Suggestions for Oral Presentations

(from the American Public Health Association)

The following suggestions have been helpful to program participants in the past. Although the suggestions may not apply to you, we are sharing them with all speakers.

Be sure to limit the presentation to the time allotted. The courtesy of staying within your allotted time will assure the other participants their equal time on the program and allow the audience the opportunity to ask questions. The average 8½x11 inch page, typed, double spaced with one inch margins contains 250 words. Approximately 6 of these pages can be reviewed by the average speaker in 12 minutes.

Rehearse your presentation beforehand, timing it. Often the actual delivery of the speech takes longer than the rehearsal. Remember that slides shown add seconds to the talk. Know what to omit if you start to go overtime.

Have a text which is highly legible (double spacing helps) with well marked cues for visuals; number the pages so that sequence can be maintained. Number your slides so they correspond to text.

So that everyone can benefit from your presentation, be sure to speak loudly and clearly, but not too fast. Speak into the microphone if it is available since many of the sessions will be recorded. The audience will appreciate it if you look at them rather than the blackboard or your paper. Shift your gaze to include everyone.

For those people interested in your exact data, you may consider distributing copies of your paper on request. Papers and materials for your presentation should be sent ahead to your hotel labled "Hold for Arrival" or brought with you. If you have not done so already, you should provide your session presider with a copy of your presentation and a curriculum vitae to assist him/her with introductions.

Basic Guidelines for Effective Slide/Transparency Preparation

1. Photographing a typed sheet of paper yields very poor results. Remember that projecting a slide on a 10' x 10' screen magnifies it over 28,000 times. A slide is approximately 0.5 square inches. A 10' x 10' screen is 14,000 square inches. Word slides or transparencies should be limited to 7 lines of type per slide or per transparency with 6-7 words per line.
2. Bold lettering against a properly colored background is strongly recommended for maximum view clarity.

1. Color Combinations. Backgrounds of slides should never be white, unless black block lettering is used. Deep blue is very effective with either yellow or orange lettering. Avoid deep red or blue lettering as it is difficult to read against a dark background.
2. Graphs and Charts. The same color combinations apply here. Bar graphs should be made with marker pens on white paper. Seek professional help in making your slides with graphs or charts. Avoid making slides too busy.
3. Content.

1. Any slide, whether printed word or graph, is virtually worthless if it cannot be thoroughly comprehended in 20 seconds. Each slide or transparency should present one subject; avoid detail but instead display only essential data. Busy slides are confusing to the audience. Time needed to decipher a slide is time lost listening attentively to the speaker.
2. Be sure to have sufficient slides to support the narrative. Six or eight slides are not enough for even a speech as brief as 10 minutes. Slides should not be left on the screen for more than one minute or they become hypnotic. If it takes longer than that to explain the slide and its concept, then it is too complex. Break the information up into smaller, more easily digested parts. Changing slides keeps your audience attentive.
3. If the narrative is not relevant to the slide on the screen, but the next slide is not ready to be shown, use blank slides. Do not leave the screen stark white between slides, as this is even worse than a lingering slide whose information has already been passed by.

1. Concluding Slide.

1. The rule about cramped slides applies here. A concluding slide should be read and absorbed in about five seconds. The attention here should be on the speaker and his text. If the slide holds audience attention for too long, the impact of the oral conclusion is lost.
2. Several points in bold lettering, can be outlined on a concluding slide. Do not exceed three in number. After the first point has been covered, go to the second, reflecting exactly what your conclusion is. Then proceed to the third point, doing the same. Reinforce each step with the spoken word, exhibiting constant control with the voice. [!]