# Presentation: 673987

## Effective Communication with Power Point PresentationsSteve Lanigan

**Notes:**
Everyone, even folks who joined the FS or BLM to “work in the woods,” needs to be an effective communicator. This is becoming more critical as budgets and staffing decline.

## Effective Communication with Power Point Presentations

- Make slides easy to read.
- Using color and graphics.
- Respect your audience.

**Notes:**
Power Point presentations are often used despite their limitations, i.e., forcing you to simplify your message. So we might as well figure out how to effectively use this communication tool.
Here’s some thoughts and guidelines on how to ensure:
Your audience can easily read the text on each slide
How using color and graphics helps you communicate, instead of becoming a distraction
Your speaking style and thoughtful attention to your presentation shows your audience you value their time and their investment in your message 

Tell em what you’re going to tell em
Tell em
Tell em what you just told em

## Make Text Big

- This is comic sans MS 8
- This is comic sans MS 12
- This is comic sans MS 20
- This is comic sans MS 28
- This is comic sans MS 32
- This is comic sans MS 44
- This is comic sans MS 54

**Notes:**
Each slide needs to be readable, should highlight key ideas, and serve as a hook to get the audience listen to you elaborate on each point.
This doesn’t mean you should fill each page with text – you need a balance of “white space” so the audience isn’t overwhelmed. 

## Make it easy to read

**Sans serif**
- Comic Sans MS
- Arial
- Tahoma
- Franklin Gothic

**Serif**
- Times
- Palatino

**Notes:**
Sans serif are simpler, clearer, and show up better on the screen.
Serif fonts are appropriate (and preferable for when you are writing large blocks of text in a document)

## Make it easy to read

- ALL CAPITAL LETTERS ARE DIFFICULT TO READ.
- Upper and lower case letters are easier to read.

**Notes:**
In this age of e-mails, using capital letters is like screaming at your audience

Use upper and lower case the same way you do in a sentence to project a warm and friendly image

## Italics are difficult to read on screen.
Normal or bold fonts are clearer.
Underlines are difficult to read.
Use colors for emphasis.

- Normal or **bold** fonts are clearer.
- _Underlines are difficult to read._
- Use **colors** for emphasis.

- Make it easy to read

## Using color

- 1 in 12 males (8%) and 1 in 200 females (0.5%) is red-green color blind.

- Difficult (or impossible) to distinguish between certain colors.
**BLUE** vs. **VIOLET**
**RED** vs. **ORANGE**
- People will fail to see some objects.

## Slide 8

**Notes:**
Take the pledge not to use red text on any slides!
Red is difficult to read – and it irritates people

## 
Don’t rely solely on using color to differentiate between data on a graph.

Use patterns and tones to tell your story.

“Xerox  test”

- Don’t rely solely on using color to differentiate between data on a graph.
- Use patterns and tones to tell your story.
- “Xerox  test”

- Using color

**Notes:**
Make a black & white copy of your slides to find out if you are relying on color to make your point. If you are relying on colors, you will not be effectively communicating with some of your audience because of their color blindness.

## Place logos on the first page.

**Notes:**
Consider using a plain background with no patterns or pictures for your “master slide” – otherwise, your slide backgrounds can become distracting and limit the space available for your message.
A light background color is my favorite choice, and helps ensure a good contrast with the text. 
The first slide is the appropriate place for putting your logo. Resist the temptation of putting your logo on every slide because it will restrict your space.
Exceptions: you are trying to establish a logo as a “brand,” or the logo is a key component of your message

## Using graphics 

- Use as a tool to get your
- audiences
- attention.

**Notes:**
My personal goal is to include a graphic of some sort on every page. 
Slides filled with text are boring to many.
Our society bombards people with images – we’ve come to expect them 
Adds excitement, drama, and information.

## Use graphics to simplify complex data or concepts

|  | Christchurch | Dunedin | Wellington |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 11,532,234 | 14,123,654 | 3,034,564 |
| February | 1,078,456 | 12,345,567 | 16,128,234 |
| March | 17,234,778 | 6,567,123 | 16,034,786 |
| April | 16,098,897 | 10,870,954 | 7,940,096 |
| May | 8,036,897 | 10,345,394 | 14,856,456 |
| June | 16,184,345 | 678,095 | 4,123,656 |
| July | 8,890,345 | 15,347,934 | 18,885,786 |
| August | 8,674,234 | 18,107,110 | 17,230,095 |
| September | 4,032,045 | 18,923,239 | 9,950,498 |
| October | 2,608,096 | 9,945,890 | 5,596,096 |
| November | 5,864,034 | 478,023 | 6,678,125 |
| December | 12,234,123 | 9,532,111 | 3,045,654 |

**Notes:**
Here’s an example of how a table of data can be overwhelming to look at

## Falling Leaves in Millions

|  | Christchurch | Dunedin | Wellington |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 11,532,234 | 14,123,654 | 3,034,564 |
| February | 1,078,456 | 12,345,567 | 16,128,234 |
| March | 17,234,778 | 6,567,123 | 16,034,786 |
| April | 16,098,897 | 10,870,954 | 7,940,096 |
| May | 8,036,897 | 10,345,394 | 14,856,456 |
| June | 16,184,345 | 678,095 | 4,123,656 |
| July | 8,890,345 | 15,347,934 | 18,885,786 |
| August | 8,674,234 | 18,107,110 | 17,230,095 |
| September | 4,032,045 | 18,923,239 | 9,950,498 |
| October | 2,608,096 | 9,945,890 | 5,596,096 |
| November | 5,864,034 | 478,023 | 6,678,125 |
| December | 12,234,123 | 9,532,111 | 3,045,654 |

**Too detailed !**

## Falling Leaves in Millions

| In 106 | Christchurch | Dunedin | Wellington |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 11 | 14 | 3 |
| February | 1 | 12 | 16 |
| March | 17 | 6 | 16 |
| April | 16 | 10 | 7 |
| May | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| June | 16 | 0 | 4 |
| July | 8 | 15 | 18 |
| August | 8 | 18 | 17 |
| September | 4 | 18 | 9 |
| October | 2 | 9 | 5 |
| November | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| December | 12 | 9 | 3 |

**Much Simpler**

**Notes:**
This is better, but it’s still difficult to see if there are any patterns in the data

## Graphing the data shows patterns

**Too detailed !**

**Notes:**
Yowsir! This graph has way too much distracting detail

## Falling Leaves

**Better**

**Notes:**
This is better, but this slide is also a good example of the poor use of color. This slide depends on the audience being able to distinguish between red and green, so anyone that’s red-green color blind will not be able to distinguish between the colors. The lines are also difficult to see because they are so thin – this is a common problem when you import a graph from a statistics/graphing program.

## Falling Leaves

- Wellington

- Dunedin

- Christchurch

**Notes:**
Using patterns and obvious differences in tone, as well as directly labeling each line ensures your audience can tell the difference between the lines.

## PNAMP Side by Side Protocol TestFunded Participants

- Aquatic-Riparian Effectiveness Monitoring Program
- California Fish and Game
- EPA Environ. Monitoring and Assessment Program
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- PacFish/Infish Biological Opinion Monitoring Program
- Washington Department of Ecology
- US Forest Service Region 6 Stream Survey Program
- Upper Columbia basin Monitoring Group
- US Rocky Mt Research Station (establish “truth”)

**Notes:**
This is a good example of a bad slide, from the standpoint of using too much text. It ‘s easy for the viewer to become overwhelmed with the information. 
I wanted to show all the participants in a protocol test, but this didn’t work very well. So...

## Side-by-Side Protocol Test

- UCB

**$$ =**

**Notes:**
....This slide uses the logos of the participating agencies (or acronyms when I couldn’t find their logo with a Google search).  This slide works if it’s important for my audience only to recognize that many agencies participated and they can recognize at least a few of the logos.
It’s not so good if it’s critical for the audience needs to know every participant because few of the agency names are spelled out (and they’re too small to read when they are spelled out). 
Another option would be to provide a hand out listing all the agencies by name as a supplement to the presentation.

## People pictures 

- Photos should direct viewers eye to the text.

**Notes:**
My rule of thumb when it comes to pictures, is to do the following:
Crop pictures so the main subject is easy to see
Use action pictures. Ok, sitting at a meeting may not be very active, but you can use pictures where people are using their hands to gesture, or it’s obvious they are participating in a discussion. A tilted head is better than a straight on mug shot too, unless you intend to post their picture in the local Post Office.  
Recognizable people are good, as it helps your audience connect to your presentation, “Hey, I know that person!” They may also pay more attention thinking they or someone else they know will appear on another slide.
Pictures can convey your message in a different way. 
All slides should generally direct the audience’s attention to the center of the page, or to the text on the page. Specifically, don’t have people looking “off the slide” because it will draw your audience away from your text.
Use the “compress pictures”  on the picture tool bar to compress the size of your pictures (they remain just as easy to view). This will reduce the overall size of your PowerPoint file (and make it quicker to load and run).

## Critter photos should also direct attention to the text.

**Notes:**
The same rule about directing the audience’s attention to the text applies when using “critter pictures.”

## Before you start talking....

-  Video tape your presentation.

-  Ask a colleague for a critique.

**Notes:**
It’s easy to be unaware of problems associated with your presentation or your speaking style. The best way to improve both is to get feedback during “practice runs.”  A video of your presentation can be a humbling experience, but it is also the best way to show you mannerisms, etc. you are not even aware of.

## Before you start talking

- Know how to start and stop
- F5 key will start a presentation
- 3 ways to advance/retreat slides
- The “B” key

**Notes:**
It’s YOUR PRESENTATION and you need to be responsible for it working!
Get there early (preferably before a break) to make sure everything works
Be familiar with laptop and projector connections, e.g., USB vs video
The quickest way to start your presentation once you’ve opened it up, is to press “F5”
Pressing the “B” key will put a blank (dark) slide on the screen. This can be helpful if you want to pause in your presentation (remember to turn the lights up).
Practice your presentation!
Don’t assume that the way you normally advance slides will work on the laptop available for your use. Learn at least 3 ways to advance and retreat on your slides (hint: try the arrow keys, space bar, backspace...)

## Be prepared for poor lighting.

- Scope out your room & audience ahead of time.

- dark on light

- light on dark

- Before you start talking

**Notes:**
Recognize your limitations in the room – will you need to advance slides using a projector, or should you ask someone to advance slides for you?
Get comfortable with the settings and make sure you get set up during a break so you don’t have to fumble around with loading your presentation when it’s time for you to start.
Ask someone to help with lights
Remote vs laptop control: using a remote control allows you to run your presentation from anywhere in the room.
Position the laptop so you can view your slides from where your are speaking from. This will also help you avoid turning around and “talking to the screen.”

Dark text on a light background generally works in all light conditions. Light text on a dark background is optimum in a very dark room (but not so good in a well lighted room). Turning off the lights also eliminates your ability to maintain eye contact with the audience.

## Presentation basics

- Start with the lights on – “connect” with your audience.
- Talk to your audience, not to the screen.
- Use a microphone when it’s available.

**Notes:**
A basic rule for all presentation is it’s best to start with the lights on so you can establish rapport with your audience. 
NEVER start with “may I have the lights please?” At a minimum, greet your audience with some sort of salutation, e.g., “good morning” and remind them of who you are if the moderator didn’t do this.
You don’t turn your back on people when you are talking to them, do you? So don’t turn your back on your audience and talk to the screen. It’s rude!
Get over any feelings of discomfort you have when you hear your own voice, and use the microphone. Remember, your job is to communicate, and that won’t happen if folks in the back can’t hear you.

## Use your time wisely

- Sometimes a slide, by necessity, will have a lot of text on it.
- However, your audience can read text much faster than you can read it out loud to them.
- By the time you read this bullet to them, they are done reading the entire slide.
- Now you’re wasting their time.
- Let your audience read the slides, while you paraphrase and expand on the written text.

**Notes:**
If you are reading the slides to your audience, you are not showing respect for their ability to read much faster to themselves. Reading this slide out loud makes that point.

## All figures/text should be readable and understandable

- Never use slides you have to
- apologize for.

**Notes:**
“I apologize if you can’t read this in the back of the room.”  This is the same as telling your audience that you don’t care if they can read your slide. This is insulting to your audience!

## All figures/text should be readable and understandable

- Never use slides you have to apologize for!

**Notes:**
A good rule is never apologize for anything related to your presentation, e.g., avoid saying “I haven’t given this talk before,” “I’m giving this for another person, so I’m not very familiar with the subject” 
Apologizing causes your audience to assume you’re poorly prepared and has them thinking, “why should I listen to this if they didn’t take the time to make sure it’s a good presentation?”
Do the best you can = practice, practice, practice!

## Presentation Critique

**Presentation Critique**
- Were lights on at beginning?
- Were all slides easy to read and understand?
- Any slides/points that were confusing?
- Was the use of graphics effective? If not, how could I improve them?
- Could you hear me ok?
- Are there any speech patterns, like you know, that I should be aware of?

**Notes:**
Even if you didn’t have time to have others critique your presentation before now (or video yourself during a practice run), you can still get great feedback by handing out a simple “critique form” to a few folks in the audience before you talk. Ask them to let you know if you:
Used large and easy to read text
Used graphics that helped emphasize points, and didn't distract from or destroy your message
Respected your audience by talking to them (instead of the screen) and let them read the text while you provided more detail.
An excellent article on how to put together an effective PowerPoint presentation appeared in a recent article of Fisheries. Ask you district or forest fish bio for a copy!

## Acknowledgements

- Thanks to Bruce McCammon, Jeff Uebel, & Brett Roper for slides and feedback

- And thanks to you for thinking about how to improve your PowerPoint presentations!

**Notes:**
Using an “acknowledgement slide” is appropriate.  Just remember to let the audience read for themselves.