Accessible Oral Presentations, Constructing Effective Oral Presentations, Delivering Compelling Oral Presentations
Abstract
Accessible Oral Presentations
Most of the time at conferences is spent listening to others talk. Given the overwhelming challenge for the audience to sit through, absorb, and remember material from all these presentations, a speaker must be memorable to connect with the audience. As the previous chapters focused on scientific writing, this chapter starts by distinguishing written communication from oral communication. Oral communication requires a new set of skills to speak most effectively with the audience, organize presentations, and deliver presentations professionally and with style, the topics of the rest of this chapter:
Constructing Effective Oral Presentations
An electronic presentation is the visual companion to the verbal component of a scientific presentation. As such, a poorly constructed electronic presentation can cripple an otherwise excellent speaker. Speakers need to carefully consider the design, construction, and delivery of the slides, topics to be covered in this chapter.
Delivering Compelling Oral Presentations
How do the best speakers seem so confident and comfortable? Their confidence and comfort arise from knowing their material and thoroughly preparing it. A natural speaking style and a bit of showmanship further engages the audience. Providing clear, concise, and accurate answers to audience questions also demonstrates command of their material. In this chapter, we look at how even an average slide presentation can become a compelling experience through effective delivery.
