room also makes an impact on what you are saying.  A study has also shown that when teachers gesture, their students remember more.

"Delivering Your Presentation at the Undergraduate Symposium." The Wisconsin Experience. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://www.learning.wisc.edu/ugsymposium/delivery.html>.

Gallo, Carmine. "Deliver a Presentation like Steve Jobs - BusinessWeek." Businessweek - Business News, Stock Market & Financial Advice. 25 Jan. 2008. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jan2008/sb20080125_269732_page_2.htm>.

Garmston, Robert. The Presenter's Fieldbook: A Practical Guide. Christopher-Gordon Publishers: Norwood, Massachusetts, 2005. Print.

Gregory, Alyssa. "18 Tips for Delivering a Memorable Presentation » SitePoint." SitePoint » Web Design, Web Development, Freelancing, Tech News and More. 19 Jan. 2010. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://www.sitepoint.com/presentation-tips/>.

"Tips for Creating and Delivering an Effective Presentation - PowerPoint - Office.com." Office - Office.com. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. <http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/powerpoint-help/tips-for-creating-and-delivering-an-effective-presentation-HA010207864.aspx>.