241  Prepare your talk

241.1 Know why you’re giving this presentation

  • The first two steps to any presentation are:
  • Know your audience. Are you giving your audience something that they need?
  • Have a clear take-home message. It’s much easier to give a talk if you actually have something to say! Revisit the “Know your audience” chapter.

On the second day of the workshop, we’ll discuss your presentation’s structure.

241.2 Rehearse!

  • It sounds obvious, but unless you’re good at improvisation, you need to have several rehearsal presentations.
  • Don’t work on your presentation up until the last minute!

Don’t change/rehearse slides in the last minutes before you present! Especially if this is during someone else’s presentation - it’s just rude. If you don’t know your material by that time it’s not going to help.

  • Sometimes, the only thing that will help your talk is a good night’s sleep.
  • Memorise the opening and closing lines of your talk, never the whole thing.
  • Know your venue so that there are no surprises on the day of your presentation.
  • Arrive early so you have time to set up and get comfortable.

Arriving early and getting yourself set up before the audience arrives shows them that you’re confident and prepared. You can put your title slide on the projector and, if appropriate, greet people as they arrive. All this shows (the audience as well as yourself) that you are prepared and in control and garners the respect of your audience.