USC Hybrid High School Communications Discussion

Please respond to 6 students

1. The class gave me better insight on how to become a better presenter and various ways you can
build presentations that are not only aesthetically pleasing to look at, but also conveys a message
in a way that is more clear to the audience. The first thing I learned was how important it was to
keep your audience in mind and doing what you can to keep their attention. We learned that the
audience is there to hear you speak. Not to read what is on a powerpoint. What really stood out to
me was how people can’t really read and listen at the same time. I know I have a habit of reading
the slides if there is a lot of information and I am not even paying attention to the presenter! The
second thing I feel like was pretty important was typeface and color theory. One of the most
difficult things I have is achieving harmony in the graphics and presentations that I create and I
feel like a big part of that is based on the font that I use. Finally the last thing I learned that was
pretty important was rehearsing what you are going to present. So many times I would just pretty
much wing it. I would have bullet points of what I was going to speak about and just talk about
what comes into mind at the moment. I had no idea great presenters would just spend so much
time rehearsing the delivery of their presentation and it really shows.
2. The first thing I learned was putting the emphasis on a picture rather than on bullet points.
Reynolds (2014) recommends bleeding images off the edge of the slide frame (p. 100). When I
applied this to the projects we’ve done in this class, there was a huge improvement and a cleaner
look compared to how I sized images before. I can apply this in any future project that requires
designs, whether it be PowerPoints, brochures, etc. The second lesson I learned was to show
restraint. For example, when presenting data Reynolds (2014) says that “Clutter such as footers,
logos, and decorative items obviously create noise” (p. 152). This goes along with what we learned
about how keeping white space will lead to a cleaner look. In the assignments I applied the restraint
principle by avoiding overly decorative fonts and icons that would clutter the slide. I can practice
restraint in the future not only with my designs but also with the amount of information I choose
to talk about. In addition, I learned to use a common color scheme, fonts, etc. so that all the slides
are unified (Reynolds, 2014, p. 222). Even though we’ve been applying this to our slides, I think
that this can also be practiced when we are presenting our slides. As Gallo (2015)’s video from
this week’s viewings mentioned, Steve Jobs made everything connect by including transitions to
make each slide flow into the next.
3. Before you even begin preparing your presentation, you need to know your topic inside and out.
Depending on the presentation, your audience will expect you to know a fair amount of
information on the topic you’re presenting. Being knowledgeable on the topic you’re about to
present will help you craft and deliver a better presentation overall. It will also allow you to
seamlessly continue presenting on the topic or “wing it” should you forget a line. As long as you
remember the core message, you should be able to continue talking without the audience knowing
you forgot something. Being knowledgeable on your topic will also help you engage with your
audience. If you’re presenting on a topic where there are many passionate people, having
additional knowledge will allow you to talk to very niche experiences only those who are heavily
invested in the topic would understand. Now that you have a solid foundation on the content, you
now need to think about your audience. Depending on your audience, you’ll need to adapt your
presentation to what matters to them. A good tip is to highlight certain points that you plan on
discussing and color code each point based on the audience member it applies to. Next, you’ll need
to think of an emotional appeal that resonates with them. This is the hook that keeps them latched
in and engaged. Don’t forget that your body is a communication tool you need to take full
advantage of. Using body language will help you be more engaging with your audience. You can
use body language to help get a message across, point out certain details of a story and emphasize
key facts. Be careful though. Using too much body language will start to become a distraction and
will make your presentation worse.
4. As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect. This is true no matter what you do. Whether you’re
learning something new or becoming a master of your craft, practice is the way to do it. To become
a master presenter, you must practice, practice and practice. Studies show that by practicing your
presentation at least 10 times before you present, you’ll set yourself apart from the rest, it will
boost your confidence and it will improve your body language. One good way to practice is to
record yourself. By taking a video recording of yourself, you’ll be able to playback the video so
you can see your use of body language and hear the cadence, pitch and tone of your voice. You’ll
want to listen carefully for any filler words you may find yourself using and eliminate them. Filler
words like “um” and “uh” can distract the audience and make you seem nervous or less confident,
so it’s important to work on eliminating them. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is by
rehearsing your presentation beforehand. This can help you notice how often you use fillers while
you speak. If you find this challenging at first, you can try to replace the filler words with silence.
Pausing some portions of your presentation may sound more natural and even help you emphasize
specific points. Pausing can also be an opportunity to take a sip of water or switch to a new slide.
5. I am really glad we were able to take this course because it really helped me reflect on my
presentations skills and learn about various things that can help me on my journey to be more
effected as a professional. Once of the changes I will personally take to improve my skills is learn
to take my time when I am speaking to my audience and to really spend the time to rehearse what
I am going to say. All too often am I just concerned about how much time I have left because I am
worried about going over or under the allotted time. I know for sure a rehearsal will help do that.
One of the other things I have a problem with is building slides that has way too much information.
So learning how to really embrace simplicity. Treating each slide like a piece of art. Before this
class I kind of knew color theory, but even looking at the color wheel, I was unable to creating
things that looked visually pleasing. So this is something that I will have to continue working on.
I know for sure my skills will develop over time. The same way Steve Jobs developed as a
presenter or how Jeff Bezos has changed over time as a professional and person as well. I think
the key is really using what we learning in a practical manner and striving to always make the next
presentation even better than the last.
6. I can work on presenting in a way that adds enthusiasm and allows the message to stand out in the
audience’s mind. Of course, I think that there is a time and place for everything, meaning that
some presentations would call for a more serious tone than others. However, the video by Gallo
(2015) mentioned some ways we can imitate Steve Jobs. For example, I typically start my
presentation as “Hello my name is Sam and this presentation….” However, the video showed that
Steve Jobs introduced his presentation with a catchy headline that established the theme. I think
applying this in the future will help capture the audience’s attention right away. In addition, I can
work on what the video mentioned “wowing the audience”. Steve Jobs did this by inserting videos
and powerful images. In a future workplace presentation, I can try to make it interactive. For
example, if I am demonstrating a new product, I can include a live demonstration of using the
product. I see this done on Shark Tank, when an entrepreneur will include a live demonstration as
part of their pitch. Finally, I can imitate Steve Jobs’ presentation style by making numbers and
statistics meaningful to the audience. When we mention big numbers, it might be difficult for the
audience to grasp the significance. However, I can use analogies and other methods to help the
audience connect with the numbers.