How to give a good talk |
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KaihsuTai's suggestion (in decreasing order of importance): # Know your stuff really well. Indeed, it is impossible to give a good talk otherwise. If you don't know the stuff well, it defeats the purpose of giving a presentation, and your audience will simply be bored, patronized, or offended. # Be honest and genuine. Be very honest -- if you don't know, say you don't know (in a clever way maybe, but say it). I think it is better to be genuine than to be strictly formal. # Establish rapport with your audience as soon as possible. This is an extension of what people say about 'knowing your audience'. A joke works well, but a tinned joke may turn out to be awkward. If possible, foster a good sense of humour in daily life. # Practice talking with friends, strangers, gradually larger groups. # Observe how good presenters do it. People laugh at politicians, spindoctors, lawyers, and comedians, but most of them are good rhetoricians and orators. Copyright © 2003, 2004 Kaihsu Tai (KaihsuTai) [Edward Tufte], [PowerPoint Is Evil]. Wired 11.09. See also AcademiaAdvice and TypeSetting. |