Props for the Podium - Articles - Andrew Schwartz

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Props for the Podium
by Andrew E. Schwartz

Presentation, in the final analysis, is an art. Like any artistic endeavor, it requires a great deal of preparation before the performance. One of the keys to an effective performance is proper planning and organization of material.

Many people simply create an outline before the event. Unfortunately, this approach creates enormous room for slip-ups. For more professional and effective presentation, program notes make the most out of the time you have with your audience. If you start without a solid grasp of your material and its importance, notes help maintain your focus. If you are very familiar with your topic, they keep you honest by preventing you from going off on a tangent. And afterwards, well structured notes become a documented lesson plan which can be duplicated and modified with ease.

The fewer notes, the better. The function of presentation notes — also called podium notes or deleivery notes — must be to help one remember information and ideas already committed to memory, as directions to do something that you might otherwise forget. Notes must be used more as cues or stage directions than a script read verbatim.

Notes are personal, so whatever works for you in delivering your message and maintaining contact with your audience must be incorporated in them. Some of the following guidelines will provide you with a foundation upon which to build or improve your own system.

Notes must include the entire sequence of what you will do and say during your presentation. These comprise:

The subject matter in outline form.
Directions for movements, gestures, readings, passing out handouts, use of the flipchart, and similar activities.
Sample of information to be written on a blackboard, easel chart, or similar medium during the presentation.
Sample of each individual aid.

Do not memorize your presentation word for word. Memorize only its concepts and critical points. As a result, your podium notes become mnemonic keys. Keep samples of material, and similar separate from your actual notes, and key your actions in the notes.

Handouts, overheads and other visual’s are all sub-components of your presentation’s message. It will increase the general flow of your delivery if you include concise aid reminders within your podium notes. This frees you from attempting to decide where you ought to be used while in the process of delivering the presentation.

Rehearse with your devices. Using technology during a presentation can often be a stumbling block for a person. The solution is a practice and rehearsal. The more you practice, the less you will appear unprepared or foolish. As far as visuals are concerned, rehearsals must include some of the following:

Familiarization with the content of each indiviual aid.
Hands-on practice using all of the equipment.
If utilizing an overhead projector, you must know how to display the materials, where the switches are, and if the cord reaches the outlet. All devices must be practiced with at least once.
Demonstrations must be rehearsed from beginning to end at least once.
Preview videos, demos, movies, film strips, and similar materials prior
to their use.
Time each aid and other activities to be sure that they are neither too
long or too short.
Proofread all handout materials. Check number of handouts against your anticipated attendance roster.

Time the presentation. It is good practice to end slightly early. Remember that your presentation runs over the alloted time in rehearsal, it will run over during your presentation. Presentations must be planned to run just slightly under their time restrictions. Since rehearsals tend to compress the same information, allowing a margin of safety ensures that the actual presentation will not run over.

Be consistent with your method. Symbols and other “mnemonic devices” can and must be used in your notes. They may be of your own creation, which adds a personal touch. Standardizing your system will help you. You may use color codes or symbols as a reminder to write on the flipchart. Similarly, if you always bold face major points or key concepts in your lesson plan, you will have far better transitions. A colored circle might indicate an overhead projector button. In this way, you will always be able to see ahead in your notes and remain on target.

Flip chart notes. If you’re using “flip charts,” you can write your delivery notes very lightly right on the chart and appear as if you’re not using your notes at all while up at the easel. In this way, your easel charts can themselves serve as your delivery notes.

Podium notes must not include handout materials or material to be read, held up, shown, or demonstrated to the audience. All supplemental material must be numbered and kept in a separate pile in the sequence in which they will be used. When your presentation includes thess types of support, you will work with two sets of material. Carrying notes in addition to bulky demonstration or reading material in a single file folder may be both confusing and awkward. It is far better to keep the presentation outline seperate as a single sequence of events and to key yourself to the supportive material.

There’s no point in needlessly complicating training and speaking note procedures, but there is great value in proceeding systematically. The fact that most presentors and presenters do not has prompted me to offer the preceding suggestions. They must be utilized as an organizational framework only. These ideas must be viewed only as suggestions. Trainers and presentors must select and combine any that suit their particular needs.

Andrew E. Schwartz, CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates of Boston, MA a comprehensive management training and professional development organization offering over 40 skills specific programs and practical solutions to today's business challenges.

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