Presentation Skills

1. Presentation Skills John A Kirby Graduate School Faculty of Medical Sciences University of Newcastle

2. Types of Presentation • Scientific conference • Invited talk (30 minutes) • Talk selected from abstracts (10 minutes) • Presentation of poster (2-3 minutes) • Teaching • Any level • Fund raising • Lay audience

3. Types of presentation • Scientific conference • Invited talk (20 – 45 minutes) • Talk selected from abstracts (10 minutes) • Presentation of poster (2-3 minutes) • Teaching • At any level, for any time • Fund raising • Lay audience

4. Purpose of a 10 minute research presentation • To broadcast your results and conclusions • To impress your peers • You have a ‘captive’ audience of experts • To make your name • Increase likelihood of employment or further funding

5. What can go wrong? • You only get one shot • You must rehearse and KEEP TO TIME! • You are tempted to show off how clever you are • You try to discuss every experiment you have ever done • You bore your audience and they stop liking you • When you stop you are immediately forgotten

6. ‘Timekeeper’ slides This lecture lasts for 45 minutes. If all slides take the same time (check during rehearsal) you need to be at slide 15(ish) after 22 minutes. If you reach this too soon you can slow down.

7. Mechanics • Check out the microphone • Fixed or radio? • How does the pointer work • Make sure you understand PowerPoint • How will your slides advance (or go back)? • There may be no keyboard on the lectern • Most big conferences only give you a mouse to control slide advance • MAKE SURE you have enabled the advance by mouse click facility!

11. Other problems • Many big conference centres still have problems with Apple Mac computers • Yes, I know they are compatible. But…. • Use Office 97 (unless otherwise instructed) • If you use the latest version, save in compatibility mode (but even this is not always reliable!)

12. The voice of (hard) experience • If the audience understand why your results are important they will feel clever and good about themselves - they will like you! • If the audience do not understand your talk they will assume it is your fault - they will blame you.

13. Be enthusiastic! • If you are not enthusiastic about your own work, you cannot expect anyone else to be! • Enthusiastic gestures can be quite endearing (and memorable) on stage. Don’t overuse them though!

14. Dosand Don’ts • Do keep it simple • One point made well is better than 10 made badly • Less can sometimes be more • Do ask yourself what you hope a member of the audience will remember about you on the plane home (the 37,000 feet test…) • Do make your slides clear • Do work with your slides • Use the laser pointer boldly

15. Rehearse • Not in front of the bathroom mirror • Use a seminar room or lecture theatre • Rope in an audience • Friends, members of the group • Listen to what they say

16. Dos andDon’ts • Don’t speak too rapidly/too quietly • Don’t use passive body language • Don’t hide behind the lectern • Don’t turn your back to the audience • Don’t read your presentation • Don’t abuse your audience • ‘I’m sorry but this slide is very busy…..’ • ‘those of you at the back might not be able to see this faint band on the gel…..’

17. Hard truths • Conferences are exhausting! • Can be hundreds of talks in multiple parallel sessions over several days • Your audience is possibly jet-lagged, hung-over and fed up • As a 1st time speaker your chance may come at 16:30 on the last day • Unfair but you CAN’T control this • Poor data presented well can seem better than wonderful results hidden by a poor talk! • Unfair but you CAN control this! This is slide 15 – am I on time?

18. What should you do? • Make nice clear slides • If you are nervous aim for 1 per minute • If you are less nervous use fewer • Don’t read from the slides! • Link one slide to the next • If possible anticipate the next slide before moving to it • this keeps the audience engaged • gives the talk a coherent structure

19. Structure of the talk • Title • Introduce yourself so everyone remembers your name! • Introduction • Key bullet points only • Aims • Must link to your conclusion • There is no point aiming to do something that fails!

20. Structure of the talk • Title • Introduce yourself so everyone remembers your name! • Introduction • Key bullet points only • Aims • Must link to your conclusion • There is no point aiming to do something that fails!

21. Structure of the talk • Title • Introduce yourself so everyone remembers your name! • Introduction • Key bullet points only • Aims • Must link to your conclusion • There is no point aiming to do something that fails!

22. Methods • Keep these very simple • Details will be published in due course! • Results • Key findings only • Don’t use too many sets of data • Make results visually clear • Avoid multi-coloured graphs • People at the back of the hall must be able to see your data • Avoid too many error bars and ‘p’ values • If you say something increases/decreases the audience must believe you!

23. What’s wrong?

24. Discussion • Only use a few key bullet points only • Conclusion • Make very clear • Must satisfy your aims • Remember, this is when many in the audience wake up and take notice! • Acknowledgements • Make your group seem big, important and well funded

25. Are there any questions? • Avoid the ‘phew, its all over’ feeling before answering your questions! • Listen carefully • if you can’t hear or understand ask the chairperson for help • If you are not sure of the answer steer the discussion to safe ground • Don’t be afraid of stating that you do not know!

26. Use colour carefully • Up to 8% of men are to some degree red-green colour-blind. • Aim to maximise contrast. • Don’t over use colours and keep them consistent. • Avoid yellow on white or mauve on blue (PowerPoint often favours these combinations)

27. Colours Avoid yellow on white! or purple on blue

28. Trouble with fonts • In general use sans-serif fonts • Serifs are the little ‘tails’ added to characters – good in written text but less good in presentations • Probablybest to not mix or use too many fonts • Less formal fonts can be used in some circumstances – judge your audience

29. If in doubt, keep it simple

30. AUDIO VISUAL INSTRUCTIONSAmerican Transplant CongressSPEAKERSMay 21-25, 2008Seattle, Washington * PLEASE READ * SPEAKER READY ROOM LOCATION:Washington State Convention and Trade CenterRoom 4C-2, Level Four SPEAKER CHECK – IN:All speakers are required to check into the Speaker Ready Room 24 hours before the start of the session.  Checking in at the Speaker Ready is the single most important action you will take to ensure that your presentation is a success.  Personnel in the Speaker Ready Room will be available to assist in any last minute changes and to troubleshoot any problems the presenter may have.There will be terminals set up for your review.  You should make sure all fonts appear as expected and all sound/video clips are working properly at this time.  You will be able to edit your presentation, as well.Once you are through reviewing your presentation and certify it is ready, we will electronically send your presentation to the designated presentation room.All editing must be completed 2 hours prior to the start of the session.

31. The pathophysiology of chronic allograft injury John A Kirby Institute of Cellular Medicine Cardiopulmonary Transplant Unit Freeman Hospital Newcastle Upon Tyne

32. Relevant Financial Relationship Disclosure Statement The pathophysiology of chronic allograft injury John A Kirby Iwill not discuss off label use and/or investigational use of any drugs or devices I have no financial relationships of relevance to my role in this session

33. The chairperson is your friend! • Session Title: Concurrent Session 89: Influence of Leukocyte Migration and Function • Session Date: Thursday, 7/27/2008 Session Time: 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM • Session Location: 112 • The role of the moderator is essential for the success of the session and • the meeting. The following are suggestions that will help you as a • moderator for the American Transplant Congress meeting: • Beginning on time is essential. You should be in the room ten (10) minutes before the session begins if possible. We will be also asking the presenters to be there early. Remind the speakers again that you will be keeping them strictly on time. The times for the concurrent sessions are 7 minutes for presentation followed by 3 minutes for discussion. • Make sure the speakers are all sitting in the front row close to the podium. • Stimulate discussion, but do not allow the “rambling grandstander”. Limit the number of questions to two per person on the first go around. Encourage multiple questioners. • Make sure you know how the timing device works so you stay on time. There will be a projectionist in the room who will give you instruction on using this equipment. • End on time – also essential.

34. 12 parallel sessions - each session has 12x10 minute talks

35. Good luck!