Aims:

During this semester, in the class CS650--- problem seminar, students will give verbal presentations and develop the skills to a professional level. There are many ways to give a presentation, but how to present yourself in a high quality and more effect way is the main purpose of this guide.

Introduction:

Speaking is the art of getting things done. A verbal presentation is a good way and potentially effective method for some people gathered to understand your project or even yourself. It puts you on the stage and display. How to use voice, body language and visual aids to capture and hold the interest of an audience get a message across clearly and succinctly.

Objectives:

The important observation of the presentation is not the transmission itself but the reception. The preparation, presentation and content of a speech must therefore be geared not to the speaker but to the audience. Your job in the presentation is to hold the attention of the audience long enough to make your point.

Before the Presentation:

Careful preparation would be very important. Such as for a 5 minutes talking, no less than one hour should be spent in preparation.

• Give a general introduction.
• The way to reach the objectives.
• Always have conclusion.

You should identify the audience and determine how best to achieve your objectives in the context of these people. Order your thoughts into a structured manner, or the audience will not follow it. Consider timing your presentation so that important points make the strongest impact. Practice, but don't try to memorize everything. You can do rehearsal in front of a mirror. In this cases, you should accentuate your gestures and vocal projection so that you get used to the sound and sight yourself. Doing warm-ups or relaxation exercises before your presentation could help you overcome nervous.

During the Presentation:

If you can win the audience over in the first minute, you will keep them for the remainder. You should use the beginning to establish the relationship.

• Explain briefly at the beginning of a talk how it is to proceed, then the audience will know what they expect.
• Never read your presentation or use your notes more than 20% of the time.
• Speak directly to the audience by establishing ongoing eye contacts with different people.
• Speak clearly and have your voice mimic the natural rhythms and pitch changes of conversation.
• Make sure your facial expressions are natural.
• Move during the presentation. Using your body to deliver the message without being distracting. By moving, either to reestablish audience attention or to represent physically, the meaning of your presentation.
• Keep you own vocabulary simple and paraphrase questions or comments that contain technical or complex terms.
• Give the audience chances to ask questions and ask the them "Do you have any question?
• Repeat the important points to make the audience hear.

Visual Aid:

Preparing overhead transparency masters is easy with some software that include both text and drawing capabilities. A Laser printer will provide a high quality masters which can be copied onto special transparency film with a copy machine. Some software, such as PowerPoint, making developing standard presentations more convenient, preparing transparencies requires design and layout skills rather than the availability of fancy presentation.

• Letter Size, Fonts and Style:

The minimum acceptable size for use on an overhead transparency is 18 point type. Use a simple plain font. Bold type is permissible, however you should avoid cursive scripts, underlining, shadowed types. Because those types make the text harder to read.

• Layout and Design:

Transparencies can be either horizontal or vertical. Some projector/screen may cause some difficulty viewing large transparencies.

Keep the actual image area to 150mm wide and 215mm high, or may be 200mm wide and 200mm high more reasonable. These size gave an adequate margin on the film for folding, taping into a transparency frame.

• Content Considerations:

Overhead transparencies are the only aids to understand your presentation, not as a substitute for a verbal presentation. Use an outline form with brief phrases for emphasis, to help the audience keep on the same point that you are on.

• Use single words or phrases rather than sentences.
• Use short quotes rather than long extracts from documents.
• Use summary list.
• A list with more than 10 points should probably use more than one transparency.
• Use simplified diagram with bold lines, icons or readily recognized symbols.
• Use bullets and other symbols for emphasis.
• Keep the transparency material brief.
• Check for spelling and other errors before using.
• Number the transparencies if they are used in series.

Conclusion:

Final impression is the same importance as the initial one. You should end your presentation with a decisive closing. After the presentation, you should evaluate yourself honestly. Try to figure out the problems associated with the preparation, or delivery , and make it better next time.