Real Communication An Introduction

426 Part 4  Public Speaking

some part of your speech, it’s often best to

distribute your handouts at the end of your

speech, but check to see if your instructor

has any preferences.

Presentation Slideware

Sitting through hours of slides from your Aunt

Sonja’s vacation is boring. Sitting through a

slide show that essentially repeats your speech

outline can be positively unbearable.

Presentation slideware (such as Microsoft

PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, and Prezi),

when used appropriately, allows you to have

a one-stop home for lots of different pre-

sentation aids without having to awkwardly

move back and forth between media. How-

ever, presentation slideware is frequently

misused by speakers who plug meaningless text or pointless visuals into slides

without considering how to keep the audience’s attention. You may, in fact, be

familiar with the phrase “death by PowerPoint” (DuFrene & Lehman, 2004).

Too often speakers allow their slides to dominate their presentations,

attempting to wow the audience with their technical proficiency rather than

focusing on interesting points or well-researched evidence. We often warn our

students that the fancier and more detailed the digital presentation, the more

suspicious we are of the information being presented.

If you decide to use presentation software in your speech, here are some tips

for developing effective slides:

c Become familiar with all of the features and options of your specific software

before you begin to plug in your presentation information.

c Use as few slides as possible. More is not always better! In fact, research by

cognitive scientist Carmen Simon suggests that audience members remem-

ber an average of four slides from a twenty-slide, stand-alone, text-only

PowerPoint presentation (“The ubiquitous PowerPoint,” 2013).

c Ensure that each slide addresses only one topic or idea for simplicity and

clarity.

c Use a minimal amount of text. Research indicates that restrained and very

direct use of bullet points can positively affect audience recall of informa-

tion (Vogel, Dickson, & Lehman, 1986), whereas irrelevant information on

slides actually reduces learning (Bartsch & Coburn, 2003).

c Make sure the font is large enough for easy viewing (we suggest forty-point

type for titles and twenty-point type and above for all other text), and be

sure to spell-check those visible words.

c Use only design elements that truly enhance meaning. (No cheesy graphics,

please.)

BEWARE THE TERRIBLE
PowerPoint slide! A long
bulleted list of all your
speaking points on a
distracting background is a
surefire way to detract from
your speech and lose your
audience’s attention. Blooma/
Shutterstock

How to Effecvely Manage Your Time at Work

1. Make a to-do list and write down how long you think it will
   take for you to complete each task.


2. Rank your to-do list from highest priority to lowest, so you
   have a clear idea of what needs to get done first.


3. Allow yourself a small break when you have accomplished a
   task, so you won’t feel like procrasnang when you are
   compleng the task.


4. Close down your e-mail so you don’t waste me obsessively
   checking it.


5. Try to keep gossiping with your co-workers to a minimum.
   Don’t be afraid to tell someone you need to concentrate on
   your work and that you will catch up with them later.