IS 483 Information Systems Management

Presentation Guidelines

Presentations made to the class should be brief and readable.  In the presentation you need to answer the What, Why, How questions that would be generated by your proposal or presentation.  For purposes of the class, you may assume that a memorandum with all the detail has been circulated before hand and has been read by the "managers" in the room.

However, it is always safe to remind the audience of Why we are there, What we are asking from them, and How we are going to deliver on the commitment to be made, if they approve the proposition.

There is a balance between too few slides and too many.  It is better to err on the too few slides than risk losing the audience's attention with too many.  The following guidelines have been drummed into me through my career and I pass them to you for your use.  I would like your feedback on how these work for you.

Number of slides
  1. Title Plus 7 information slides
  2. Point form Slides work best
  3. Chart or Graph critical data only
Slide Content
  1. What Problem are we solving and How
  2. Description of Conclusion (Solution)
  3. What is required of attending  Managers
    - staffing
    -funding etc.
  4. Summary of Assumptions; include key Intangibles and Sensitivities in discussion
  5. Broad Implementation Plan with key success indicators
  6. Cost Benefit summary with Success Indicators
Slide Format
  1. San Serif Fonts only (Tahoma, Arial, etc.)
  2. Use 44 point headings; smallest font is 24 point.
  3. Maximum of 6 lines not including title
  4. Maximum of three levels; two is best
  5. Use high contrast colors
  6. Don't use fancy build effects they annoy senior managers
  7. Single line for title
  8. NO Spelling errors
Presentation
  1. Speak to all the words on a slide
  2. Work from top to bottom; do not jump around
  3. Ensure critical words are on slide; you can expand in dialog
  4. Develop some transition language to move between slides so that there is a smooth flow.
Speaking
  1. Do not fidget or jiggle your pockets etc., these actions distract and detract from your presentation.
  2. Remember that you are the most knowledgeable person in the room on that topic and should not be intimidated by "rank" of others present.
  3. Speak reasonably slowly so audience can hear what you have to say.
  4. Do not hesitate to reinforce a question by referring back to the information on the slide before expanding your answer.
Handouts
  1. Use as few as possible and focus on the key points.
  2. The handout should refresh the memory of the audience who has read your paper/memo in advance.
  3. Graphics are best in a handout; i.e. a project Gannt chart, a project time line showing costs versus benefits or other parameters. A picture really is worth a thousand words.
Questions
  1. Usually you do not need to repeat the question if you are in a small room.  However, in larger rooms you should do so. This gives you time to frame your answer.
  2. Answer the question by referring to your material and verbally giving the answer.
  3. Confirm that you have answered the question by asking "does that answer your question?" or similar language directed at the person who asked the question.  It is legitimate to continue explaining until that person is satisfied or it is apparent that this needs to "go offline."

 

Last updated by Bill Kelly  and Norma Sutcliffe on 03/23/2000 .