How to Give a Good
Technical Presentation
T. J. Dolan
ASIPP, Hefei
July, 2008
References: Brian Dodd, IAEA (2000)
James D. Callen, U. of Wisconsin (2002)
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Outline
Importance
Preparation
Effective speaking
Slides
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Why are technical talks important?
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What kinds of technical talks do you like?
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What kinds of talks do you not like?
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Industry, Laboratories, Teaching
Provide information
Tell research results
Propose research
Persuade leaders
Your reputation depends on
your presentation skills.
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You
your message
the audience
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How to prepare?
Audience Level ? What would interest them?
Main ideas ?
Visual aids ?
Practice
alone
with audience
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The talk should be organized.
Title, author, institution, outline
Main thesis
Supporting points
Summary and conclusion
Allow about 1 minute per slide
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How should we talk?
Image
Mannerisms
Visual aids
Understandable
Memorable examples
Repeat
Interact with audience.
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First impressions
Audience evaluates you in first 5 minutes.
No second chance.
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Present a good image.
Appearance
Clothing
Posture
Voice
confident
loud enough
Do not
apologize
admit nervousness
Enthusiasm
Courtesy of Brian Dodd
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Avoid distracting mannerisms
Talking too fast
Talking too quietly, mumbling
Not looking at people
Talking to blackboard
Saying “Uh”, “you know”, “I mean”, …
Jingling keys in pockets
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Use visual aids.
Drawings, Photos, Charts, Graphs
Prepare projector early to avoid problems.
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Courtesy of Brian Dodd
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Use Demonstrations
Brian Dodd used
* paper airplanes in a talk on quality
assurance in transport.
* ‘accidental’ coffee spill with a ‘scalded’
hand to introduce emergency response.
* kicked a packaged raw egg around the classroom
to show principles of transport packaging.
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Courtesy of Brian Dodd
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Make the content easily understandable.
Audience has short attention span.
Simplify the message.
Reduce quantity. Leave them wanting more.
Be entertaining. Maybe some humor.
Be prepared to stop at anytime.
Courtesy of Brian Dodd
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Repeat important content.
People don’t listen perfectly.
Attention wanders -- distractions
Other thoughts –
work, family, entertainment,…
Repeat
Introduction
Main talk
Summary
Courtesy of Brian Dodd
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Interact with the audience.
Get acquainted beforehand,
if feasible.
Look at many people.
Encourage their questions.
Paraphrase the question.
Admit what you don’t know.
Ask them questions.
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How to Give a Bad Talk
Dress sloppily
Be hesitant and apologetic
Use crowded slides with tiny lettering
Show complex equations quickly
Read from a manuscript
Speak quietly and too fast
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How to Give a Bad Talk
Face the screen
Avoid eye contact with audience
Distract the audience by jingling coins or keys
Say “uh” or “you know” frequently
Keep talking after your time is over.
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How can we prepare good slides ?
Emphasize the main points
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Each slide should have a thesis.
Give main point in title
< 6 main points
Large lettering (> 18 point)
Graphs and pictures
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Use < 6 statements per slide.
List most important ideas.
Give supporting facts (if needed) in smaller font
Space between statements.
Too many statements make retention difficult.
Short term memory saturates ~ 6 facts/slide.
Audience remembers pictures and graphs better.
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Why is this graph bad?
(Courtesy of J. D. Callen)
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What is still wrong with this graph?
(Courtesy of J. D. Callen)
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Here is a better graph.
Plasma density increases linearly with filling pressure
(Courtesy of J. D. Callen)
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Why is this slide bad?
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(Courtesy of J. D. Callen)
Here is a better slide.
EBT Neoclassical Transport Theory for Field Error Effects
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(Courtesy of J. D. Callen)
Simplify phrases
How should we talk?
• Present a good image.
• Avoid distracting
mannerisms
• Use visual aids
• Make the content easily
understandable
• Use memorable
examples
• Repeat important points
• Interact with the
audience
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How should we talk?
Image
Mannerisms
Visual aids
Understandable
Memorable examples
Repeat
Interact with audience
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This slide emphasizes a bad situation.
… and easily removable by the
public! ...
… completely unsecured!…
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Summary
Your reputation
Image
Mannerisms
Title statements
Pictures and graphs
Simplicity
Examples
Repetition
Interaction with audience
Summary
Practice speaking aloud.
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