Presentation at Conferences References: Art Feierman, CEO Presenting Solutions, “The art of communicating effectively” Paul N. Edwards, School of Information, University of Michigan, “How to give a talk: changing the culture of academic public speaking” Judy A. Garner, Ph.D. Department of Cell and Neurobiology Keck School of Medicine at USC November 28, 2001

Presentation at Conferences The awful academic talk: what to avoid Principles of effective talks Structure of a presentation Preparing data for presentation Preparing the oral presentation: Practice and planning

The Awful Academic Talk: What to AVOID Why do brilliant people give awful talks? Stage fright Lack of preparation (winging it) The academic culture

Principles of Effective Talks Communicate your arguments and ideas effectively Persuade your audience that they are True Be interesting and entertaining (Keep your audience “involved” and focused on your information)

Structure of a Presentation: FIRST THINGS FIRST: Planning The rule of “Tell’em”…. Key points: Summary/Conclusion Slide FIRST HOW MANY KEY POINTS can you really present? LESS IS MORE. KISS!---Keeping it clear!

PREPARING YOUR DATA: Art of Visual Presentation Visual aids/Powerpoint, etc. – New electronic media: potential pitfalls The medium vs the message Summary or Interpretation of Data vs Actual Data: what is a good ratio Graphical presentation: Obfuscation vs simplicity

Preparing for the presentation Know your audience Talk, don’t read Use visual aids Move (but not too much!), make eye contact Vary your pitch, Speak loudly and clearly Finish your talk in the time allotted Rehearse Summarize

PREPARING FOR THE PRESENTATION REHEARSE Don’t memorize (but DO plan how to present complex ideas) Use notes only sparingly The importance of non-verbal communication Pace yourself