Presentations

Successful Presentations  Purpose To describe research work To persuade listeners that it’s significant and interesting  Success Factors Skill of speaker Audience interest

Checklist  Take-home message Choose a single main goal: an insight, a result. Decide what a listener must understand to reach the goal.  Appropriately self-contained Provide enough; But only the minimum that allows understanding. All topics should be relevant and follow an obvious sequence.

Checklist …  Opening appropriate Don’t ignore the obvious (what was just said, …). Don’t apologize. Don’t joke (“unless you are [absolutely] certain it will be funny”).  Motivating preamble Begin well. (“The first few sentences should show that the talk is interesting.”) “Explain where you are going and why.”  4-key-sentence abstract ideas  outline (?)

Checklist …  Complex issues explained gently Avoid detail the listeners won’t follow. (tough proof slide)tough proof slide Once lost, listeners remain lost.  Ideas explained clearly Include enough; (cryptic slide)cryptic slide But not too much. (too-much slide)too-much slide

Checklist …  Slides simple No clutter (untidy slide)untidy slide No clip art (?) No unnecessary animation  Even simple point-of-time display often fails: ridged scriptall to often the speaker forgets.  Audiences want to know where things are going. No “cute” stuff (font-variation slide)font-variation slide Text  large enough to read Diagrams  clear and simple (good diagram slide)good diagram slide Examples  straightforward and sufficient

Checklist …  Talk rehearsed Something to say for each slide Not read or memorized Mannerisms (Don’t “um”, pace, check watch, …) Enthusiasm Smooth use of equipment

Checklist …  Confident delivery Speak clearly, with sufficient volume, a little slower. Don’t “talk down”  “people said it wouldn’t work, but my work proves them wrong.” Handle detractors tactfully  offer to talk of-line. “The audience wants to enjoy your talk … build on this initial good will.”

Checklist …  Clear conclusion Limitations: “A speaker who is not frank about shortcomings or difficulties, but is then exposed during questioning, can look foolish.” Revisit main points and “take-home” message. Consider saying “something emphatic” but only as “a logical consequence of the talk.” Let the conclusion slide be the final slide (not “Thank You” or “Questions?”)

Checklist …  Questions anticipated Keep answers short; don’t debate. “Don’t try to bluff when you don’t know.” “Never be rude to audience members.”