The Modern Presenter (Remote Version)
Edition 2.7(R)February 2022
Publisher: Human Global Communications Co., Ltd.
Editor: Ron Read
Contributing Authors:
Francis J. Kurdyla
Brian J. Flynn
Ron Read©2022 Human Global Communications Co., Ltd.
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Preparing Manuscripts for HGC Rewriters(kansaikujira@athuman.com)
1. Call (06-7223-8990) in advance for evening/weekend work
(To send/receive jobs at night/Sat./Sun., call 9:00–17:00 Mon.–Fri.)
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4. Allow a “reasonable deadline” and give warning of “emergency” jobs
(At the same time, avoid rushing your writing!)
5. Make yourself available for possible questions/clarifications(Provide ‘keitai’ #, eddress that can be reached, etc.)

About the Seminar’s Presenter
Ron Read is a vice president and Osaka branch manager of Human
Global Communications Co., Ltd., previously Kurdyla andAssociates Co., Ltd., a communications consulting firm establishedin Japan in 1969. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism fromthe University of Oregon, and before coming to Japan in 1986
worked as a radio news reporter-producer and a newspaper editor.
His current duties include training and supervising technicalrewriters and presentation trainers. His work also involves rewritingof technical papers, corporate communications, and academic books, as well as giving personaland group presentation training to researchers and executives. He has given seminars andclasses at Kyoto University, Osaka University of Arts, Panasonic Corp., and the Osaka
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where he is a long-time member. He has collaborated
with Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE), Information
Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ), Japan Society of English for Research (J-SER), Keihanna
Venture Championship (KVeCS), and Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). He serves
as secretary of the Kinki Macintosh Users Group. He writes a quarterly column on technicalwriting, “Author’s Toolkit,” for IEICE Information and Systems Society Journal (downloadcopies for personal use at http://hgckansai.com/downloads/).

Register for Post-course Review Package
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TUAT Online Presentation Seminar
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The Human Face of Your ResearchSpecial Seminar: The Modern PresenterTokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT)
Spring 2022 Session(Online: March 22, 2022)
Orientation:• Purpose and Goals
10:00–10:05• Activities
Guidelines: Approach & Organization• Aim: Why are you giving a presentation?
• Function: What are you doing when you give a presentation?
• Intrapersonal Psychology: The mindset of a presenter
10:05–10:50• Outlining a Presentation: Hierarchies and priorities• Openings & Closings: Start strong, end strong• Spoken Transitions: Show your audience the way
Using Slides: Ubiquity of PowerPoint• Showing & Telling: The curse of symmetry!
• Design Considerations: Looking sharp
10:50–11:15• Pointing: Laser Abuse• Animation: An easy and powerful tool
• Slide Transitions: A little bit goes a long way
Speaking & Delivery• Reading the Room: Living in the present• Voice Control: Pause, stress, and rate
• Audience Orientation: Face your customer• Body Language & Gestures: Do the job like Jobs
11:15–11:50• Q&A Techniques: Facing the test
• On-site Pointers: It’s show time!
• A Word on Online: Presenting on the Little Screen• Three Final Points…
11:50–Noon

Q&A, Wrap-up• Any questions? Comments?

TUAT Online Presentation Seminar
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LECTURE GUIDE(¶register (p. 2) to receive full lecture notes after seminar)

The Modern Presenter
1.

What is the aim of any presentation? (and 2 requirements to achieve this)This requires1)
2)

2.

What is the real function of a business/conference presentation?
To raise…
But not…
Leave audience thinking:3.

4.

What are 5 key intrapersonal psychology strengths of a modern presenter?
•Self-awareness•Engagement•Bravery•Flexibility•Passion

Outlining/Structure: Hierarchy and Sequence“Hierarchy”“Sequence”“Storyboarding”(see sample)

5.

Outlining/Structure: Priorities“Priorities”
Unique Selling Point (USP)
Have no fear of…

6.

Openings and Closings: Start Strong, End Strong!
First impression and lingering memory…

TUAT Online Presentation Seminar
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7.

Spoken Transitions:(words & phrases)

8.

Showing & Telling: The Curse of Symmetry!
(avoid ineffective mess of “1:1 ratio” of what you show to what you say)
“Iconic bullet points”(show a little, tell a lot)9.

The Art of PowerPoint: A few easy tips for better slides
O Overly “standard” PowerPoint templates
O Overly dramatic, overly calm backgrounds
O Japanese 2-byte fonts for English
O Junky underlines
O “Overstuffed” slides
O Weak contrast between text and backgroundO Too many different text styles“Slide housekeeping”“appendix slides”
PDF “handouts”
Different versions
Updating slides

10.

Laser Pointer Abuse: Don’t put your audience softly to sleep…
Much better solution: Animation!

11.

Animation: An easy and powerful tool
“Animation Pane”: only takes a few minutes to master
Use animation in a narrative way

12.

Slide Transitions: From one slide to the next
Aim for “nearly invisible”

TUAT Online Presentation Seminar
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13.

What does it mean to “read the room” as you enter the presentation space?
A. Check the whole space (“range”)

B. Speaker space: Understand your “zone”

C. Confirm Equipment: Everything working?

D. Who’s here? “Feeling” your audience

E. Make yourself at home: It’s not a hostile place!

14.

What is pause utilization and how is it used in presentation?
Silence before important ideas
Between, not within sentences or phrases!

15.

What is stress and how is it used in presentation?
Key words louder and higher

16.

What is rate variance and how is it used in presentation?
Slow down for important ideas

17.

What is audience orientation and involvement? (And an easy trick to improve it)
Speaking to other live human beings
The trick? Your feet!

18.

What are the critical elements of “Body Language” in presentations?
A. Posture
B. Eye Contact
C. Gestures
D. Facial Expressions

TUAT Online Presentation Seminar
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How can you improve your Q/A performance?
1.

Preparation
A. Anticipation Brainstorm
B. Full Dress Rehearsal
C. Organize exhibits for reference
D. “Tap into” experience
E. Pre-presentation attitude-setting

2.

Performance Techniques
A. Concentration
B. Pausing to think before replying
C. Good delivery of answer

3.

Confirmation Techniques:
A. Why does “Would you repeat that please?” usually result in frustration?
B. What are the benefits of “You mean...”?

4.

What if you don’t know the answer to a question?
A. Don’t hedge
B. Briefly explain lack of answer
C. Offer follow-up

Five Practical On-site Presentation Pointers
1.

Your stomach:2.

Your mind/body:

3.

Your lungs:

4.

Your mouth:

5.

Your spirit:

TUAT Online Presentation Seminar
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A Word on Online: Presenting on the Little Screen
1.

Same and Different: Know the limitations

2.

Tech Preparation: Be ready3.

Know the presenting tools (Zoom, Meet, Teams, etc.)

4.

Manage your sessiona) Panic avoidance!
b) Presentation-in-Window for PowerPoint/Keynotec) Use advanced tools (Slides as Virtual Background, OBS Studio) with cared) Glance at, don’t study, chat box, other interface featurese) Imagine F2F reality, Do not neglect actual interactive reality

5.

What you probably don’t need: “professional studio”

6.

What you’ll find usefula) micb) webcamc) lighting

Three Final Points…
1.

Presentation skills _________________ stop developing

2.

Presentations are better when they are _________________ by the presenter

3.

Presentation is an act of _________________, not taking

TUAT Online Presentation Seminar
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