EHS Professionals: Grab Your Audience and SPEAK to Succeed!

1. EHS Professionals: Grab Your Audience and SPEAK to Succeed! Margaret Wan, PhD, DTM AIHA Florida Local Section Fall Conference September 29, 2006

2. Objectives • Introduce oral presentation techniques that achieve maximum impact • Focus on five critical success factors to grab any audience • Discuss the do’s and don’ts of using PowerPoint and other visual aids

3. Aside from the speech . . . • Know the room and the equipment • Relax and turn nervousness into positive energy • See yourself giving a powerful presentation • Realize that people want you to succeed!

4. Five Critical Success Factors • Style • Purpose • Emotions • Audience • Knowledge

5. Style • Good writing style  good speech organization • A rich vocabulary enhances word pictures • Stretch your creativity in using visual aids • Vocal variety and gestures depend on setting

6. Purpose • Inspire • Inform • Persuade • Entertain

7. Emotions • Happiness • Sadness • Anger • Surprise • Disgust • Fear

8. Audience • Analyze your audience • Build rapport before you begin to speak • Connect with audience during your speech • Consider audience size when time limit critical

9. Knowledge • Speak on a topic about which you are knowledgeable • Do not overwhelm your audience with your knowledge • Anticipate questions in the mind of your listeners

10. Your Friend and Your Enemy Visual Aids

11. Example

12. Example • Use visual aids to add impact • Ensure everyone can see, read, and understand • Keep it simple • The 7 x 7 rule • Fonts • Graphics • Remember Murphy’s Law • Practice, practice, and practice!

13. Do . . . • Use visual aids to add impact • Ensure everyone can see, read, and understand • Keep it simple • The 7 x 7 rule • Fonts • Graphics • Remember Murphy’s Law • Practice, practice, and practice!

14. Don’t . . . • Let visual aids become distractions • Speak to your visual aids • Depend on an assistant without rehearsal • Apologize for technical or other problems • Expect visual aids to save a poorly prepared presentation

15. m.wan@earthlink.net (727) 643-9389