What to consider when giving a presentation

 

Have you been invited to share your expertise within your scientific community—specifically, to speak before a panel of experts in your field? Congratulations! This means you have done "almost" everything—or at least the vast majority of necessary things—right up to this point. You enjoy a strong reputation within your community and possess experience gained over years of work; and let me tell you: that experience should never be underestimated.

Key points:

Naturally, you must know your subject matter inside out to convince others: meaning you are truly an expert in your field.

It goes without saying that you must prepare a clear, comprehensive presentation that fits within your allotted time. By this, I mean that if you have a 25-minute speaking slot, you should reach your final slide—featuring a "Thank you, I look forward to your questions" message—by the 24-minute-30-second mark. This requires practicing at home multiple times with a stopwatch to time and calculating your spoken words. It is important to distinguish your own enthusiasm for the topic from the actual presentation; since we love our work, we tend to ramble on endlessly. In my opinion, however, there is nothing worse than a speaker feeling pressured in the final minutes and rushing through the remaining slides in a stressed manner. That is very uncomfortable for the audience.

You must be fully up to date on all the latest findings published online right up to the night before the event. Believe me, there will be people in the audience who have a genuine interest in knowing your opinion on the last thing you read on your way here.

Speak clearly and loudly enough throughout the entire presentation. Is your voice not loud enough? Fortunately, a microphone is usually available. Please keep the microphone not only close to you, but close to your face. I recommend arriving at the venue early to test the microphone with the technician. In addition, check in advance that you have received a working “presenter”, and please test it beforehand with your own slides.

Plus point: 

The Devil’s Advocate: Such a person embodies the opposite of what you stand for. If you say A, they will say B. But believe me: there is nothing more stimulating, motivating or enriching for discussion than having a devil’s advocate in the audience. Why? Because you have prepared for exactly that in advance. Because you analyzed—from various perspectives—everything related to the points you presented that could be open to debate and identified arguments in your favor in advance.

Extra point:

Are you a woman, and perhaps even petite? Maintaining impeccable composure and absolute confidence goes far beyond physical presence. Once the audience realizes that you have mastered your field, it won’t be a disadvantage at all—quite the opposite. Here is an important recommendation if you are a woman: Please avoid clothing that reveals too much of your figure, like a short skirts or low-cut necklines. And if you are a man, wear an outfit that makes you feel confident but look professional.