Oral Presentations

Whether giving a presentation to a City Council or to a citizen group, it is rare to find a straight lecture without some sort of visual aid to accompany the information. In many instances, presenters are dropping the cumbersome foamcore exhibits in favor of electronic presentations; they are able to be projected on a screen for easier viewing, they are easily transferred into the public realm via Internet or TV, and provide viewers a strong supplement to the material being presented.

Power Point and graphics should, however, be just that – a supplement. The speaker is still responsible for knowing the material being presented and turning that material into a clear, well-structured presentation.

There are some basic rules you should follow.

Don’t overuse effects or crowd slides
Limit use of bullets
Think like the audience
Never forget the Conclusion slide
Don’t read the presentation
Design the slides—repeat elements consistently

That said, slide design is an art. There are many websites which offer good advice (see, for example, “Presentation Zen”)
There are also sites that can give you templates that are fresher and less “overexposed” than the standard ones. Microsoft, for example, has a number of them.

Remember: One lost art in public presentation is the skill of brevity. Make sure you are clear, that you get to the point right away, and that you avoid jargon and buzzwords. Don’t over-explain.

MSU