Where is the Danger?
By Diego Nascimento
I am often invited to attend various lectures and demonstrations. In this world, I notice how people have faulty thinking starting with dress, body posture, tone of voice, grammatical agreement and, finally, slides that are designed to catch the eye of the audience. This is where danger lies.
A presentation prepared in the traditional Power Point or any other resource is only a support. Never put your trust in the colors, animations or other tools offered by software. Whether in the academic environment or at work, know what details make the difference. Let me share the following quick and useful tips with you:
-
Long texts are for books, letters and manuals. Slides / transparencies were made for objective texts / images.
2. Beware of visual scandal. Too much color distracts the viewer’s focus; the opposite is also true.
3. When entering the information, opt for san-serif fonts. Examples: Arial, Calibri, Tahoma, etc.
4. Spell-check all content.
5. Make your words the focus. Continuously reading slides demonstrates unpreparedness and loses the interest of the listener.
6. Match the number of slides / transparencies according to the presentation time. The balance between delivery and speech creates more interaction with the audience.
7. Master the subject you are speaking on. The first impression is vital to your future.
8. Underestimating the public is a thing for amateurs. Surprise them!
9. Train, train, and train. Preparedness is linked to good results.
Public speaking is one of my specialties, and professional / academic presentation techniques are part of the training that I offer. I have a moral duty to share what I have observed throughout my career, and I suggest you do the same. Teamwork can change lives.