How can we explain science in a simple and intelligible way?
Of course, we need precision in research and in our publications. This enables us to make progress in the professional world and to distinguish precisely between cause and effect when it comes to important details.
But how can we share our research with the outside world in a way that can be understood by interested non-specialists and even children? Read more
It is time for change in science: Personality and personal charisma are important key skills for scientists of the future. In times of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence, we need personalities who share their unique passion. Let personality shine through presentations! Read more
Here are five timely tips that are often overlooked. Yet these can make all the difference between a just average speech and a top-notch presentation.
Do you spend too much time preparing your presentation because otherwise, you would have to postpone the more important work? Never mind, the best presentations are those delivered spontaneously. This way you will appear authentic – for sure! No one will notice in case you skip important items anyway. If this is not your cup of tea, then of course you can also learn your speech by heart. You will never forget what you actually wanted to say.
Great visuals capture attention. But the full impact often comes in revealing something surprising about it. At the same time, many people mistake PowerPoint as a script to read content during their presentation. In this blog we will highlight some of the major mistakes using PowerPoint, at the same time demonstrating the real power of how to get to the point with your presentation.
Intelligent content needs an emotional implementation. Communicate rational facts emotionally, since data leads to judgements, not decisions. When logic meets emotion, messages are not only heard but also understood.
If using PowerPoint or any other presentation software, you should work with photos and images: Emotional and colorful visuals are more likely to be noticed than plain text. Large letters attract attention and cause a faster, longer, and more emotionally loaded audience reaction compared to small fonts.
Compare the two following slides and decide which one raises audience attention. The first slide is too colorful and not consistent in terms of style and font. Do we really need to include each single institution and sponsor? While this might be requested by your organizations, it is of no extra value from a pure presentation perspective. The second slide reduces information to a minimum, mentioning both speech title and speaker combined with an impactful image.
The latter is to be discussed: You may prefer a more factual approach in a business context or while defending your PhD thesis. On the other hand, the illustrated slide creates a more emotional effect and might be appropriate for informal event or a Science Slam. Another aspect to consider is title length: Especially research titles are too detailed. I suggest using a short, catchy title. If appropriate, combine it with a more precise subtitle including key expressions.
The next slide is cluttered with unnecessary information. We do not need to share exact locations of research sites in a presentation. Map descriptions are of no extra value either. Even the title “Research Area” is redundant since we can mention it verbally. In the example at hand, I suggest enlarging the map to the full slide while removing table and figure descriptions without substitution. Depending on the target audience, we do not even need to share the research area as being a part of Spain. It might be appropriate at an international congress or while presenting outside Europe, but it is redundant in Western Europe and definitely in Spain.
Some presentations highlight detailed results in complex tables. Those who see the following table for the first time will need some time to read in and see all the details.
As a presenter you are however challenged to ensure that your audience can quickly grasp your content. Tables might be fine for your PhD thesis and publications, while a visual presentation should translate complex information in a stepwise approach. For the following visual slide, you may want to start with the image and location before highlighting the main results (here: a graph of CaCO3 contents in soil). After explaining those results, you can also include a brief conclusion as on the top of this slide.
The following two slides have been discussed in a former blog contribution already: https://redelandschaften.de/en/present-with-pechakucha/
What stands out on the first of these slides are at least four aspects, highlighting some common mistakes regarding presentation slides:
A better approach is to highlight a few selected images on separate slides, with little or no text while highlighting differences and/or time development. You may combine expressive and emotionally charged images with short metaphors or a conclusion, as on the following slide with a single image. Here you can even start a quiz by asking your audience whether they can recognize details (here: marine fauna, highlighted within yellow circles). This way you encourage them to think and participate at the same time. Like on the former slide you can even summarize a short conclusion. It corresponds to a one-sentence pitch for this section of your presentation, like the one we work on in my Science Pitch trainings. https://redelandschaften.de/en/training/#sciencepitch
I have seen hundreds of presentations where conclusion and summary are presented using a detailed text slide. I have done this myself for many years. But there are better alternatives: a visual summary like the one on the right, or a black slide, as we will see in a moment. You can move written summaries to the handout instead.
How do most people finish their presentation? They love to share “thank you slides”, or even an extensive list of literature resources. While the latter might be part of your handout, I suggest removing this slide without substitution. It is of no extra value for your audience. A black slide is a much better alternative, since your audience will shift its focus away from slides turning towards you. Now that you have gained full attention, you can deliver your last words: Your key message, a call to action or an inspirational and possibly a short “Thank you!”.
I have summarized this blog in a video applying the popular PechaKucha format: https://youtu.be/i8EZ7gEeoLM The video highlights some dos and don’ts on visuals, including best-practice examples. If you want to ultimately transform from “Death by PowerPoint” to a real “Success with PowerPoint”, this video is for you.
In addition, I can recommend two popular videos highlighting dos and don’ts regarding visual presentations. The first is presented by David McCandless and his TED Talk “The Beauty of Data Visualization”. He also plays with words and therefore succeeds with one of my personal favorite TED Talks: https://www.ted.com/talks/david_mccandless_the_beauty_of_data_visualization?referrer=playlist-how_to_make_a_great_presentation
The second video is from 2010 already, with Don McMillan presenting “Life after Death by PowerPoint”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbSPPFYxx3o
What are your experiences regarding “Death and Survival by PowerPoint”? Let me know in your comment!
Do you lose your audience once you speak up? Or do you carry them along so they keep a high attention level throughout your presentation? A catchy structure is one of the important aspects you should consider. A strong introduction, an interesting main part and a meaningful conclusion are equally important. Guide your audience by transitions such as emphasized pauses and changing your position on stage. Also add interactions using polls, quizzes, and short discussions. Sometimes surprising twists and turns help.
Too many people are satisfied with mediocrity. Some people work on themselves becoming better than average. Only a few people take the chance to achieve outstanding and excellent results. This is why I repeatedly see speeches in which the potential for excellence is ignored or disregarded. This is where I will address ten of the […]
Presentations are nowadays different from those of the past. To convince and inspire your audience, you have to meet completely different expectations today than 20 years ago. Nowadays, personality is key, as is combining numbers, data and facts with short stories and anecdotes that provide new context for the audience. By the way: Instead of frontal lectures in which information is hammered into our audience, the focus today is on infotainment. Information comes along with entertainment. This is what makes presentations much more effective. The use of new media adds to this. We should never underestimate one thing: The personality of the speaker decides whether his message actually reaches the audience. Read more
Do you have the impression that your audience is following your moderation? Can you build tension with short stories and anecdotes so that the group listens to you with enthusiasm? How do you as a presenter manage to provide special added value? And what can you do while moderating workshops or debates, leading a project […]
A source of good and often inspiring lectures are certainly the TED Talks and their independent TEDx Talks. One of the speeches that has inspired me in recent years is the talk “How great leaders inspire action” by Simon Sinek. Of course, we can discuss whether his performance could be further optimized: There are only a few laughs in the audience, the eye contact between speaker and audience is not optimal and the speaker often takes his glasses (exactly 22 times) – to name just three examples.
Nevertheless, why is his 2009 TEDx talk the third most seen of about 3 000 TED talks worldwide? Why has his presentation, which he held live in front of just 50 listeners, been clicked more than 42 million times on ted.com and a good 15 million times on YouTube to date? So what did Simon Sinek do right?
