Presentation Tips

2Connect provides brief presentation tips each month to those who are interested. Click here if you would like to receive a monthly presentation tip. Below are examples of our most recent presentation tips. You may also view past tips for more ideas to help you with your presentation.

A Note on Notes

Two questions that often come to mind for presenters are, “Should I use notes?” and, if so, “How do I best use them?” Below we will look at the “should I” question, next time we will address “How”.

To determine if you should use notes, ask the following questions:

• Will you be delivering your presentation without visual aids?
  If yes, use a bulleted outline or some trigger words that will help with the flow of your presentation. Your goal is to elaborate on those bullets.


• Will you be delivering your presentation projecting mostly images, not text?
  Create notes on key messages to accompany the images.


• Are you using visual aids that have simple bullet points?
  If yes, then notes are probably not necessary. Use the bullet points as your guide and avoid creating a second playbook by making additional notes.


• Does your presentation require that quotes be cited, very specific statistics be relayed or exact phrasing be incorporated where accuracy is important?
  If yes, then notes are worthwhile to capture critical and specific details that help you to relay them accurately.


• Are you delivering a presentation where every single word matters?
  Think testifying before Congress, addressing the media or presenting the formal portion of an earnings call. If this is your presentation landscape, then fully scripted notes are definitely your ally. If not, avoid the trap of a full script.

Once you have determined if you in fact should use notes consider this:

• When used appropriately, notes do not take away from the credibility or effectiveness of a presenter.
• When you think notes, think bullets and trigger words.
• Notes should not replace preparation. As in any presentation, it is the presenter’s responsibility to know the content.

Now that you know when to use notes, look for our next presentation tip to learn how the most polished presenters use notes to elevate their effectiveness.

Presenter View

When presenting with PowerPoint®, do you wish you could see...

• Your speaker notes to jog your memory?
• The next slide so that you could transition more effectively?
• How long you have been presenting to ensure you finish within your time limit?

Wish no more. With PowerPoint's® Presenter View feature, you can do all this and more. When you enable the Presenter View feature in PowerPoint®, you are able to display your slide show on the projection screen and see a Presenter View on your laptop screen. The Presenter View displays speaker notes, a timer, and the progression of slides as well as the current slide displayed on the projection screen. Use the following steps to set up the Presenter View feature.

• Connect LCD projector to computer


• Turn on Dual Monitor Support using the following steps:


• Click on Start menu


• Click on Control Panel


• Double click on Display


• Click on Settings tab


• Click on the box with the #2 inside of it, and check the box labeled "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor"


• Click OK (You will know you have dual monitors if you can move your curser off of the laptop screen and then see it on the projection screen)


• Set up Presenter View feature using the following steps:


• In PowerPoint®, click on the Slide Show menu up top


• Click on Set Up Show


• In the "Multiple Monitors" box (which is under the "Display slide show on" list), choose the option "Monitor 2 Default Monitor" to display the slide show on the projection screen


• Click the "Show Presenter View" box to enable the Presenter View feature on laptop (you will not see it displayed on your laptop yet)


• Click OK


• Open your presentation, click on Slide Show menu then click View Show

You should now have your slide show on the projection screen and the Presenter View on your laptop screen.

Enjoy this new view during your next presentation!

Life Without PowerPoint®

How comfortable would you be if…

Your boss stopped you in the hallway and asked you to step into an executive staff meeting in five minutes to give a brief update on your project that they recently funded. You have little time to prepare your words, let alone a set of supporting slides.

or...

You intended to use a set of slides for your client presentation, but technology failed you with no quick fix in sight. Your client has flown in from out of state just for this meeting so you must deliver a presentation.

Well, relax. There is no need to panic because you, not your slides, should be delivering the message.

Consider these tips to ensure success without PowerPoint®:

• Clarify the single core message that you want to convey. What one compelling message do you want everyone to remember? The fewer the words, the clearer you are.
• What three main points will you use to support your core message?
• Speak! Your core message and three main points will guide you and your audience.

Effective presenters have learned that their credibility skyrockets when they can deliver a clear and concise message - with or without technology.

If you are still apprehensive about presenting under these or other such impromptu conditions, consider our Advanced Presentation AdvantEdge program where you will learn how to:

• Speak on the fly
• Deliver presentations without PowerPoint®
• Master the executive level presentation

Click here to find out more!

Continued presentation success!

The 2Connect Team