Giving a Memorable
Technical Talk
I. Vital Elements
II. Mechanics of the
Presentation
III. Speaker Performance
I. Vital Elements
Your purpose is to communicate, convince, and teach
If your audience walks away understanding your 1-3 main points, gains
new appreciation for (or is convinced of) them, and remembers them,
then you’ve done your job.
Bring your audience on a journey of
discovery
Conclusions
Interpretations, Implications
Results, Findings
Strategy, Methods, Information,
Evidence
Introduction, Motivation, Problem,
Purpose, Outline
Giving a Memorable
Technical Talk
Vitals & Key Ingredients
3 Categories:
I. Vital Elements
II. Mechanics of the
Presentation
III. Speaker Performance
Giving a Memorable Technical Talk
II. Presentation Mechanics &
III. Speaker Performance
You will be most effective at:
• Communicating, convincing, teaching &
• Conveying a logical forward thought process
If...
II. Your presentation is understandable, illustrative, effective
III. YOU are understandable, confident, relate to your audience
First Lets Cover
II. Presentation Mechanics
First Lets Cover
II. Presentation Mechanics
II. Presentation Mechanics: TIMING
30-minute talk
(rule of thumb is 1 minute per slide)
Introduction, motivation, purpose, problem, outline/summary
(5-10 minutes)
-background and why the study is important
-what’s it about, what’s the purpose of the talk?
-outlines what’s to come
Strategy, method, information, evidence (5-10 minutes)
B
Findings or results (5-10 minutes)
-establish the key arguments
-quantitative/objective products of strategy, data, evidence
Interpretations or Implications (~5 minutes)
-what can be or should not be inferred from results
-what should the reader gain of value, or how should it change views
Conclusions: (~1 minute)
-reiterate the purpose and 1-3 main, take-home points
A
First Lets Cover
II. Presentation Mechanics
Image Content: How much content is
appropriate for ~1 minute per slide?
Remember, this is the 1st time your
audience has seen the slide.
Image Content: How much content is appropriate for ~1 minute per slide?
Remember, this is the 1st time your audience has seen the slide.
Image Content: How much content is appropriate for ~1 minute per slide?
Remember, this is the 1st time your audience has seen the slide.
Enough to get 1-3 points across
and no more.
BUT if you want to get to a point of showing lots of concepts together
Then start SIMPLE…..
Allow your audience to absorb as you build…..
More and more information gradually….
Until you reach the full content.
Oh, and about showing PLOTS…
Remember you are asking your audience to absorb the plot in ~1
minute so do them a favor. Take the time to describe each axis of the
plot and point out the key trends that they are supposed to catch
Building text gradually is appropriate
When you have 1-3 points you want to build
But don’t go overboard
Because you audience can see the blank space below
& will start wondering whats coming next rather than
focusing on the points you are trying to make
And this can be a bit distracting,
annoying,
Let alone, time consuming!
Each “slide” should contain
enough content to make 1-3
points and NO more.
Image Layout: Balance the
size of text and images
87Sr/86Sr
3He/4He
Is this better?
30
20
10
0
0.7060
0.7050
0.7040
0.7030
0.7020
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 1/2
Square-Root Seafloor Age (m.y. )
Is this better?
3He/4He
30
20
10
87Sr/86Sr
0
0.7060
0.7050
0.7040
0.7030
0.7020
0
2
4
6
8 10 12
Square-Root Seafloor Age (m.y.1/2)
How much text is appropriate
for each slide?
About as much as they can read in ~1 minute.
AND it helps to support text with images.
What about Colors? Black and White can be adequate
Use colors to distinguish, emphasize,
clarify, & add a bit of life
IF they are used APPROPRIATELY!
Keep ‘em tasteful and professional
What about Powerpoint Animations and Tricks?
Use them to add a “bit” of variety, illustrate a
point, &/or for emphasis. For example…..
But its better to error on the conservative so as
not to cause a
DISTRACTION
Chapter 2
Methods
Estimating tectonic strain
Measure extension through magmatism versus faulting
Magma injection emplaces new lithosphere
Power point offers many
possibilities for creating an
ACTIVE presentation
M = fraction of total extension accommodated magmatically
29
Estimating tectonic strain
Normal fault
forms
magmatism
Chapter 2
Methods
30
Estimating tectonic strain
magmatism
Chapter 2
Methods
Fault migrates
away from
axis
31
Chapter 2
Methods
Estimating tectonic strain
Heave = horizontal fault displacement
Thickened plate
too strong to
½U
continue slip
magmatism
(1-M) =
New fault forms
(1-M)
M
Total disp.
32
Image Design
What about YOU?
Speaker Performance
Voice
Movement
•PROJECT
•Use deliberate hand gestures
•Vary pitch, volume, & speed
•Moving around to reach out to
audience
•Punctuate with pauses
(avoid monotone)
•Minimize nervous tics
Attitude
•Be natural
•Be enthusiastic
•Smile
Occasional
Humor Helps
What about YOU?
Speak accurately. 12 minutes is not time
for meaningless words/non-words…
“Uhhh”
“Like”
“Uhmm”
“Ya-know”
Pointing specifies
& focuses attention
Systematic Fault Patterns on Earth
Preparation
Practice/Rehearse
• until the timing is right
• until you know exactly what you are
going to say with each slide
• but do not over-rehearse so you loose your flare
Preparation
Know your audience
Know your venue and equipment
Check:
computer
pointer
microphones
platform
By the way, its ok if your colors
do not appear exactly as you do on
your laptop. If you must mention so, do it only
once & move on!
Giving a Memorable
Technical Talk
I. Vital Elements
II. Mechanics of the
Presentation
III. Speaker Performance