How to give a great presentation Part I Tips, tricks, & tools Dr. Tomáš Glomb Dr. Martin Lang Academic presentation • Purpose? • What is a good presentation? Types of presentations I Standard ~20 min presentation • Usual conference format • This is what we will train • Presentation with slides on your original research + a few minutes of Q&A Panel presentation • Often a series of talks on a similar topic • Open/close panels • General discussion after panel ends Lightning talk • Can be as low as five minutes • Attract people to learn more – often entertaining Types of presentations II Keynote talk • Formal, highlight of the conference • Comes with status and duties – be around for others, drive discussion • Great for visibility Poster presentation • A specific format that would require a separate lecture • Often part of a conference, yet many people think it is inferior • But a great way to engage with younger colleagues, get feedback, interesting discussions, and icebreaker! Tips... Know your audience • Structure of the presentation – disciplinary genre • Ratio of previous theory to your contribution skewed a bit more towards the former • Explain and define basic terms • Avoid jargon Disciplines • Casual vs dignified? (think of Tom vs Joseph) • Appropriate language/attire Formality • Do you need to introduce yourself and/or your lab? Can give more behind-the-scences of your research • Appropriate for jokes, personal anecdotes? Familiarity How to hook your audience? • Be energetic, passionate • Start with a real-life intriguing example (dark therapy) • Include rhetoric questions or instructions for the audience (e.g., guessing results) • Include jokes A word of caution... • We often talk about sensitive topics, especially during public talks • Here, know your audience is doubly important • Might be good to preface your talk • Be sensitive to how you frame your research Non-verbal communication •Can affect how energized/bored the audience will be •Often depends if you need to interact with the PC (clickers!) •But running there and back may seem too chaotic – depends on the formality of the setting Seating/standing •May express confidence •Try to find some nodding heads in the audience and talk to them (and likewise reciprocate this service!) •Smile! Posture and eye-contact •Good to underscore a specific point •But too much may seem chaotic Hand-gestures •May affect how knowledgeable the presenter is •Short pauses, especially if planned, are desirable because they give people time to think (but you need to be confident in those pauses) •Also ok to make a pause to drink water Fluency BUT you do you! Stress management • Stress is good! Stress management • Imposter syndrome • BUT, remember, audience is your friend! Stress management “The audience is your friend. They want you to give a good talk. This is because most people are kind, and also because a good talk is in their own interests. They want to spend the next 20 or 30 or 60 minutes being informed, challenged, amused, and so on—and hope very much you will succeed at doing this. If they feel like you are working towards that end, that you want this too and are trying your best, they will forgive your slip-ups and cheer on your successes.” https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net/p/how-to-give-a-better- than-average Stress management • Sometimes admitting that you are stressed at the beginning of your presentation can make other people more sympathetic and they will try to help you • You can joke about your nervosity • Credit people in the room Stress management • You are most important to...you! • Spotlight effect • “when you find yourself mortified or overly worried about the impression you'll make, remember that other people simply don't pay as much attention to you as you think they do” https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/are-we-born- racist/201206/the-spotlight-effect Stress management • But there are more practical things you can do.. • Be prepared – train at home and be confident you know what you want to say • Sleep enough, avoid caffeine • Wear comfortable cloths • Be early at the presentation spot, familiarize yourself with technology • Before presentation – breathing exercises, visualizations English Science is trans-national, it’s ok if your English is not perfect (but your science should be!) Tips: • Simple language is good and preferable over jargon • What if I can recall a particular word? • Czenglish – (way how, Spanish village, sympathic) • Filler words (some, like, you know) Time management • Try it at home – it will be slower than you think! • But be careful in powerpoint on the auto-slide function • No one ever complained about presentation ending before allocated time • What if I get a time warning?