How to Efficiently Present a Topic when Facing (Scary) People?
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Transcript of How to Efficiently Present a Topic when Facing (Scary) People?
by Christophe Basso
What do You Present?
Do I Really Speak English?
Slides Content
Shapes and Electrical Diagrams
Making the Speech a Success – Key
Points
Conclusion
What do You Present?
Do I Really Speak English?
Slides Content
Shapes and Electrical Diagrams
Making the Speech a Success – Key
Points
Conclusion
Communicate a message, show/comment data, an idea etc.
People should see your professionalism in what you show
Perception will depend on different factors:
ease of expression, message clarity, compactness…
tailor the message to the audience: engineers, finance etc. ?
mesmerize the audience and maintain contact with it
make each slide with care, nice drawings, well-commented
curves…
You are a professional engineer in your field, the documents you present must reflect this!
What do You Present?
Do I Really Speak English?
Slides Content
Shapes and Electrical Diagrams
Making the Speech a Success – Key
Points
Conclusion
You may have foreigners in your audience, "polish" your
language!
A lot of people, including myself, learn British English at school
Most of us do not understand the meaning of sports
expressions:
o Full-court press (maintain pressure), home run (complete
success), to be on par with (meet similar standard, results etc.),
ballpark (base-ball field): don't use too many of them!
o Slang is also a limiting factor when you speak. Avoid colloquial
expressions. In other terms…
Chase and get rid of "euh, eem..."
o insert a pause, a blank instead
Keep It Simple Sweet heart!
What do You Present?
Do I Really Speak English?
Slides Content
Shapes and Electrical Diagrams
Making the Speech a Success – Key
Points
Conclusion
Write soberly, do not overload slides with long sentences
If you put a long text, you will end-up reading the content
NEVER read the slides: disastrous and soporific effect
guaranteed!
Good Too heavy!
When you present technical data, be rigorous in your style
Respect standards such as IEEE's:
Insert a space between the value and the unit: 3 µF not 3uF, 1
mA…
You write: dc-dc or ac-dc converters. Not DC/DC or AC/DC
Zener and Schottky are proper nouns, capitalize!
Keep lowercases for rms, k (kV or kHz), ac analysis
Insert an hyphen: a capacitor of 3 µF a 3-µF capacitor, a 2-
mA current
Avoid abbreviations : A or amperes not "amps", "scope", "puff"
Unit names are not to be capitalized: ampere, volt…
Use International System units: no ounces, inches or circular
mills!
"I own the heaviest dog in the world: 10 stones"
or
(63.5 kg)
What do You Present?
Do I Really Speak English?
Slides Content
Shapes and Electrical Diagrams
Making the Speech a Success – Key
Points
Conclusion
Do you include equations? Use the right tool:
R1=-b+/-sqrt(b^2-4ac)/2a
In equations, respect standards :
2
1
4
2
b b acR
a
1
1 2 3 1 0
3 1 0
1
1 2 3
1 1 3 1 1
out
R R
Vout V
R R R R R R R
sC R sR C s
http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathtype/
1 3kΩR
italic normal space normal
Do you present electrical schematics: don't use PPT to draw!
There is a plethora of free schematic capture demos you can
use
OrCAD (Cadence), SpiceNET (Intusoft), LTSpice (LTC) etc.A quality schematic strengthens your credibility
VcbIe
Vbeon
CBVEI 1Q,onBEV
What do You Present?
Do I Really Speak English?
Slide Content
Shapes and Electrical Diagrams
Making Your Speech a Success –
Key Points
Conclusion
A few points to respect in order to succeed
1. Put an agenda in place and briefly explain what you will cover
2. Rehearse your presentation and respect your time slot
3. PPT illustrates your speech and not the opposite: do not read!
• Work the transitions to make the presentation fluid
4. Draw transparencies soberly, do not overload them
5. Keep visual contact with the audience:
• Identify "friendly" people in the room and look at them regularly. Move in the room while you speak. Keep people awake!
Don't turn your back!
6. Personalize your presentation depending on the audience
• Insert known people pictures, local references - Paul Hogan in Australia, Benny Hill UK, some funny guys in the US: )
7. Breathe, force yourself to speak slowly, insist on key words
8. Engage with the audience, ask questions, make it a living presentation
9. During the presentation, no bubble-gum, hand(s) in the pocket…
10. Watch the laser pointer, do not play in another swashbuckler
11. Keep time for questions/answers, roughly 5-10 mn
12. Before answering a question, repeat it for the back of the room
Always end the speech with a conclusion:
• come back on key points
• reinforce an idea or salient points of your speech
• thank people for their presence
• wave your hand to initiate the Q&A session and smile!
Pardon my French!