Making Effective Presentations
Tim McKay, PhysicsLaura Olsen, MCD Biology
Thoughts on how to go about….
Preparing for the talk Preparing the talk Giving the talk Preparing data slides Answering questions
Preparing for the talk Consider
Audience Time allotment
Plan / Organize What is purpose of talk? Prepare outline Start preparing early
Title Choose a title that is short and informative Cute titles are usually poor titles Avoid jargon
Make it clear who the target audience is
Provide context
Abstract
Preparing the talk
Have a plan or outline Tell them what you will tell them Tell them Tell them what you told them
Give them the background - the “big picture” is important!
Save the technical details for the middle (experts are still listening)
Collect everyone again at end of talk
Preparing your slides
24-30 pt font for large audiences Avoid distracting backgrounds Use lots of white space Make sure text is clear and visible Stick to simple fonts Avoid unnecessary words and
punctuation
Preparing your slides
24-30 pt font for large audiencesThis is Lucida CalligraphyThis is stencil - note serifThis is Times New Roman - also serifThis is Arial - it is sans serif
Avoid distracting backgrounds Make sure text is clear and visible Stick to simple fonts
Preparing your slides
24-30 pt font for large audiencesThis is Lucida CalligraphyThis is stencil - note serifThis is Times New Roman - also serifThis is Arial - it is sans serif
Avoid distracting backgroundsMake sure text is clear and visibleStick to simple fonts
Preparing your slides
Use color - but not too much Use animations - but not too much Use lots of white space Make sure text is clear and visible Stick to simple fonts Don’t overdue the PowerPoint bells and whistles
Keep it simple
Preparing the data slides Advice from Tim…
Giving the talk First - practice, practice, practice More from Tim….
Giving the talk What to wear? Introduction - start
strong! Don’t take yourself
too seriously Annoying habits Conclusions - leave
them wanting more, instead of just leaving
What to wear? Dress (slightly) better than your audience Don’t be - you want them to watch your
presentation, not you Be comfortable No heels Tie hair back No coins, etc., in pockets Microphone considerations!!
Giving the talk - Introduction Make a good first
impression Don’t apologize Start strong and confident Use humor
Explain what you do and why I should care!!!
Show enthusiasm
Giving the talk Pace yourself
Breath (pause) between key points
Use humor, anecdotes Don’t apologize if you have
to skip slides Talk TO the audience!!! Avoid extraneous verbage Move around Make eye contact
Giving the talk - Conclusions
End strong - be memorable
Give credit where credit is due
Leave the audience wanting more
Return to conclusions slide before/while taking questions
Resources Scientifically Speaking - Tips for Preparing
and Delivering Scientific Talks and Using Visual Aid - The Oceanography Society
Edward Tufte - books, incl. The Cognitive Style of Powerpoint
Many internet resources… Personal observations
Tim McKay, UM Physics
Preparing data slides Practicing your presentation Handling questions