The Speaker's Quick Guide to Technical Presentations: Overcome the Nine Major Pitfalls Between You and Getting Your Point Across

By David P. Otey

It is a fact of life that scientists, engineers and other technical professionals are often called upon to give technical presentations. What separates the best ones—the ones that are memorable and make a difference—from the boring ones that are quickly forgotten? In a word, connection. As former engineer David Otey explains in this book, effective presenters know how to connect with their audience so that their information transfer is successful. Fortunately, the techniques for creating a stronger audience connection are readily understandable and scientifically sound. Here, they are presented in the form of a roadmap for avoiding the nine most common pitfalls that lead to a disconnected, bored audience. You will learn how to focus on the needs of your audience, how to present your evidence clearly, and how to make your presentation engaging and memorable—no matter how technical the topic!

• Language: English
• Publisher: David P. Otey
• Release date: Nov 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463639382

David P. Otey

Since 2011, speaker, coach, trainer, and author David P. Otey has helped thousands of people from coast to coast in their quest for personal and professional growth. Before that, he worked in broadcast engineering for companies in Texas, Colorado, California, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. He is a contributing author to the book World Class Speaking in Action (2015) as well as to the NAB Engineering Handbook, Tenth Edition (2007), and various periodicals. A native of Port Arthur, Texas, he currently resides in the Denver area.

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The Speaker's Quick Guide to Technical Presentations

By David P. Otey

Smashwords Edition

Text copyright © 2019 by David P. Otey

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All rights reserved

E-book design by Unforeseen Editing

Chapter 4 images courtesy of Maria Doreth, Ph.D.

Published by Speaking of Solutions, LLC, P.O. Box 1322, Golden, CO 80402

Dedicated to Jerry Otey Correu—my first reading teacher, my first audience, and the first reader of all my books.

CONTENTS

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Preface

Chapter 1 | Identifying the Problem

Chapter 2 | Pitfalls, Part 1: Organization and Planning

Chapter 3 | Pitfalls, Part 2: Content and Structure

Chapter 4 | Pitfalls, Part 3: Visual Aids

Chapter 5 | A Road Map Out of the Pit

Chapter 6 | Prepare for the Unscripted Q&A

Epilogue | The Result You Can Expect: Connection!

Appendix | Watching Yourself on Video

About the Author

PREFACE

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The second book in the Speaker’s Quick Guide series is intended, like its predecessor, to be a concise, practical resource for speakers seeking to improve their skills. Unlike the first book, however, this one is written specifically for the scientist, engineer, or other technical professional charged with presenting a technical topic. That’s not to say other readers won’t benefit, only that the technical presenter and his or her particular challenges are the focus.

With thousands of books available on the topic of technical presentations, why add one more to the mix? I can think of a couple of reasons. First, consider the time pressure you may be under if you have been tapped with giving a presentation. This book, as its name implies, is designed to help you quickly. You can probably read it in under two hours. Because its rich content is distilled from what I have learned through years of public speaking, coaching, and studying how we communicate and process information, this book has no fluff. You will quickly find insights into the mistakes you might make—because you have seen other presenters make them—and you will also find a road map for avoiding those pitfalls as you prepare your presentation.

Second, I have been where you are. With a degree in physics and a 25-year career in engineering, I understand your analytical mind and the challenges you face in communicating about your work to a variety of audiences, be they technical or laypersons. You expect content that is directly applicable to your situation, with a sound basis for any claims it makes, and with depth. That is what you will find here.

So let us consider what this book is and what it is not. It is a concise compilation of tools and practices that, if used and followed with intelligence and commitment, will make you a better presenter. It combines research, personal experience, and much of what I have learned from world-class speakers and coaches as I have made the transition from engineer to professional speaker. It is a road map to that elusive goal of connecting with your audience so that your information will make a difference to them.

This is not a book on how to make your presentations prettier by animating your slides or using fancier display technology, or how to be a more entertaining presenter. The tips and tools you will find in this book will not lead you to do anything that will cause people to take you and your work any less seriously, because I know that is important to you.

So, congratulations. You have been given the task of making a presentation about your work. Let’s get started.

The first thing you need to know is that you have an obligation to your audience not to bore them. Boredom is actually a bigger problem than you might think, as you will discover in