Making confident Presentations Chris Doye Institute for Academic Development University of Edinburgh STAR Ambassador Training, May 2016

STAR Ambassadors; presentations 21/05/2018 What are you doing? You are communicating a message to an audience Chris Doye, Institute for Academic Development

The 3 Ps… Prepare Practise Present Your slides, your talk, your answers to questions Practise Your talk, your answers to questions, the technology Present

Golden rule! Make content clear, concise and relevant Never rush to get through more If there’s too much, cut some out Decide what’s really important and relevant to your audience.

Check your body language Give your talk to yourself in the mirror

LearnBetter www.learn.ed.ac.uk for access without enrolling

LearnBetter: presentations STAR Ambassadors; presentations 21/05/2018 LearnBetter: presentations More information about LearnBetter: http://edin.ac/14Zf4Oo Chris Doye, Institute for Academic Development

STAR Ambassadors; presentations 21/05/2018 When you speak.. Breathe from your abdomen As you breathe out, let your words ride on your breath Pitch your voice lower Speak a little more slowly Pause at the end of each point Speak clearly Use a microphone if there is one Chris Doye, Institute for Academic Development

Body positives Speak from notes; don’t read or recite Look at your audience – eye contact Smile at the beginning Stand in a comfortable posture Keep your body still Don’t fiddle or pace around Use some gesture for clarity/ emphasis Be aware of sight-lines

STAR Ambassadors; presentations 21/05/2018 Confidence Know your material Practise often Speak out loud to yourself Present to a supportive person Speak a little more slowly Dress: appropriate but feel-good, comfortable Use relaxation / calming techniques Breathing, relaxing muscles, imaging Chris Doye, Institute for Academic Development

STAR Ambassadors; presentations 21/05/2018 Plan order and timing How to start? How to finish? Chris Doye, Institute for Academic Development

STAR Ambassadors; presentations 21/05/2018 Keep your audience Guide people through your talk Introduce purpose / message / argument Outline structure at the beginning Clearly indicate sections and subsections Long presentations – outline each section Spell out links and transitions Chris Doye, Institute for Academic Development