Tips to Make Your Next Teaching Presentation Better Than Your Last, Part 2

As physicians and teachers, we often are asked to present information to colleagues, students, the public, and patients. Recall I made a promise last month? I said that after you read this 2-part guest commentary, I promised you will learn several tactics and skills that will make your next presentation go better than your last. This skill set is important to us as medical professionals, because success in our careers very much depends upon the way in which we present ourselves and our information when we speak to our colleagues, students, patients, and the public.

The first part of the series concentrated on presenting yourself in a positive manner and the effective use of audiovisuals (including PowerPoint) during presentations. This final article will provide 10 essential tips for successful presentations.

TOP 10 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR PRESENTATIONS

Why did I choose “Top 10 Tips?” I did so for 2 reasons. First, would you stay interested if I had offered to discuss the “Top 84 Tips to Improve Your Presentations”? Probably not. Second, each evening during the 30 years he was on TV, David Letterman shared a top 10 list with his audience, and this phrase has become well-known. The title also has catchy alliteration. Also, it illustrates that it is acceptable to have fun with your presentations, which will improve the connection with your audience.

TIP #10: MEET THE NEEDS OF THE AUDIENCE

The key principle a speaker should consider is to identify what the audience wants or needs to know about the topic being presented. Many a speaker makes the mistake of presenting large amounts of data to an audience, because he or she is very interested in the topic.

I know whenever I walk into a lecture hall to speak, the audience has 3 questions in mind. So what? Who cares? What’s in it for me? If I can answer those questions at the beginning of my presentation, I have “hooked” the audience and made them care. They definitely will want to hear more about the topic.

An example of an effective opening might be the following: “If we stay connected over the next 30 minutes, I will make you a promise: I promise you will learn several tactics and skills that will make your next presentation go better than your last. This skill set important to us as medical professionals, because success in our careers very much depends upon the way in which we present ourselves and our information when we speak to our colleagues, our students, our patients, and the public.”

TIP #9: HAVE A CLEAR PURPOSE WHEN CREATING YOUR PRESENTATION

You need to determine the goals that you wish to accomplish during your presentation before you put it together. This will help you stay on task. For example, your goals might be to educate, to motivate, to garner patient referrals, to get research funding, to entertain, or to demonstrate. If appropriate, I often list these goals in one of the first slides of my presentation. You will notice that I listed the goals of this chapter for you, the reader, in my introductory comments. Remember, there is a difference between the subject of your presentation, its title (which should be provocative or catchy), and the purpose (which are your goals).

TIP #8: ORGANIZE THE PRESENTATION

We have already discussed the importance of a strong opening statement that sets the stage for your presentation and will make your audience want to hear more. The body of your presentation should emphasize only a limited number of points. People will remember very few specifics from a 30-minute presentation, yet many speakers overwhelm their audiences with fact after fact after fact.

On the other hand, your audience will be much more likely to remember stories. That is why case presentations (stories) are so effective in keeping the audience’s attention as well as making key teaching points. If a speaker presents several cases with teaching points during a 30-minute presentation, the audience will stay more connected and therefore will remember more take-home points.

It is also very important to have a strong closing. The audience keys on and remembers your summary better than any other part of the presentation. Do not blow that opportunity. For example, a statement such as, “Oh, this is my final slide, I guess I’m finished,” is not a strong closing. You must signal that the end of the presentation is coming by crisply stating these words, “In summary,” so that you will capture the attention of the audience, and they will know that what you are about to say next is vitally important. Another tactic that is often used in closing is to say, “If you remember only 3 things from today’s presentation, please remember the following ...”

TIP #7: ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY INFORMATION

Remember, you are an expert in the area about which you are presenting. You may be enthusiastic and passionate about every minute detail of the subject. However, your audience does not want or need to know everything you know about the topic. Therefore, cut down the information that you present, and keep your key messages simple. The 18th century French author and satirist, Voltaire, is credited with the quotation “The secret of being a bore is to tell everything.” This sentiment certainly applies today when we are teaching.

TIP #6: DO NOT GO OVER TIME

There is nothing more upsetting to an audience than a speaker who exceeds the allotted time for a presentation. It is difficult for a presenter to know exactly how long a presentation will take without practicing it out loud beforehand at a comfortable pace. If you only practice silently to yourself, the presentation will take less time than it will when you actually present aloud to an audience. It is disappointing to see how few speakers take the time to practice and time their presentation beforehand and, consequently, exceed their allotted time.

(Tips #5-#1 on next page)

TIP #5: CONCENTRATE ON DELIVERY

Your delivery will make the difference between a memorable presentation and a forgettable one. When speaking, make sure the pace is appropriate for easy listening. Many presenters simply speak way too fast. The audience cannot process words coming at them at a very fast pace, and they will not stay connected. Remember, when you are listening to a speaker, you often are momentarily distracted and are thinking about other things. As long as the speaker’s pace is slow and comfortable, you can stay connected, listen to the speaker, and still occasionally think about other things. But if the speaker’s pace is very fast, it is often impossible to process information at that pace and, in the end, you and the rest of the audience simply tune out. Keep the pace slow and comfortable.

A speaker also must master the use of the pause. The pause allows the audience to have a momentary break, it allows the speaker to think of their next idea and exactly how they wish to phrase it, and it is the antidote for the unprofessional and distracting “ums” and “ahs.” Speakers often use these utterances as fillers while trying to think of the next word or thought. The pause—saying nothing for a moment or 2—will cure this distracting habit. To a speaker, a short pause seems like an eternity of silence, but to an audience, it is simply a brief respite.

One of the most important things you can do, when speaking with slides, is arrive at the venue early to make sure that the computer can be positioned between you and your audience. This allows you to face the audience while speaking without turning your back to look at a screen to see your slides. It also is imperative to get there early so you can be sure that everything works (computer, slides, microphone, etc.) and understand how everything works so that you are not embarrassed while presenting.

Avoid the “laser moth,” when a speaker inadvertently uses the handheld laser pointer to continuously circle words and phrases on a PowerPoint slide. It can be very distracting, looking like a moth on the screen. One need not use a laser to point to words on a slide. The audience is capable of reading the slides. Lasers are useful in pointing out specific areas in x-rays or photographs, but they are not necessary to point out words on text slides.

TIP #4: MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION A PERFORMANCE

This is one of the most difficult concepts for medical professionals to embrace. By making it a performance, I do not suggest that you wear a costume, tell jokes, or tap dance. However, it is important to use techniques that will connect you to your audience. One of the easiest and most important is to simply smile. Audiences want speakers to be successful, and they want to feel connected. Smiling at appropriate times during your presentation will accomplish this. It is amazing how often speakers concentrate so much on the details and facts in their presentation (that will not be remembered anyway) that they are actually frowning, not smiling. This is a turnoff to the audience and makes the speaker appear unapproachable.

Another way to connect with the audience is by showing passion and enthusiasm about the topic you are presenting. Few things are more distressing to an audience then an unemotional speaker with a soft, monotonous voice. The best way to understand the way you come across to an audience is to watch a video recording of one of your presentations. While you may feel anxious just thinking about watching one of your own presentations, I assure you that it can be one of the most meaningful learning experiences that you can have.

Audiences love to hear stories and look at pictures. This also is true for physician audiences. They are interested in stories about yourself and how you got interested in the topic, and physician audiences especially connect with patient cases or stories.

Remember, audiences will attend your presentation to be educated, but they also want to be entertained. You can entertain with humor, photographs, videos, cases, and sharing memorable interactions with patients. I call this technique “edu-tainment.” Bear in mind that the audience will remember you through your smile, enthusiasm, stories, and pictures long after they leave the room.

TIP #3: HANDLING NERVOUSNESS

Public speaking is one of our biggest fears. It has been stated, only half-jokingly, that most people at a funeral would rather be in the coffin than be forced to deliver the eulogy. Therefore, most of us, if we are honest, can admit to feeling nervous before a big presentation. It is important to remember that most anxiety does not show. Again, if you doubt this, I suggest you watch a video of yourself giving a presentation. I have done this exercise with many individuals at presentation skills workshops all over the world. Virtually all of the speakers said they felt nervous while being video recorded, but they agreed that the nervousness did not show through to the audience.

However, sometimes when a person is nervous, the parasympathetic nerves are activated, and the mouth gets dry. This can cause one’s voice to crack and can interfere with volume and projection. Therefore, it is always reasonable to keep well hydrated prior to a presentation, and to have a glass of water available at the lectern if needed. It is probably not advisable to gulp down a carbonated soft drink before taking the stage. Not only might you feel more nervous if the drink contains caffeine, but also the carbonation might result in an embarrassing belch.

TIP #2: USE APPROPRIATE HUMOR

If humor is part of your personality, do not be afraid to use it during your presentation. If humor is not part of your personality, you do not need to use it. However, if you do use humor, use appropriate humor. The most appropriate humor is self-deprecating humor. When speakers make fun of themselves, it makes them appear genuine and humble, and helps forge a connection with the audience. Occasionally, while on stage a speaker will tease another speaker or a friend in the audience. This does not come across well, and it often makes the presenter appear mean-spirited, even though that was never the intention.

TIP #1: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

I urge you to take every opportunity to do teaching presentations, and to take the time to practice them beforehand using the tips that you have read about here. The more often you practice the presentation, the better it will be.

Have somebody whom you trust and respect listen to you practice your presentation prior to delivery and offer you constructive critiquing. Listening openly to a constructive critique, along with watching yourself present on video, can be your most valuable learning experiences.

In summary, my goals for this 2-part series of articles were to get your buy-in that medical professionals need strong presentation skills, to teach you tips to improve your presentations, to motivate you to use these skills when creating presentations, and to improve your ability to constructively critique your own presentations and those of your colleagues. I hope I have met these goals.

And if you remember only 3 things from these articles, remember to meet the needs of your audience (answer the 3 questions, “So what?” “Who cares?” and “What’s in it for me?”), to organize the presentation (an opening hook, a limited number of teaching points, and a strong closing), and make it a performance (engage your audience by smiling, including stories, and showing enthusiasm). If you remember these simple tips, I guarantee your next presentation will go better than your last!

Scott Litin, MD, is a professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN. He has directed numerous regional, national, and international CME meetings. In this role, he has heard and critiqued over 2000 presentations. He has become well-known nationally as a public speaking coach and teacher for medical professionals. He is frequently invited as a visiting professor to medical centers to lecture and run workshops on effective public speaking.