Giving Talks: General preparation

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Giving TalksGeneral preparation
English presentation skills seminars in chemical
biology
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Why are talks important?

• YOU are going to be judged on talks

• Labmeetings
• Job talks
• Meetings/conferences

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Top 10 fears

• 1. Public speaking

2. Death
5. Heights
7. Flying
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Speaking in public

• How do you think about giving a presentation?
• Makes me feel nervous

• How do you think about other peoples
  presentations?
• Boring

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What is a good talk?

• Easy to understand / more advanced?
• Entertaining / serious?
• Lots of data / explain one example?

Depends on the audience!
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Overview

• The presenter
• The audience
• The talk

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English language

• Improve English skills
• Read, listen, talk it takes lot of practice

• Make good slides
• But beware of too much text!

• Use notes
• Dont write the whole talk down!

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Reduce nervousness Rehearse Prepare

• Rehearse your talk
• Rehearsal reduces fear by 75
• (but dont memorize it)

• Prepare
• Familiarize yourself with seminar room
• Make sure you have notes, extra copy of talk
• Anticipate the unexpected

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What unexpected things can happen?

• You black out/loose your text

• Solution
• Stay calm
• Look up in your notes

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What unexpected things can happen?

• Laptop doesnt work/not compatible with projector

• Solution
• Bring USB key
• Bring overhead slides

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What unexpected things can happen?

• Picture doesnt show up

• Solution
• Draw on whiteboard (if chemical structure)
• Describe image
• Explain conclusion

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What unexpected things can happen?

• Remote control doesnt work

• Solution
• Use keyboard on computer
• Or (if computer out of reach)
• Ask friend in audience to switch slides

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Reduce nervousness Other techniques

• Acknowledge that you are nervous

• Breathing
• Practice deep breathing can reduce fear by 15

• Relaxation
• Listen music
• Talk to audience members
• Smile

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Timing of talks

• Long talks 1h talk should be 45-50 minutes
• 1 slide/minute
• Short talks time it well
• Talk slow!

• Respect your audiences time!

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Overview

• The presenter
• The audience
• The talk

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Learning styles

• Active vs Reflective (doing ? thinking it
  through)
• Sensing vs Intuitive (facts ? relationships)
• Visual vs Verbal (pictures/diagrams ? text)
• Sequential vs Global (steps ? big picture first)

• http//www.jcu.edu.au/office/tld/learningskills/le
  arningst/questionnaire.html

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Visual vs verbal its not black and white

• Mixed learning style a bit of both

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How to satisfy everyone

• Make use of both diagrams AND text

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How to satisfy everyone

• Make use of both diagrams AND text

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Exercise
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Exercise
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Exercise
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Exercise
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Attention span short

• 10 minutes Audience attention lt50

• BUT attention floats away every 30 seconds!

Mills, H.R. (1977) Techniques of Technical
Training, 3rd Ed. Macmillan, London
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Keep audiences attention voice

• Vary volume, pitch, pace
• Pausing
• Repeat main points
• Draw special attention to major conclusion

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Keep audiences attention other tricks

• Start strong something surprising, provocative
• Use humor
• Only if you feel comfortable doing it
• Not at the cost of others

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Keep audiences attention other tricks

• Use metaphors/stories for illustration

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Overview

• The presenter
• The audience
• The talk

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The structure of a talk

• Start broad, end broad!

• Begin with the big questions
• Gradually zoom in on specific topic

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The structure of a talk

• In general
• Introduction tell what you will say
• Main part
• Conclusion tell what youve told

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The structure of a talk

• Gradually go in depth
• Return to non-technical level -gt regain general
  attention

Nontechnical
General technical
Specialist
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Give audience time to join back in

• Make informative slide titles
• Audience may loose attention, but still gets
  message

blabla
blabla
blablabla
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Give audience time to join back in

• Make informative slide titles
• Audience may loose attention, but still gets
  message

blabla
blabla
blablabla
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Give audience time to join back in

• Make informative slide titles
• Audience may loose attention, but still gets
  message

• Make overview slide that comes back
• Clear transitions

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Give audience time to join back in
Blank out the topics that have passed
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Give audience time to join back in

• Make informative slide titles
• Audience may loose attention, but still gets
  message

• Make overview slide that comes back
• Clear transitions

• Use pictures / clip art

Something to look at
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End of the talk

• Acknowledge people (research talk)
• Thank the audience
• Take questions

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Next lecture

• Technical aspects
• Non-verbal communication
• Powerpoint presentation dos and donts