How to Ace Your Final Presentation

The only way to get the grade you want is to practice, practice, practice.

Transcript

1. HOW TO ACE YOUR FINAL PRESENTATION IN PROFESSOR RICK’S COURSE Fall 2023
2. REQUIREMENTS
3. original research
4. The Professional Writing Program requires you to do research that’s original. What does “original” mean? It means that you created the document at hand; it did not exist before.
5. Read an article Watch a movie Listen to a podcast Conduct an interview Conduct a survey
6. sourcing
7. You’ll want to identify the source of your research. Otherwise, your peers may treat your findings with skepticism.
8. if then example The info is well- known Do nothing The population of America The source is not critical to your point, but some people might wonder about it Show your source on the slide How many people lack access to a clean, working toilet Your source is critical to your point Verbalize your source The number of Apple executives who Steve Jobs fired
9. counter- arguments
10. You must address objections from people who disagree with you. Do not focus on the easy objections. Instead, wrestle with the hardest ones.
11. powerpoint
12. You must use PowerPoint. Alternatives like Google Slides, Prezi, and Keynote are useful. Yet they remain inferior to PowerPoint in both functionality and ubiquity. The latter point is particularly important. Put simply, PowerPoint is the de facto tool of business communication.
13. LOGISTICS
14. your .ppt file
15. Please either bring your deck with you on a thumb drive, or download your deck to the desktop of our classroom computer before 6:30 P.M. In naming your .PPT file, don’t use your headline (for example, “10 Reasons Macs Are Better Than PCs.ppt”) or the name of the assignment (“Final Presentation.ppt”). Instead, use your own name (“Steve Jobs.ppt”). Arrive early. We’re on a tight schedule and we need to start promptly at 6:30.
16. order of speakers
17. We’ll proceed alphabetically.
18. grace period
19. Your talk should last between 4 minutes and 30 seconds and 5 minutes and 30 seconds. No shorter, no longer. After 5 minutes and 30 seconds, I’ll provide a 15-second grace period. After that, I have to cut you off. No exceptions.
20. your first words
21. Don’t start by saying, “I’m Steve.” We know who you are. 1. I just called you by name. 2. Your peers see your name on a sheet they’re writing on. 3. And your name is on the title slide.
22. lighting
23. Control of the lights is up to you. Decide if you want them on or off — and design your deck accordingly. If the room is dark, use light colors and avoid all-black backgrounds. If the room is light, use dark colors and avoid all-white backgrounds.
24. clicker
25. You’ll have use of my clicker, so there’s no need to stand in front of the computer. Though, as you’ll recall from my own troubles, you won’t want to wander far.
26. notecards
27. No notecards.
28. q&a
29. After you finish your talk, you’ll take a question or two from the audience. The Q&A does not count toward your allotted time.
30. peer reviews
31. Peer Review #1 You’re required to rehearse your presentation with a partner from class. (I’ll assign partners.) To this end, please download the document, “Presentation Peer Review #1,” from ELMS. This document is due, on ELMS, by 6:30 P.M. on December 5.
32. Peer Review #2 You’re also required to review your peers’ presentations in real time. You can download “Presentation Peer Review #2” from ELMS.. This document is due, on ELMS, by 10 P.M. on December 5.
33. YOUR SLIDES
34. title slide
35. You need a title slide — along with a catchy title.
36. end slide
37. Your end slide (or last slide) is what people see when you’re taking questions. (The Q&A does not count toward your time.) So make your slide memorable. Don’t just list your contact info or show a word like “questions” or “thanks.” Make this slide something that leaves an impression.
38. one big takeaway
39. Make sure to explicitly identify your one big takeaway. For example: “If there’s one point I can leave you with today, it’s that Apple values your privacy over our profits.”
40. thesis
41. Near the beginning of your presentation, you must state your thesis in one sentence. Make it perfectly clear, upfront, what your purpose is.
42. agenda
43. Please explicitly preview your topics — both on the screen and by articulating them.
44. OTHER STUFF
45. clothing
46. If your clothing is relevant to your topic, don’t assume that people will make the connection; make it for them. You’re not required to dress up, but if you’re so inclined, I’d encourage you to do so.
47. props
48. interaction
49. tawes