Preparing and delivering a talk

A talk combines a clear route through its subject with delivery, materials and equipment suited to the audience and the time available.

The audience's knowledge and needs determine the pitch: an explanation that is too basic can insult listeners, while one that is too advanced can obscure the message. ¹ Excessive personal commentary can shift attention from the presentation to the speaker. ¹

Opening the talk

An effective opening creates curiosity and explains the investigation's rationale and importance before introducing details. ^{2, 3, 4} Focus on the particular project's significance rather than commonplace background already familiar to the audience. ³ Enthusiasm and motivation help a speaker inspire an audience. ⁵

Before speaking, consider what inspires the work, what its benefit is and what it makes possible, easier or better; the last question may suggest an opening. ^{4, 3}

Keeping the story simple

Presentations should omit details that contribute nothing to the project's story; overly complicated explanations can make listeners suspect weak methods or data. ^{5, 6} A listener cannot page back as a reader can, so explanations should be simple, using repeated key words and phrases to maintain the thread and, where helpful, showing a point from different angles. ⁵

A live presentation should provide instruction and interaction rather than become a reading exercise, and slides should not serve as the speaker's notes. ^{7, 8} Keep a script in the notes area and print it if needed, rather than reading the slide text. ⁸

For a lay audience, results need interpretation, an answer to the initial research question and conclusions explaining their impact, such as implications for clinical care. ⁹ Diagrams help only when explained clearly enough for listeners to understand them. ⁹

Audio-friendly scripting

An audio-friendly presentation can explain key findings without depending on visual aids. ¹⁰ Its scripting practices are:

1. Introduce the subject and explain what listeners can expect to learn, ask a question to start them thinking and supply the necessary background.
2. Use clear descriptive language for the main findings; for example, describe a distribution as 30% feature X, 60% feature Y and 10% other features, explaining that Y is more prevalent, rather than referring only to blue and green chart segments; add delivery notes for pauses, emphasis and pace to avoid a monotone.
3. Conclude by emphasising the main point.

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Structuring the presentation

The most common macrostructure for scientific presentations is Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion (IMRAD). ⁶ Another structure is SCORE:

• Symptoms: what is the problem?
• Cause: what causes it?
• Outcome: what is the goal?
• Resource: how is the problem solved?
• Effect: what is now possible?

⁶

Content flagging makes the route explicit:

1. Begin by explaining what the talk will cover.
2. Start each section by repeating its subject.
3. End each section by summarising it.
4. Finish by summarising the section summaries.

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One suggested planning guideline is to limit a presentation to one key message per 20 minutes and divide it into 20-minute blocks. ¹² Slide count need not follow one slide per minute: twenty uncrowded slides may fit the same ten minutes as ten crowded ones, and the test is how many can be covered comfortably within the time limit. ¹³

A device-regulation presentation used an opening list of frequent abbreviations, definitions and scope, then three icons to distinguish regulatory changes, key guidelines and documents. ^{14, 15} It explicitly limited itself to an overview and directed listeners to further resources for detail. ¹⁵

The thesis–antithesis–synthesis framework can organise a presentation around a proposition, its negation and a new proposition reconciling their common truths. ¹⁶ Images can evoke an intended response, such as a sleeping baby suggesting calm, or two contrasting images can suggest a third idea and focus a message. ¹⁶

In his 2008 talk Turning Pages, Oliver Smithies used laboratory-notebook pages, from notebook 18 to one in the nineties, to show the passage of time and mark insights and missed insights. ¹⁷ Chance, opportunity and planning were its themes, with Smithies crediting many breakthroughs to the first two. ¹⁷ It drew on his 43-minute 2007 Nobel lecture for a lay audience, distinct from a Nobel acceptance speech, which was available online with slides that could also be viewed separately. ¹⁸

Holding attention during delivery

Seven speaker pitfalls are:

1. Saying too much.
2. Failing to meet the specific audience's needs.
3. Having no clear purpose.
4. Lacking clear organisation.
5. Speaking monotonously.
6. Reading the talk.
7. Using unnecessary or unclear visual aids.

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One presentation coach recommends repeating the primary message at least six times and using prompts to emphasise it. ¹⁹ Stories can illuminate ideas and connect with an audience, but should be rehearsed, especially when they include a punch line. ¹⁹

Delivery practices include:

• Ask questions.
• Move around and lean towards the audience.
• Use gestures and eye contact.
• Use pauses.
• Rehearse even when the content is familiar.

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Emotion can capture attention by inspiring, amusing or surprising, and a project's story can be presented with the involvement of a drama or action film. ⁶ Moving towards the audience and across the stage, placing a flipchart away from the lectern and pointing with the hands rather than a laser can support a more active delivery, provided the speaker remains authentic. ⁶

Remote audiences

In a webinar without visible audience faces or body language, a presenter may feel as though speaking alone while listeners face distractions at home or work. ²⁰ A monologue over dense slides can be dull online as in person; drawings, humour, animation and interactive platform features can help vary the experience. ^{21, 22}

Materials and technical preparation

Presentation materials can work at three scales: projected media set the scene; boards such as flipcharts, whiteboards and chalkboards gather contributions or support discussion; handouts reinforce content, key messages and references. ²³ Flipchart pages can be removed and retained as a record of audience comments. ¹²

When selecting materials, consider:

• Benefits and limitations.
• Cost.
• Ease of use.
• Ease of maintenance.

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Materials should remain simple, clear and focused on key points, with effects serving the message rather than replacing it. ²⁴

The choice of medium should answer these questions:

1. What type of presentation is intended?
2. What resources are available?
3. What equipment does the venue have?
4. What is the presenter comfortable using?
5. What is the budget?
6. What is the timescale?
7. What is the purpose?

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Check available software, stationery and technical assistance at both the preparation location and venue. ²⁶ Comfort with the method affects delivery; unfamiliar approaches should be practised beforehand. ^{27, 28} Short notice limits what can realistically be produced, while advance planning helps use production time well. ²⁹

The budget should reflect how often content changes and whether a presentation will be used once or repeatedly; more preparation time may lower costs but affect how current the material is. ³⁰ Software, hardware, training and equipment hire can all contribute costs. ^{31, 32} Check equipment well before presenting and confirm compatibility with the venue's software version. ^{32, 33} Test data sources, pointers, microphones and board markers, and ensure power and extension connections are available. ^{33, 34} Cables should be covered, for example with cable mats or conspicuous carpet tape. ³⁴

Viewing distance, seating and projector magnification affect whether screen content is readable, regardless of the chosen font size. ³⁵

A personal wireless presenter avoids unfamiliar or incompatible venue equipment, and should be tried for weight, fit and button size. ³⁶ Suggested features are:

• A wireless USB receiver stored within the presenter.
• An integrated laser pointer.
• Page-up and page-down functions.
• Mousing capability.

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Spare batteries should be kept with it. ³⁶

Rehearsal and timing

Practice should be ongoing rather than reserved for an imminent talk, with regular presentations to colleagues and feedback from friends, colleagues or video recordings. ³⁷ Rehearse the presentation in playback mode for timing, transitions and animations rather than only scanning it in the editor. ³⁸ Check that animations do not cover information that needs to remain visible. ³⁹

The allotted time may include questions, and a late start does not extend the finishing time. ⁴⁰ Organisers expect delivery of the course objective and smooth running of the day as well as adherence to the timetable. ⁴⁰ Plan which parts can be shortened or omitted and which can become further reading in a handout. ⁴⁰