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presenting ideas or data that confirm or contrast with those presented by the speaker. Such questions and comments
should be stated courteously and professionally. This is not the time (although we have all seen it) for some windbag
to vent spleen or to describe his or her own erudition in infinite detail. It is all right to disagree, but do not be
disagreeable. In short, the speaker has an obligation to be considerate to the audience, and the audience has an
obligation to be considerate to the speaker.

Electronic Preparation of Slides for Oral Presentations

Slides are the preferred medium when making an oral presentation, although overhead transparencies used in
conjunction with 35-mm high-quality photographs on slides are a possible alternative. Both overhead transparencies
and slide shows can be prepared electronically and output to 35-mm slides, overheads, or computer monitors or
projectors. When working with an electronic slide-show application, choose your final output before you design your
slides.

Regardless of the medium you choose, organization of your topic is the key. Each slide should be designed to cover
one major point, with a bulleted text listing no more than six subtopics related to it. The main heading should be at
least 20 to 24 points, with subtopics no smaller than 16 points. If the room in which you are presenting is large, use
larger font sizes. When a table or graph is used, list it by name and set all the type in at least 14 points, so that it can
be read at a distance. Do not clutter the page with more topics and subheads beyond the heading and the name of the
graphic.

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Overhead Transparencies
Overhead transparencies can be created within your word-processing program and printed out on laser quality acetate.
They can also be created with a slide-show application, although this is not necessary. Overheads are best used in an
informal setting and in smaller rooms. Transparencies can be prepared for either vertical or horizontal display. Unlike
slide shows, the vertical format is frequently preferred for overheads because you can place a graph with bulleted
topics comfortably within those dimensions.

Slide-Show Presentations

Digital slide-show presentations provide you with the means to create and present slide-shows from a computer. You
can also prepare photographic 35-mm slides that can be processed by a service bureau, and you can also print out a
variety of handouts and notes to distribute to your audience. The electronic slide show allows you to include sounds
and video clips. It also gives you the ability to augment your presentation with other material, depending on the
audience interest in a particular topic. Of course, you will have prepared these slides beforehand.

The two most popular slide-show programs are Microsoft Powerpoint and Adobe Persuasion. Both cross-platform for
Mac and Windows, and both have similar features. If you decide to use the template option, merely choose the style
you like and go with it. If you are graphically oriented, you can make your own template, selecting the background
and visual format from the start. This template can be saved and used for new presentations by you and by colleagues.
The template will provide a title slide and formats that include subtitles and illustrations. Illustrative material can
include tables and graphs, as well as dingbats for fancy bullets. An art library is provided with illustrations more
suited to business than the science community. Artwork you have created, such as graphs and photographs, can be
imported and placed on the slide you have chosen.

You can write slide content as text, in a plain-text slide outliner, or write it within a template and see how it will
appear on screen. It is best to compose your material first on the outliner. This will allow you to organize your
thoughts and preview the subtopics as you work. If you

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