How to Give a Great Talk – 13 tips from Prof Julie Bernhardt

Friday afternoon seminars at the Florey are hotly anticipated. Researchers emerge from far and wide: taking a break from sifting through data in a corner office, finishing up with a patient they are recruiting on the ward, or cleaning up their laboratory bench before the weekend. The seminars are from local and international researchers and cover a range of topics relating to stroke research.

But last week, the topic of the talk was talking itself. Professor Julie Bernhardt, head of Stroke at the Florey, drew on her wealth of experience to present some key points on ‘How to Give a Great Talk.’ For students and postdocs alike, at any career stage, presentations and public speaking are an essential part of advancing research.

Here’s the recap.

Professor Julie Bernhardt AM

1.     Know your audience

Everyone in the room should be able to learn something from your talk – whether they know nothing about the subject, or they are a leading expert. You can go into some depth for the experts but avoid jargon and acronyms at all costs. If you must use an acronym, make sure you explain it first.

2.     Respect your audience – keep to time!

Even the most well-organised event can go wrong: speakers go overtime, technology fails, attendees show up late. Make life easier for the organisers (and increase your chances of being invited back) with the following tips:

·       Clarify whether the time you have been given includes set-up, questions, etc. so you know exactly how long you have.

·       Plan a speech to be slightly shorter than your allocated time, especially if you’re the last speaker.

·       Have a plan B for if your allocated time is shortened: insert a logical ‘end’ slide about five slides earlier than the actual end. This is much better than rushing through the last part of your presentation.

·       If you use videos, triple-check that they work and have a backup plan for if they don’t. Allocate extra time for if your video goes wrong.

3.     Tell a story

To intrigue your readers, pose a question or introduce the problem you want to solve. Build tension before concluding with a satisfying ending that answers your research question or hypothesis.

4.     KISS – keep it short and simple

Keep your slides simple and easy to read with the following tips:

·      Use a relevant picture wherever possible

·      No more than two lines of text per dot point

·      You can use builds sparingly to guide the audience

·      Don’t use fancy animations – it’s distracting

·      If the venue is flat, make your slides ‘top heavy’ with less text on the bottom so that people at the back of the venue can see.

If you can, make your slides beautiful! Take note when you see a particularly elegant or effective slide – what layout did the presenter use?

5.     Use the power of your voice  

No matter the topic, a monotone voice can have a soporific effect on your audience. Here’s how to avoid putting your listeners to sleep:

·      Practice modulating your voice, so it is interesting to listen to.

·      Vary the rate of your speech – a pause before a topic or slide change can be an important cue.

·      Learn to use the microphone. Stay close to the microphone - don’t inadvertently fluctuate the volume by turning your head away to look at your slides.

·      Don’t read from notes – not only does it lead to the dreaded monotone, but the flipping of pages can be a distraction. Notes should act as memory cues and nothing more. A useful structure is to list the slide number alongside the first line with bolded words.

·      Stand away from the podium so you don’t disappear behind it, especially if you are female or short!

6.     Make eye contact (or at least pretend to)

Scan every part of the room so that no area is neglected, particularly the front row. If you don’t want to make direct eye contact, you can look at eyebrows or hairlines and give the same impression.

7.     Get good feedback, give good feedback

Practice your presentation in front of others. To make sure you receive constructive feedback, give your listeners specific tasks. For example, ask them to tell you three things that were terrific, and three distractions.

8.     Understand your verbal and visual crutches

Whether it’s ‘actually’, ‘umm’, foot jiggling, or repetitive hand waving, we all have movements that act as crutches. Identify them by asking others for feedback or filming yourself. Then work hard at eliminating these.

9.     Getting over nerves

Practice, practice, and more practice. You’ll be most nervous at the start of your talk, so spend even more time practising the first couple of minutes. Visit the venue early: check the podium, how to bring up and advance your slides, and how to use the microphone.

Remember, nerves are GOOD and help us to perform. If you’re not at least a little bit nervous, ask yourself how you can push yourself to improve. For example, next time can you abandon notes entirely?

10.  Handling questions

This is often the most daunting aspect of the presentation – no one wants to look stupid! Here’s how to deal with some possible scenarios:

·      You don’t understand the question. Don’t try to answer a question you don’t understand – always ask for clarification.

·      You don’t remember the answer. It’s okay to say you don’t remember – just say ‘’I’d need to check that, but I’m happy to get back to you.”

·      It’s a difficult question. It’s okay to admit that you need some time to think – offer to discuss it further in the break.

·      The aggressive questioner. These people tend to like the sound of their own voices. If you can answer the question, do so and move on. Disengage by looking to another microphone or back to whoever is picking out speakers. If it’s about a design ‘flaw’, you can say “We considered adding XX or Y, but balancing all the requirements of the trial we decided to…”

11.  International speaking

Speaking at an international event, particularly if your language is not the preferred language of the area, requires some additional considerations that may not be as crucial in your hometown.

·      Do your homework – reference local studies, investigators, or material where it is relevant. It’s a bad look to talk only about your own country and show no consideration of where you are speaking.

·      Saying a few words in the local language, even just hello and thank you, are generally appreciated.

·      Speak more slowly if this is not your audience’s preferred language. Ensure you pause after important points to allow listeners to process.

·      If possible, use visuals rather than text to communicate your point.

·      Check that any jokes or local references are appropriate before you use them.

12.  Props and handouts

Props can help you stand out. You don’t need to use them throughout the whole talk – even briefly using one to make a key point is useful. For longer talks, consider handouts.

13.  Closing out your talk

Make it clear that you have finished your talk by saying ‘thank you’ or something similar.

Thank you.

For more content with Prof Julie Bernhardt - on stroke rehabilitation, mentoring, women in science, and more, check out our podcast.