HOW TO MAKE A GREAT TALK

by Dina F. Mandoli Designed for the MCB Graduate Program at University of Washington Modified for ASPB

HOW TO VIEW THIS PRESENTATION

Hi! Please view this presentation in edit mode so that I can narrate to you via the notes feature in the panel directly below the slide image. When there is an animation that I would like you to look at, I will direct you to go into slide show mode.

Dina Mandoli

DESIGNING A GREAT TALK

I. TYPES OF TALKS
II. STRUCTURAL FEATURES A. MECHANICS B. TONE AND FLOW

DESIGNING A GREAT TALK

I. TYPES OF TALKS
II. STRUCTURAL FEATURES A. MECHANICS B. TONE AND FLOW

DESIGNING A GREAT TALK

I. TYPES OF TALKS Formal Informal Spontaneous 12 minute 45 minute Job.arghhhh!!

TYPES OF TALKS
Formal - practice timing! Informal - no rambling allowed

Spontaneous - important, overlooked

12 minute - has one punch line

45 minute - has 1 or 2 themes

Job - practice, practice, practice

DESIGNING A GREAT TALK

I. TYPES OF TALKS
II. STRUCTURAL FEATURES A. MECHANICS B. TONE AND FLOW

DESIGNING A GREAT TALK

II. STRUCTURAL FEATURES A. MECHANICS

Audience rapport Organization Flow of ideas Crystallizing ideas Style

Adapting to the circumstance Personal appearance Audience rapport Pace of the talk

B. TONE & FLOW

DESIGNING A GREAT TALK

II. STRUCTURAL FEATURES A. MECHANICS

Audience rapport Organization Flow of ideas Crystallizing ideas Style

Adapting to the circumstance Personal appearance Audience rapport Pace of the talk

B. TONE & FLOW

AUDIENCE RAPPORT
Say hi.
Earn their trust.

Keep their trust.

Say bye.

ORGANIZATION
IntroductionRationaleResultsSummary

Share your organization; sub-summary slides mark sections, define logic, crystallize ideas;
transitions; have a clear endingThank you

ORGANIZATIONAL AIDS
Facts about people:
Their thoughts stray during a 45 minute talk. They need repetition both to remember things

and to crystallize & integrate new information.

They need to trust a speaker to learn.

FLOW OF IDEAS
Make what you want the audience to know OBVIOUS from the start of the talk - tell them the punch line first. Remind the audience of where you have been, where you are going and why often enough that they follow your train of thought.

Remember to

WHY CRYSTALLIZE IDEAS?

Cements concepts and integrates data. Gives the chance for folks who drifted off or were drawing a cartoon to catch up. Relieves stress of folks who didnt get it. Allows folks with different learning styles or from different backgrounds to see where you are going.

CRYSTALLIZING IDEAS
You know the work better than anyone!

Simple slides help the audience: Hypothesis Ifthen,; logic We reasoned that; titles that are informative; sub-summary; overall summary.

STYLE
Depends on your comfort zone & personality.
Jokes Sunsets Backgrounds Font Colors Show and tell Bullets Transitions Movies Animation.

Depends on the audience you are addressing.

TRACING THE ROOTS OF THINGS IS NOT OBVIOUS

Science, 1993, Random Samples, 161:679

DESIGNING A GREAT TALK

II. STRUCTURAL FEATURES A. MECHANICS

Audience rapport Organization Flow of ideas Crystallizing ideas Style

Adapting to the circumstance Personal appearance Audience rapport Pace of the talk

B. TONE & FLOW

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE, KNOW YOUR ROOM, KNOW YOUR TIMING, KNOW YOURSELF.
Kindergarteners versus adults Big versus little Short versus long Reminders & transitions

GETTING THE ATTENTION OF THE AUDIENCE

Please guess the amount of time that you have to get the attention of your audience and what you should wear for a talk. Now, please go into slide show mode to see some answers. Do take the time to look at the URLs. They are amusing if nothing else

THE 11 SECOND RULE

What is the occasion? What is the message? What are the consequences?
http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_success.html http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_men.html
Men - dress suit with tie - slacks & a jacket pipe - jeans and T-shirt Women - dress with heels - suit with skirt - suit with pants - coordinates with jacket - jeans and T-shirt - power accessories

Please exit slide show mode now.

THE 11 SECOND RULE

What is the occasion? What is the message? What are the consequences?
http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_success.html http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_men.html
Men - dress suit with tie - slacks & a jacket pipe - jeans and T-shirt Women - dress with heels - suit with skirt - suit with pants - coordinates with jacket - jeans and T-shirt - power accessories

WHY SHOULD I CARE?

Be enthusiastic

Be present (Puzzled?)
Be interactive (violate borders)

AUDIENCE RAPPORT
Interact at many levels:
Establish rapport with body language; keep it with a loud, clear voice ; and open body language; keep eye contact with audience, give them space to think; match the depth/breadth of the information to their needs.

THE RELATIVE VALUE OF WAYS OF COMMUNICATING

What is the relative impact of your body language, your tone and your words? On the next slide you will see the answers so get your guesses in mind and then go to slide show mode. Again, do take the time to look at the URLs.

PACE OF THE TALK

Memorize
Intro sentence, transitions, summary

Pick highs & lows, then emphasize with:

body language ( 55%) http://skepdic.com/neurolin.html pauses; slow down or speed up delivery ( 38%); an extra slide; the words you choose ( 7%).
http://entrepreneurs.about.com/cs/marketing/a/uc062003.htm

Please exit slide show mode.

PACE OF THE TALK

Memorize
Intro sentence, transitions, summary

Pick highs & lows, then emphasize with:

body language ( 55%) http://skepdic.com/neurolin.html pauses; slow down or speed up delivery ( 38%); an extra slide; the words you choose ( 7%).
http://entrepreneurs.about.com/cs/marketing/a/uc062003.htm

AND ONE LAST THING

Mind your manners!
In words (Tommy, ) In tone
(matching the context)

In physical displays!
(gender based interactions and self-stroking)

POWER asymMETRIES
Mirroring level of interaction (emails)
Always err on the side of politeness

Avoid fawning
Avoid self-erasure Avoid sliding into another mode near the end of the interaction.

DESIGNING A GREAT TALK

I. TYPES OF TALKS Formal Informal Spontaneous 12 minute 45 minute Job.arghhhh!! II. STRUCTURAL FEATURES Audience rapport Organization Pace of talk Flow of ideas Crystallizing ideas Style