Seven Steps to Better Presentationss

6 Feb 2004

I've noticed a lot of talk about Powerpoint lately. About how it's so terrible and how it enables awful presentations. But the problem isn't Powerpoint, of course. The problem is bad content delivered poorly.

I speak for a living, and hear lots and lots of presentations at the conferences I attend. Here are some notes I wrote up for someone who is about to give his first ever public presentation.

  1. Tell stories. Seriously. People could care less about the five ways some XML vocabulary will enable enterprise whatever. Rather, put a screenshot of your project up, tell people what you learned while doing it, then give them a slide that reiterates those ideas in easy to digest bullets. That'sdo not go from bullet-point slide to bullet-point slide trying to tell people what to think.
  2. Show pictures. Got a good metaphor? Use it. "The Web is like a school of fish." But go to images.google.com and type in "sardines" or "school of fish" or whatever. Make it a slide. Then say the Web is like that. Much more powerful and memorable.
  3. Don't apologize. Ever. If something is out of order, or if something occurs to you as a mistake during the presentation, keep it to yourself. They'll never know. Besides, nobody cares about the presentation itself. This is really hard, because you know the whole backstory, and you'll be tempted to explain why something isn't quite perfect. Skip it. Also, you don't need to apologize about the color on the projector, or the fact that your mic just popped off your lapel, or that a staff person spilled a pitcher of water. Commiserating is fine, however. "If it gets another 5 degrees colder in here, I'll be able to see my breath!"
  4. Start strong. I can't believe how many presenters forget this. Do not get up there and say, "Um, well, I guess we should probably get started." Instead, say, "Hi, I'm Jeff. It's really great to be here, and thank you so much for coming to my session. Today, we're going to talk about...." Make sure those are the absolute first words you say out loud. No need for a joke or an opening or any of that. Just start strong and confident.
  5. End strong too. "...so that's why I like social software. I appreciate your attention today. Thank you." Then stand there and wait. Everyone will clap, because you just told them you were done. When they've finished, ask them if they have any questions. If nobody asks anything, break the uncomfortable silence with "Well, I guess I told you everything you need to know then. [heh heh] I'll be around after if you think of anything. Thanks again!" and start packing up your stuff.
  6. Stand. Away from the podium. Out from behind the presenter table. Keep your hands out of your pockets. Take off your conference badge (the lights will catch it and be distracting). I pace a little bit around the stage, timed with my points, saying one thing from over here, and another from over there. But don't move too much.
  7. Pause. When you say something important, leave a gap after it. Let it hang there for a few seconds. Try it when talking to your friends. "You know what I think? (pause...two...three...four...) I think Bush is bankrupting this country for the next twenty years. (pause...two...three...four...) Here's why..."

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How to give a good speech

Every speech or presentation has two main aspects:

  • WHAT you say (content)
  • HOW you say it (delivery)

You obviously have a lot of control over the content, because you can plan out exactly what you want to say. But you can also do a lot to make sure your delivery is effective too. The advice that follows will help you deliver a powerful speech:

  • Remember that a listener usually only has one chance to understand what you are saying. So you must do everything you can to make it easy for him or her to follow your ideas.
  • The best way to do this is to “signpost” your speech. At the beginning, say how your speech will be divided up. During the speech, make it clear when one part has finished and the next part has started. (For example, “Now that I have explained some of the causes of air pollution, I want to tell you what we can do to reduce the problem.”) At the end of your speech, make it clear that you are finished (e.g. by simply saying “Thank you!”).
  • The most important parts of a speech are the beginning and the end. Think about a strong first sentence that will capture the attention of the listener. Be calm and confident; give the impression that you are well-prepared and have something interesting to say. End with a strong sentence: make people laugh or give them something provocative to think about.
  • Practise your speech before the big day. In particular it is useful to think about how and where you will stand/sit, and where you will put your materials before and after you have used them. Practise using your speech cards.
  • Speak loudly and clearly. Remember that your voice (your intonation) must do the job that punctuation does in your writing. Try not to speak too fast. Never just read full sentence notes - it is boring and makes your speech very difficult to follow.
  • Make sure you can be seen as well as heard. Don’t hide behind your sheets or the overhead projector. It is important that every listener feels you are talking to him or her personally. Therefore look round the room and try to make eye contact with everyone in the audience at least once during your speech.
  • Be careful not to distract your listeners by swinging on a chair, tapping your feet etc.
  • It is useful to include visual material with your speech. For example, if you are talking about places, show a map. If you are using numbers, write them for all to see. (It’s very difficult for listeners to keep large or many numbers in their head.)
  • If you are going to have audience participation be very clear exactly what you want from them. If you ask a question, be ready for strange answers, and expect to have to answer it yourself.

Read more about how to give good presentations

Presentation Pointers

Being able to give a good presentation is an essential skill for anyone in a professional career, but is particularly important to scientists. A big part of science is communicating research to other scientists, and being able to do this well is a considerable asset. As a student, learning how to give good presentations is a critical component of a college education which is not stressed enough in most undergraduate curriculums. This skill is not important only to those who plan on going on to graduate school, but also to those who plan on working after their undergraduate degree. Below is a list of pointers on giving a presentation using PowerPoint.

Pointers:

/ Use as few words on your slides as you can get away with. Use bulleted points which are concise and easy to understand
/ Make the text in a large, clear font that you can read from the back of the room, this usually means a font of 24 point size or higher.
/ Generally speaking light backgrounds with dark text is easier to read than the converse.
/ Limit the use of animation in your presentation and do not use sound effects at all, there are few things more annoying.
/ Dress professionally to give your presentation. It need not be formal, just clean and neat without distractions (no T-Shirts with an explicit message for example).
/ Practice the talk several times preferably in front of other people who can give you feedback, this will help you get down the timing and to feel more comfortable with the material.
/ When showing graphs, make sure to explain the axes before discussing what the graph shows. Always include error bars on graphs.
/ If possible, use only simple figures and graphs that communicate your point. Many presentations are marred by figures and graphs that are completely baffling even after the presenter has attempted to explain them.
/ When practicing your talk, become aware of your body language. It is often second nature for people who are nervous about public speaking (pretty much everyone) to fidget, which can be very distracting to the audience. The same can be said for the unconscious “ums” that are inserted when speaking, practice your talk to avoid this as much as possible.
/ Having good photos of research being conducted, or of the study site/research plots always adds to any presentation. When possible think about this during the course of your research and take pictures for later use.
/ Don’t just read your slides, the audience can do that for themselves. You need to fill in the points and say more than you show.
/ Face the audience, not the slides. Memorize your presentation so you do not have to read from the slides (checking with them a little on the sly however is OK to keep you on track). Be aware however, that you need to be careful the talk does not sound over memorized or robotic.
/ Speak in a loud, clear voice so that people in the back of the room can hear you. Not doing this is a VERY common mistake.

Organizing Tips for Scientific Presentations.

Beginning of Presentation:

The first slide of your talk should include the following information: your name (or the names of your group, the name of the class you are doing the presentation for (if relevant), the name of your mentor or advisor, and the title of your talk.

Introduction

Start with context for your talk, why is what you are presenting about of interest? Move then to your objectives/hypotheses/questions which should provide a roadmap for the rest of the talk. You should organize your entire talk around the roadmap of the objectives/hypotheses/questions and refer back to it often.

Methods

Specific details about the set up of the research. Make this as simple as possible. Should include such items as:

·Where the study site is located (maps are nice)

·How the study was organized, drawings/figures/photos of experimental plots, their size etc.

·Study organisms if relevant

·Short descriptions of treatments

·Data collected

·Statistical methods

Results

What the study found, what statistical differences were between the treatments. Figures, tables, graphs included here. If your results were not significant, still present them as non-significant results are often also of interest. Even if they aren’t particularly of interest they are a fact of scientific life, so don’t be worried if you have them.

End your results section with a slide of “big picture” points which relate back to your objectives/questions/hypotheses.

Conclusion

Need to explain, “so what?”. May want to compare your results with other research, or discuss further questions your research brought up (happens often!). Identify the implications of your work. Do not however use the phrase “Further research is needed” it is trite. End your talk with a “big statement” and then say “thank you” to help the audience to know when to clap. After the clapping ends ask “Any questions?”.