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<chapter id="hints-and-tips">
<chapterinfo>
<authorgroup>
<author>
<firstname>Neil</firstname>
<surname>Lucock</surname>
<affiliation>
<address><email>neil@nlucock.freeserve.co.uk</email></address>
</affiliation>
</author>
<author>
<firstname>Krishna</firstname>
<surname>Tateneni</surname>
<affiliation>
<address><email>tateneni@pluto.njcc.com</email></address>
</affiliation>
</author>
<!-- TRANS:ROLES_OF_TRANSLATORS -->
</authorgroup>
</chapterinfo>
<title>General Hints and Tips for Great Presentations</title>

<para>Okay, you've decided to use &stage; for your
presentation. Before you start making transparencies or animated slide
shows, go and find a piece of paper and sit down at a desk away from
the computer. It doesn't matter whether you are doing a teaching
session or trying to convince the boss that your plan, policy or idea
should be adopted, you need to figure out what you are trying to
say. Write down all the subjects you need to cover, try to get them in
the order you think will make sense. Don't put any details in yet,
just decide on headings and the structure of your talk.</para>

<para>Under each heading make a note of what facts you need to
cover. You are trying to build a convincing argument. Consider
grouping your facts into things must be included,  things that should
be included and things that it would be nice to cover if you had
plenty of time.</para>

<para>Once you have written down all the things you need to say,
consider the time available to do it in. Ten minutes seems ages when
you start, but it is very difficult to actually get much across in so
short a time. Get your sheet of paper and a clock with a second
hand. Practise your presentation over and over again. This has many
benefits. Firstly, you get the timing right. If someone says you have
ten minutes, never go over the allowed time. Secondly, when you
actually do it in front of a live audience, it will not be the first
time you have done that presentation. Third, you get the words right
in your own head. You will find ways of saying things about the
subject. If you've heard yourself do this presentation several times,
you will know what you are going to say next and how you are going to
say it. </para>

<para>&stage; does not produce Speaker's Notes at the time of
writing, but I am happy to just use ordinary slides. Produce some
slides for yourself, printed on plain paper, and some for use with the
Overhead Projector. Make the text on your slides nice and big, you
need to be able to read it at a distance. I use 14 or 16 point text,
experiment to find a size that you can read easily. I never write out
a script.</para>

<para>If you are using an Overhead projector, learn how to use it
beforehand. Make sure that the bulb works, that the spare bulb is
still okay. Clean the lens and display plates. If you are not used to
working with projectors, practice. Ensure that the projection screen
itself is clean. It's probably best, when timing yourself, to allow
for five seconds (count <quote>one thousand and one, one thousand and
two....</quote>) to change each slide. That way you know you don't
have to rush. If you need to point at something on a slide, you can
use a pointer and point at the display screen, find a laser pointer or
put a pencil on the transparency itself. Be warned, these tend to roll
out of place when you nudge the table.</para>

<para>Consider where you are going to stand. You cannot stand in
front of your display, so off to one side is probably your best option
if you want your audience to be able to see. I often project a picture
onto a wipeboard and draw over the top of it. If you are using a PC
with a digital projector you can draw over the top of your slides with
&stage;'s pen tool. Remember, drawing freehand with a mouse is a
skill that needs practice. If you are using an Overhead projector, you
can use transparent overlay slides and a pen over the top of your
computer generated ones.</para>

<para>When you are doing the presentation do not accidently look into
the light, it's easy to do. If you are not going to use the machine
for a few minutes, turn it off.  Practise to get where you are going
to stand sorted out. Check the room you intend to use for electrical
sockets and learn how the blinds work and where the light switches
are. Good preparation not only makes you less likely to make mistakes
(inanimate things can be a nightmare in front of an audience) but also
gives you confidence. Always have a <quote>Plan B</quote> ready if
something refuses to work. Have a paper copy of your slides with
you. You can photocopy and distribute these to your audience if the
equipment fails.</para>

<para>I have not said much about the content yet. At present all you
have is a piece of paper with everything you want to say on it. Before
you make anything, ask youself if their understanding of what you are
saying is going to improved by showing them a picture. Bad
presentations consist of a series of slides full of text. The
presenter then reads the slide to the audience (who have already read
it as they can read faster than someone can say it aloud). Try to
avoid writing anything on the slide, except a title and a number. Draw
a picture of what you need to say, then explain the picture to
them. That way they do not get ahead of you (they can read faster than
you can speak, remember?) and you look like you know it. You do not
know it, you are using the picture as a series of prompts. A slide
should support what you are saying, not duplicate it. A slide should
be the focus of the audience's attention, not a distraction.</para>

<para>An example. I teach Railway staff how to respond to accidents. I
wanted to use a slide to discuss how you can move dangerous loads from
a derailed or damaged rail vehicle to a road vehicle after an
accident.  The slide I made had a simple drawing of tank wagon, the
kind used for carrying gases or oils. On the side I wrote
<quote>Lethal Chemical Company</quote> so that I do not have to
explain it. I wanted to make several important points. First, you must
get any overhead electric wires turned off before you do anything if
they are within a certain distance. I drew one of the supporting
structures and drew an arrow with the safety distance on it. Then I
wanted to say that you must not transfer the wagon's contents in
darkness or thunderstorms. I drew a moon and a lightning bolt above
the vehicle. You must get specialist advice, so I drew a sheet of
paper and wrote the word <quote>Plan</quote> near the vehicle. You
also have to ensure that the vehicle does not move when the weight
inside is removed. I drew little red wedges by the wheels. Everything
I need to talk about is on this drawing. All I have to do is look at
the drawing and it tells me what I need to cover. When I have covered
all the things in the drawing, I have finished on that
subject. </para>

<para>In general, only use a slide or picture if it shows something
that adds to what you are saying. Finally, relax and try not to rush
through it all. Talk to them, not at them and remember that a
presentation is about whatever message you are trying to get
across. &stage; is a useful tool. It can help you to get that
message over, but it cannot do the job for you.</para>

</chapter>