Structure your material: keep to time; aptly summarize content
Know your stuff:
accurate well-phrased descriptions ⇒ knowledgeable speaker
Structure of presentation
Title → give information in a nutshell (solid versus cute)
Context and perspective: zooming in
Start with description of general principle, then focus in
on experimental/theoretical model to be described.
Advantages of zooming in:
(1) tells audience relevance to important principle.
(2) defines the intellectual borders of presentation.
Telling a story
Turns collection of facts into exciting/interesting story.
Story should have one focus: the take-home message.
Formulation and Argumentation
Talk proceeds as a logical unfolding of information.
Speech reflects clear thought; avoid jargon.
Pointing out limits of explanation enhances credibility.
Conclusion: brief and to the point
Zooming out returns audience to
major scientific idea at the start.
Conclusion makes final impression on your audience.
Conclusion should be firm, decisive, concise and coherent.
Only talk-home message may be remembered.
Delivery
Articulation and eye contact are most important.
Take time to articulate every word of each sentence clearly,
while maintaining eye contact with your audience.
Voice control has several interrelated properties:
sound (e.g., accent), volume, speed and rhythm.
Stress at sentence's end where audience expects new info.
Nervous, hurried speech leads to inaccurate articulation.
Monotony is greatest enemy to maintaining interest.
Slowing down will solve most speakers' problems.
Eye contact with audience members establishes notion that
you are talking to them, not at them.
Genuine enthusiasm accounts for 90% of a speaker's success.
Answering questions.
Discourage impulsive ad hoc questions that deflect focus.
But question may reveal omitted essential info needed to understand talk. A clarifying question
promptly answered can get the talk back on track.
Always answer questions briefly and to the point.
Useful to repeat question, rephrasing it for audience clarity.
Always a good idea to be polite and gracious.
Summary
Three devices can put a presentation in the desired perspective.
Good title sets scope of the presentation.
"Zoom in" to the topic during the introductory segment of the
presentation and "zoom out" near its end.
Decide on the underlying question the presentation addresses;
divide it into a hierarchically organized array of
subquestions, and develop presentations as a series of answers
to these (unstated) questions, leading to take-home message.
The mainstream of talk focuses on single issue, tailored to
audience.
Sidetracks from this mainstream should be brief and should always
return to the same point in the mainstream where they started.
Omit info irrelevant to the focus and avoid backtracking.
The mainstream of the talk should
delineate a clear, logical line of thought.
Avoidiing jargon, formulate unambiguous explanations of scientific
concepts and methodology.
The presentation end with a clearly formulated, concise
take-home message. Then stop.
To cite this page:
Setting the tone
<http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~wilkins/writing/Handouts/VGs/tone.html>
[Tuesday, 14-Feb-2012 15:36:18 EST]
Edited by: wilkins@mps.ohio-state.edu on
Monday, 02-Apr-2007 18:42:11 EDT