business research studies, consulting organization, What sort of pre-presentation handouts would you prepare before making a presentation

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Yours is a consulting organization, which undertakes business research studies. A prospective client visits your organization and wants to know the types of jobs your organization undertakes. What sort of pre-presentation handouts would you prepare before making a presentation to him?


"It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good important speech." Most good public presentations, no matter how easy or spontaneous they look. require diligent preparation, as well as an understanding of the key principles of presenting — designing the message, engaging the learner, rehearsing the delivery, and mastering presentation skills and technologies.
Emergency medicine academicians speak to a wide range of audiences including colleagues, nurses, paramedics/EMTs, and the lay public. "Academicians should be eager to give lectures because to teach is to learn. Presentations are an excellent opportunity for the presenter to learn, as well as gain feedback and insights from the audience, literally "road testing" the materials. Speaking before a group is also a great motivator to be well prepared. (I have a rule that I never give the same speech twice — i.e., no "canned" presentations unless it's an emergency. Each speech is used as an opportunity to update Speaking to (and with) an audience is still one of the most can ad lib, improvise, and adjust instantaneously to meet the needs of the audience. Importantly, conversation can be 2 way with valuable feedback gained from the audience. Although presentations are ubiquitous in healthcare education, public speaking is unfortunately learned, for better or worse, by imitation or trial-and-error. In this chapter, I will review the art of message design and discuss techniques for effectively communicating that message through oral presentations.
The Presenter's Responsibilities
Consider a 1-hour presentation attended by 20 people. The "cost" is 20 human hours times the hourly value of each
person's time. That's a lot of time and cost not to mention the
effort required for each audience member to travel to the presentation and break up their day to do so. To justify this cost, the presenter must be well prepared and the information
thoughtfully presented and pertinent to the listeners' needs.
Apologies are an unacceptable way to begin a. presentation and an admission of poor preparation. "I'm sorry, but some of my
slides didn't turn out so well." "I'm sorry I spilled all my slides on the floor." "I'm sorry I left my handouts in the office." Such
problems waste the audience's valuable time and get the
presentation off on the wrong foot. For the well-prepared speaker, such problems should almost never happen.
"Lecture" vs. "Presentation"
A lecture is unidirectional and is typically perceived by the audience as boring. The word "lecture" connotes a scolding or reproof. In contrast, the presentation, as defined by Ron Huff, is a commitment by the presenter to help the audience do
something—and a constant, simultaneous evaluation of the
worth of that commitment by the audience. This definition emphasizes the audience's, rather than the presenter's, self-interest. In the presentation, communication is bidirectional with the audience showing and telling the presenter how he or she is doing.
Think back to all me presentations you've heard. What made
the best ones so memorable? What made the worst, ones so forgettable? The best presenters probably incorporated some or
all of the following elements—humor, entertainment,
Simplicity;' organization, connection with the audience, depth of knowledge, and ability to communicate. The elements of not so great lectures probably included poor preparation, monotonous delivery, encyclopedic information, and little interaction with the audience. (Table 1 presents a more complete listing of these elements.)
Designing the Message
Luisa Simons wrote, "Being a successful presenter means learning how to edit, structure, and illustrate your concepts in
order to inform, influence - and entertain - your audience. You
have to be part editor, part director, and part showman." The purposes of a presentation include conveying a message.

distilling information, motivating a group, communicating a vision, and pointing the audience to additional learning resources.
To receive a message, the learner must remain awake, alert, and engaged. The presentation is not the time to become a "human encyclopedia" inflicting fact after fact on a numbed audience. Walt Whitman, in Leaves of Grass wrote, "The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity." Rather than say more, the presenter should say less, concentrating on 3-5 major points. Audiences appreciate distilled information and a "road map" for learning.
The key to designing an effective message is understanding who the audience is and researching their needs. The audience should be scouted in advance to determine their level of knowledge and educational needs. Put yourself in their place. What questions would you want answered? Better yet, if you have the time, conduct an informal survey of persons representative of your audience and ask them, :;Which questions do you want me to address on this topic?"
I use a checklist to help me prepare for'a presentation:
• What is the composition and level of training of the audience—physicians, nurses, administrators, lay public etc.9
• What is the mix of specialties and practice locations?
• What is the anticipated size of the audience?
• What is the knowledge level—student, resident, practitioner, expert?
• Why is the audience attending? Is attendance required for CME hours? Is it a mandatory educational lecture?
• How long should I speak?
• Are there any important points you would like me to reinforce?
• What equipment will be available (computer, Zip drive, CD-ROM, projector, laser pointer, etc.)
Techniques for Engaging the Learner
The presenter nrust overcome numerous diversions competing
for the audience's attention by employing techniques that
make the message rise above the "background noise." Here is a
listing of some of these techniques:
Participatory Learning
It has been said that we remember approximately 25 percent
of what we hear, 40 percent of what we see and hear, and 75
percent of what we hear, see, and do. When learning becomes
participatory or interactive, learners remember for a longer time in a shorter time and have more fun. Techniques that I employ to increase audience participation include:
• Identify for the audience why this presentation is important to them "(i.e.. "This injury is the #1 cause of successful litigation against emergency physicians."
• Ask frequent "thought-provoking" questions, even if they're
rhetorical.
• Give a pre-presentation test where the audience must commit to an answer, then discuss the answers as a group.
• Begin with a clinical case and questions that illustrate the 3-5 major points of the presentation.
• Use a computer-based audience response system to instantly tabulate and display the audience's answers to questions.
Tell Stories
Instead of listing facts, tell stories. The human mind is particularly receptive to information imparted through story telling. (Before the invention of communication technologies, human knowledge and wisdom was transmitted stories, myths, and epic poetry.) Interject relevant clinical cases and
anecdotes. Stimulate the audience's imagination through
imagery.
Repetition
The presentation should promote long-term memory retention.
Repetition of the 3-5 major points is the key to retention. Some
wag once said that since the audience is paying attention only
25% of the time, the presenter must repeat everything 4 times
Provide Breaks
The teacher's role is to increase the student's level of mental
arousal and maintain their attention. The length of the lecture should as a rule be less than 55 minutes. As a courtesy, for prolonged sessions, the audience should be given a 5' 10 minute stretch (ergonomic) break or "biological break" every hour. (I appoint one of the audience members to be time keeper and Champiorrof-Breaks.)
Humor
Orlando Battista said, "The shortest distance between two jokes makes a perfect speech." Humor delivered with finesse.

a wonderful way to engage the audience and hold their attention. But edit out anything that might be offensive. An offended, angry audience has stopped paying attention. Never Read a Speech
The text of a speech should never be read. Reading is literally monotonous as it loses the dynamics of conversational speech. This is why "elevator music," intentionally stripped of dynamics, remains unnoticed in the background. (One notable exception to reading a lecture is the international meeting where translators need a script of the presentation.) Other Techniques to Hold Attention
• Move around the room. Never hide behind a podium.
• Look around the room and shift eye contact from one individual to another. (This also allows you to estimate the attentiveness of the group.)
• Never turn the room lights down unless absolutely necessary.
• Use extra effort to engage the audience during these highly soporific situations—the early morning lecture (have plenty of coffee ready), the after lunch lecture (post-prandial stupor), and the final lecture of the day (audience burn-out and skip-out).
Practicing
Rehearsal is preparation time- devoted to the most crucial and difficult parts of the presentation while simulating the actual
speaking conditions"-as closely as possible. Practice should not be going through the preservation time after time. Instead, rehearsal time should be spent on the opening and closing of
the presentation, pacing and delivery, and smoothing out rough spots.
Public speaking is much like flying a plane. Once the plane's
in the air, the flight is usually smooth and on "autopilot." It's
getting the plane into the air and landing it that are the most difficult tasks. Therefore, most of your rehearsal time should
be spent on getting your presentation "launch" and "landing"—
the first 60-90 seconds and closing 2-3 sentences. Script out the opening and closing of the presentations to help prevent getting "tongue tied' during these crucial times. Practice smooth transitions from one slide to the next as well pauses, where appropriate, for dramatic effect.
When rehearsing, simulate the actual speaking conditions or worst case scenario you are likely to encounter as closely as possible. When a professional football team is going to be playing in a noisy domed stadium, they conduct, some of their practices with a public address system blaring crowd noises at the same or higher decibel levels they are likely to encounter. Demonsthenes, the renowned Greek orator, overcame his inarticulate, stammering pronunciation by practicing with his mouth full of pebbles. Here are some other rehearsal tips'-
• If you're practicing with slides, never rehearse by facing the screen – this is not how you will be delivering the presentation.. Instead, pretend you're facing the audience and practice turning; your head to cue-off the slides.
• Speak the words rather than hear them in your mind. Author Hermann Hesse said, "Everything becomes a little different, as soon as it is spoken out loud."
• When possible, rehearse in front of a live audience. 1 find resident physicians to be the best, "test" audience for new material. Knowledgeable, insightful, and not shy about pointing out the "warts" in my presentation, they are wonderful critics (in the best sense of the word).
• In the absence of a large audience, practice in front of your spouse, significant other, dog, or a mirror or video or audio tape the presentation for review.
Presentation Techniques
Managing Stage Fright
Among the things most feared by healthcare professionals are
a certified letter from an attorney's office, discovering that "60
Minutes" is interviewing your patients, and speaking in public. For many people, speaking in front of an audience, to
paraphrase actor John Barrymore, is exactly like childbirth—
they're glad to get it over with. Fear of public speaking, which
is almost universal, can range from "stomach butterflies" to
"fight or flight" panic. The solution is to channel that fear to
energize your presentation and motivate you to be well
prepared.
Several "rituals" can be undertaken to reduce anxiety and
bolster confidence"-
• In advance of the presentation, visit the room where your presentation will be given.
* Stand at the podium and pretend you're facing either a packed house of exuberant people or an empty hall with 3 people sound asleep. Imagine how you would handle either, extreme.
• It has been suggested that the presenter imagine the audience are naked because presumably naked people are less intimidating. (Personally, my imagination is too vivid for this to work for me.)
• Avoid any caffeine for hours before the presentation. The combination of caffeine and anxiety will fill the bladder, further increasing any agitation.
• Finally, some anxious presenters swear by beta-blockers prior to the presentation when all else fails. (Be sure to trial these on a day other than your presentation!)
"Pre-Flight" Checklist
Just prior to your presentation, go through a pre-flight
checklist:
• Note where the audio-visual equipment is located (projector remote control, lighting controls, etc.) and test that they are functioning properly.
• Test the microphone. Ask someone in the back of the room if they can hear you.
• Is your slide carrousel hub and bottom metal pan locked in
• Is your clothing neat? Is there a chive stuck between your teeth?
• Chat with members of the audience before the lecture to gauge their level of knowledge.
• If this is a scientific platform presentation, arrive early to introduce yourself to the moderator and panel discussants.
Beginning the Presentation
As you prepare to begin the speech, face the microphone and
get "settled in." Take a few deep breaths...then smile. A smile
conveys to the audience that you are having fun and happy to be with them. As we discussed earlier, never begin by apologizing as this only calls attention to shortcomings that might otherwise have been overlooked. Body language is
important. Don't lean against the podium or fidget nervously
with the slide projector cord And be aware that every time you lay something down on the podium, the microphone picks up the noise.
A strong opening, which should be assiduously rehearsed, is paramount. The presenter must establish his or her credibility, engage the audience, divert their attention from competing interests, and establish the purpose of the presentation in the first minute. If you get started without
stumbling over your words, you'll quickly gain confidence and
likely "cruise on auto pilot."
Closing" the Presentation
Never end a presentation with a feeble statement such as
"Well, I guess that's all I have" or conclude with an "Any
Questions?" final slide. This is not the message you want the audience to take home. Instead, script out and practice a strong, slightly emotional concluding statement that leaves the audience with a vivid mental image.
Timing is Everything
There's an old proverb that says. "It always takes a person
much longer to tell you what he thinks than what he knows." As a corollary, the shorter the speech, the more difficult the preparation. In the case of the scientific oral platform presentation, each word and slide must be carefully chosen to stay within the allotted 10-minute time frame.
Practice to finish in less than the allotted time—nobody ever
got mad at a speaker for finishing too soon. Never try to cram 11 minutes worth of material into a 10 minute space by speaking faster. Instead, take out slides, especially those where you have to explain a lot of bulleted points.
The Performance Factor
Be enthusiastic and interactive and let your personality show! One of the reasons the audience is listening to you (rather than reading the information) is they want to see your personality and hear your perspective. Be interesting, but avoid over-entertaining which may obscure your message. Finally, put as much energy into presenting to a group of 3 as you would to a group of 300.
Handouts
Handouts help promote long term retention and provide a reference source for the audience. Preparing handouts also compels the presenter to prepare the information of the speech well in advance. Handouts free the audience to listen (rather than scribble notes) and allow them to make supplemental notes in the margin. Handsouts also help clarify detailed information (such as formulas or lists).
Presentation Technologies
The best audio-visual aid is you, the speaker. Presentations don't need slides to be effective. Imagine what it must have
been like to see and hear Mark Twain standing in front of an audience, without slides, microphone, or props, captivating the audience with humor, wit, and story telling. The use of slides, either 35 mm photographic slides or computer projection slides, is ubiquitous. These presentation technologies are the double-edged sword of presentations. Used effectively, such technology can enhance the transmission of the message. Used ineffectively, presentation technology can obscure or bury the message. A badly organized speech cannot be salvaged by 4-color graphics. Computer Projection
Computer projection systems, composed of a computer, presentation software suck as PowerPoint, and a projection system, are increasingly being used in favor of 35 ram film slides. There are several advantages to computer projection. Changes can be made at the last minute. Messages can be broken into smaller units since cost per slide is not an issue as it is with 35 mm film slides. Computer projection permits the use of multimedia including sound and motion graphics (video). And other programs, such as a live Medline search or CD-ROM images, can be projected. Computer projection systems have also introduced new problems and last minute wrinkles. The ability to make last minute change can lead to procrastination and poor preparation, such systems are more complex than 35 mm slide projectors, and not all venues have the proper equipment or connectors
Elements of Slide Design
Here are some elements of style for designing effective slides:
• Slides should amplify the spoken message.
• Slides should not be used as teleprompters.
• 1 major idea per slide.
• A maximum of 15-25 words per slide.
• The "Burma Shave Rule"—don’t pack any more into a visual than you could read off a billboard driving by at highway speed.
• The type should be readable from the back of room (typically at least 28 points in size).
• Choose type for readability and avoid novelty type faces.
• Stay away from all caps—the most readable type is an initial capital letter followed by lower case.
• Avoid red type which is difficult to read. Red is also an inflammatory color—just ask any bull.
• Flush left and ragged right alignment (not justified) is best for readability.
• One of the most readable color combinations is yellow title. yellow bullets, and white text on a blue background.
Beware of Gimmicks
Have you ever watched a TV commercial you thought was extremely clever and entertaining then realized that you had no idea whatsoever what product or company it was advertising? The message was somehow missing.
overshadowed by the presentation. Don't obscure the message
with gimmicks, avoid cliché, and always attempt to simplify. Before adding another element to a slide, ask "Does this element amplify the message or detract from it?" and "Is it
consistent with the message?" Notorious gimmicks that can obscure the message include cheesy clip art, complex slide backgrounds, flamboyant color schemes, and vacation pictures. Computer projection has opened up a new world of special effects, formerly limited to Hollywood, to the rest of us. These effects include animation, slide builds (where bulleted points fly into the picture one-byone), and electronic transitions (where one slide fades or dissolves into the next). Used sparingly, builds and transitions create movement that can
engage the audience's attention. Overuse, however, can induce
vertigo, nystagmus. and nausea. When ii comes to employing electronic enects, simplicity again rules. "Just because we can
doesn't mean we should."
5 Take Home Points
In conclusion, effective presentations are based on the
following 5 key principles:
1. Designing the message.
2. Understanding the audience and defining their needs.
3. Using techniques to engage the audience.
4. Telling stories and showing pictures.
5. Employing presentation technology to enhance rather than detract from the message.
If you have previously found public speaking difficult or anxiety provoking, I believe the application of these 5 key principles will help bring success to your future presentations.