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Top Tips for Research Presentations
Eddie Landron, Out-of-the-Box Toastmasters in Miami, Florida
- Think about what question you might ask if you were in the audience.
- Be animated with your gestures. People will remember your body language even more than your words.
Pierre Andriani, Heart of England Club in Solihull, England
- Use self-deprecation to get the audience on your side and help them relate to you. For example, “I had this problem, and my solution was terrible. Don’t you hate it when you have this problem?” Then you tell them, “Here’s how I found a solution.” Now they are rooting for you on a subliminal level.
- Be willing to share your research. The goal is to get more people interested in that field, not to hog the data.
The Right Way to Use PowerPoint
Pierre Andriani
- Never, ever read entire paragraphs from the slides. Instead, think of slides as cue cards. They just guide you through your presentation.
- Make your points appear only when you are ready to discuss each of them. Start with a blank slide. Click and Point 1 appears; click and Point 2 appears; and so on. That way, you are in control. The audience cannot see or read ahead of where you want them to be.
- Bring in your points with a slow fade instead of an abrupt reveal. The gradual movement adds visual interest.
- Use a fade transition between slides to advance your story seamlessly.
Making Presentations Work at Work
Eddie Landron
- Never assume the audience knows what you know. Explain simply and clearly.
Pierre Andriani
- Provide context. Everyone in your audience has their own reference points in their head. Give them a common ground for understanding.
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