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 <chapter id="hints-and-tips">
 <chapterinfo>
 <authorgroup>
 <author>
 <firstname>Neil</firstname>
 <surname>Lucock</surname>
 <affiliation>
 <address><email>neil@nlucock.freeserve.co.uk</email></address>
 </affiliation>
 </author>
 <author>
 <firstname>Krishna</firstname>
 <surname>Tateneni</surname>
 <affiliation>
 <address><email>tateneni@pluto.njcc.com</email></address>
 </affiliation>
 </author>
 <!-- TRANS:ROLES_OF_TRANSLATORS -->
 </authorgroup>
 </chapterinfo>
 <title>General Hints and Tips for Great Presentations</title>
 
 <para>Okay, you've decided to use &stage; for your
 presentation. Before you start making transparencies or animated slide
 shows, go and find a piece of paper and sit down at a desk away from
 the computer. It doesn't matter whether you are doing a teaching
 session or trying to convince the boss that your plan, policy or idea
 should be adopted, you need to figure out what you are trying to
 say. Write down all the subjects you need to cover, try to get them in
 the order you think will make sense. Don't put any details in yet,
 just decide on headings and the structure of your talk.</para>
 
 <para>Under each heading make a note of what facts you need to
 cover. You are trying to build a convincing argument. Consider
 grouping your facts into things must be included,  things that should
 be included and things that it would be nice to cover if you had
 plenty of time.</para>
 
 <para>Once you have written down all the things you need to say,
 consider the time available to do it in. Ten minutes seems ages when
 you start, but it is very difficult to actually get much across in so
 short a time. Get your sheet of paper and a clock with a second
 hand. Practise your presentation over and over again. This has many
 benefits. Firstly, you get the timing right. If someone says you have
 ten minutes, never go over the allowed time. Secondly, when you
 actually do it in front of a live audience, it will not be the first
 time you have done that presentation. Third, you get the words right
 in your own head. You will find ways of saying things about the
 subject. If you've heard yourself do this presentation several times,
 you will know what you are going to say next and how you are going to
 say it. </para>
 
 <para>&stage; does not produce Speaker's Notes at the time of
 writing, but I am happy to just use ordinary slides. Produce some
 slides for yourself, printed on plain paper, and some for use with the
 Overhead Projector. Make the text on your slides nice and big, you
 need to be able to read it at a distance. I use 14 or 16 point text,
 experiment to find a size that you can read easily. I never write out
 a script.</para>
 
 <para>If you are using an Overhead projector, learn how to use it
 beforehand. Make sure that the bulb works, that the spare bulb is
 still okay. Clean the lens and display plates. If you are not used to
 working with projectors, practice. Ensure that the projection screen
 itself is clean. It's probably best, when timing yourself, to allow
 for five seconds (count <quote>one thousand and one, one thousand and
 two....</quote>) to change each slide. That way you know you don't
 have to rush. If you need to point at something on a slide, you can
 use a pointer and point at the display screen, find a laser pointer or
 put a pencil on the transparency itself. Be warned, these tend to roll
 out of place when you nudge the table.</para>
 
 <para>Consider where you are going to stand. You cannot stand in
 front of your display, so off to one side is probably your best option
 if you want your audience to be able to see. I often project a picture
 onto a wipeboard and draw over the top of it. If you are using a PC
 with a digital projector you can draw over the top of your slides with
 &stage;'s pen tool. Remember, drawing freehand with a mouse is a
 skill that needs practice. If you are using an Overhead projector, you
 can use transparent overlay slides and a pen over the top of your
 computer generated ones.</para>
 
 <para>When you are doing the presentation do not accidently look into
 the light, it's easy to do. If you are not going to use the machine
 for a few minutes, turn it off.  Practise to get where you are going
 to stand sorted out. Check the room you intend to use for electrical
 sockets and learn how the blinds work and where the light switches
 are. Good preparation not only makes you less likely to make mistakes
 (inanimate things can be a nightmare in front of an audience) but also
 gives you confidence. Always have a <quote>Plan B</quote> ready if
 something refuses to work. Have a paper copy of your slides with
 you. You can photocopy and distribute these to your audience if the
 equipment fails.</para>
 
 <para>I have not said much about the content yet. At present all you
 have is a piece of paper with everything you want to say on it. Before
 you make anything, ask youself if their understanding of what you are
 saying is going to improved by showing them a picture. Bad
 presentations consist of a series of slides full of text. The
 presenter then reads the slide to the audience (who have already read
 it as they can read faster than someone can say it aloud). Try to
 avoid writing anything on the slide, except a title and a number. Draw
 a picture of what you need to say, then explain the picture to
 them. That way they do not get ahead of you (they can read faster than
 you can speak, remember?) and you look like you know it. You do not
 know it, you are using the picture as a series of prompts. A slide
 should support what you are saying, not duplicate it. A slide should
 be the focus of the audience's attention, not a distraction.</para>
 
 <para>An example. I teach Railway staff how to respond to accidents. I
 wanted to use a slide to discuss how you can move dangerous loads from
 a derailed or damaged rail vehicle to a road vehicle after an
 accident.  The slide I made had a simple drawing of tank wagon, the
 kind used for carrying gases or oils. On the side I wrote
 <quote>Lethal Chemical Company</quote> so that I do not have to
 explain it. I wanted to make several important points. First, you must
 get any overhead electric wires turned off before you do anything if
 they are within a certain distance. I drew one of the supporting
 structures and drew an arrow with the safety distance on it. Then I
 wanted to say that you must not transfer the wagon's contents in
 darkness or thunderstorms. I drew a moon and a lightning bolt above
 the vehicle. You must get specialist advice, so I drew a sheet of
 paper and wrote the word <quote>Plan</quote> near the vehicle. You
 also have to ensure that the vehicle does not move when the weight
 inside is removed. I drew little red wedges by the wheels. Everything
 I need to talk about is on this drawing. All I have to do is look at
 the drawing and it tells me what I need to cover. When I have covered
 all the things in the drawing, I have finished on that
 subject. </para>
 
 <para>In general, only use a slide or picture if it shows something
 that adds to what you are saying. Finally, relax and try not to rush
 through it all. Talk to them, not at them and remember that a
 presentation is about whatever message you are trying to get
 across. &stage; is a useful tool. It can help you to get that
 message over, but it cannot do the job for you.</para>
 
 </chapter>