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Nursing and Health Sciences (2015), 17, 145–147
Editorial
Getting the message across: Delivering a quality conference presentation PAPER TWO: GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS: DELIVERING A QUALITY CONFERENCE PRESENTATION The first of these two editorials focused on making the most of attending a conference (Stone & Rossiter, 2014). This one focuses on the challenges of delivering a quality conference presentation. Although many conferences are scheduled worldwide, being selected to present generally requires undergoing a competitive selection process (Brown & Schmidt, 2009). Selection provides the opportunity to disseminate findings from research and share knowledge gained through innovation and expertise in clinical practice. If your audience is actively engaged, you are likely to receive invaluable feedback in the form of questions, encouraging and critical comments, and recommendations (Rennie, 2007 p. 206).
YOUR ABSTRACT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED Once your abstract has been accepted it is time to turn your attention to crafting a quality conference presentation. We can all recall a presentation that was inspiring and instructive. We can equally shudder as we remember the one that failed to deliver what was promised in the abstract. How do you ensure that yours is inspiring and instructive and accurately portrays your message?
THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO PRESENTING AN EXCELLENT PAPER Make sure you have printed out the conference guidelines for oral presentations and read them carefully, that you check updates in case of changes, and check the length of time allotted to you. Does this include question time? Have your abstract in front of you as you begin planning: you will need to refer back to it multiple times to ensure that you will “talk about what you promised in the abstract.” A common mistake committed by novice presenters (and by some more experienced) is attempting to cover too much material. Clearly identify the key message you want to convey. Remember, you have a brief period of time in which to speak. Choose carefully to avoid your audience feeling overwhelmed by a mass of information delivered at a rapid pace (Coughlan et al., 2013, 133). You may find it helpful to use post-it notes or a whiteboard for planning, and remind yourself that less is more. If you are using PowerPoint slides, prepare these to serve as “signposts.” NEVER prepare a presentation with all your material on slides and then read directly from them; this is often cited as the most annoying thing a presenter can do. It © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
distracts rather than assists comprehension because we read much faster than we can absorb by hearing. Your audience want to hear your narrative. Frequently it is nervousness that leads us into reading rather than talking to slides. Have your script written in the notes section or on cue cards and practice. The more you practice the less anxious you will feel. Contemporary presentations rely less on masses of data or dot points and more on arresting and relevant visuals, with the presenter talking to these. Most people relate to pictures more easily than text (Parnell, 2009). Using the bullet-point templates on PowerPoint can result in your simply reading the list of bullets to the audience (Thomas, 2014). Slides with multiple ideas/points/list items make it harder for the audience to remember each item because there is no visual point of reference. Break the dot points into multiple slides, each with a visual (image) to illustrate your narrative (Thomas, 2014) and help the audience retain and recall.Think carefully about which pictures will best illustrate the point you are making (Parnell, 2009) and ensure that images work coherently: nothing looks worse than a messy mix of graphics and photographs. Remember your audience needs to be able easily to read the material on each slide. Avoid overcrowding or small font sizes. Likewise, check your color scheme carefully for readability when projected onto a large screen and resist the urge to incorporate elaborate animations and transitions. Don McMillan’s (2008) talk on how not to use PowerPoint entitled “Life after Death by PowerPoint” (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WGiePuNFXwY) hilariously illustrates many of our points.
PRACTICE PRESENTING BEFORE THE CONFERENCE Use every opportunity to get feedback before you leave for the conference. This requires preparation in advance, rather than frantically adding finishing touches in your hotel room the night before the event. Present at an in-service, or during a lunch break; be creative in seeking opportunities to practice with your peers. Make it clear that you need feedback and questions. Encourage your peers to provide honest and constructive feedback which you can use to fine-tune the content and hone your presenting skills. While you may feel awkward asking your colleagues to listen to you practice your presentation, having as many “trial runs” as possible will prove to be invaluable. Not only will your confidence be enhanced, you will have less need to read verbatim from your written notes, and most importantly you will know how long it will take to deliver (Coxall, 2009; Templeton, 2010). As a rough rule of thumb, you should not have more than one slide per minute of speaking time (Parnell, 2009). doi: 10.1111/nhs.12204
146
Will a colleague be presenting the paper with you? Work closely with your co-presenter to keep it tightly tailored to the time available. If you are to speak first, it is crucial to adhere precisely to time; excessive talking in the first half will cause your co-presenter to be rushed and flustered, diminishing the audience’s appreciation of the climax. At the risk of being repetitive, practice, practice, and practice again (Golash-Boza, 2011). Is your’s one of a suite of presentations? This is where practice before the conference will result in lower stress levels and less anxiety. When awaiting your turn to speak, focus on your fellow panellists’ presentations. Take notes as if you were in the audience, thinking carefully about the relationship between their paper and yours: this will enable you to draw attention to connections with earlier presentations, and at question time to refer to another panelist in your response. Think of potential questions to ask of others; nothing is more uncomfortable than being the only one whose project does not elicit questions or comments. Helping colleagues not only saves face but gets some feedback on their research (that is what conferences are about, after all), and will make you sought-after for future speaking engagements (Coxall, 2009).
BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR THE CONFERENCE Back-up, back-up, and back-up. Think of all your worst-case scenarios and be sure to have all bases covered. Check that your presentation is in a form compatible with conference hardware. Have at least two copies on a USB stick in two different places in your luggage. Email it to yourself or use a cloud solution. Load your talk promptly on arrival at the venue, and have a back-up plan for any malfunction of video or audio links. If the scheduling allows, check the lectern, verify that your material has been loaded correctly, and you can navigate the electronic platform.
DELIVERY TIME Wear something you feel comfortable in, act as if you are confident (even if you are not), and do not disqualify yourself initially by saying something like “I hope this is not boring,” or “I am not really the right person to be talking about this,” because instantly you undermine your credibility. Engage with your audience: what is in it for them to listen to you? Show you are aware of their needs: “I know I am the only obstacle between you and your lunch, so I will make your time as enjoyable as possible: this will be especially pertinent for those of you working in clinical areas.” To ensure that you do not bore your audience to tears, remember this is not the time to read an essay; instead tell a story. Coleman (2014) reminds us “Neuroscience has shown that the human brain was wired for narrative.” A presentation that is primarily a recitation of statistics and figures is unlikely to “get your message across.” “Ten minutes of speaking is only about 1300 words.” Audience absorption of your key points and argument requires clarity, brevity, and succinct short sentences. The worst thing you can do is go over time. It is extremely rude © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
Editorial
and reflects badly on your organizational skills to continue speaking despite signals indicating that “time is up.” Keeping to time is a sign of respect for other panellists, and your audience (Coxall, 2009).
QUESTION TIME Many people say that they are most worried about question time: perhaps being unable to answer the question, or someone finding a mistake in the presented work or becoming hostile. Thank a questioner, and then check that you understand the question: “Please can I clarify . . . do you mean. . . .” There is no shame in saying, “I am not sure I fully understand your question; could we please meet later because I am very interested in your point of view.” If an apparent mistake in your data or methodology is mentioned, again give thanks for the excellent point and say you will carefully review your work. Hostile or aggressive questioners are often tackled by fellow audience members or the session chair. If they will not desist, stay calm and say something like “I would be happy to talk about it afterwards, if we can do so civilly” (Pannell, 2011). Question time may be a particular concern for people whose English is not their first language. You can prepare for this by rehearsing your talk, with answers in English for questions you anticipate. One trick is to have available at the end of your PowerPoint talk additional slides to cover these questions (Pannell, 2011). They may not be needed every time, but are a useful aid to answering questions authoritatively. We hope this advice is helpful, and we look forward to seeing you at a conference in the near future! Rachel Cathrine Rossiter, RN, BHltSc MN(NP) HScD College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, UAE Population & Social Health Research Program, Griffith University, Australia Teresa Elizabeth Stone, RN, RMN, BA, MHM, PhD Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan
REFERENCES Brown JM, Schmidt NA. Strategies for making oral presentations about clinical issues: part II. At professional conferences. J. Contin. Educ. Nurs. 2009; 40: 198–199. Coleman J. A speech is not an essay. Harvard Business Review Blog Network, September 11. 2014. [Cited 28 Oct 2014.] Available from URL: http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/09/a-speech-is-not-an-essay/ Coughlan M, Cronin P, Ryan F. Doing a Literature Review in Nursing, Health and Social Care. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2013. Coxall B. How to hack a conference (AKA attend one productively). The Chronicle of Higher Education 2009. [Cited 2 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/howto-hack-a-conference-aka-attend-one-productively/22891 Golash-Boza TM. How to give a fabulous academic presentation: five tips to follow Get a Life. PhD: succeed in academia and have a life tool 2011. [Cited 2 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http:// getalifephd.blogspot.jp/2011/04/how-to-give-fabulous-academic .html
Editorial
McMillan D. Life after death by PowerPoint. 2008. [Cited 2 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= WGiePuNFXwY Pannell D. Answering questions after presenting a seminar or conference paper. 2011. [Cited 2 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http:// www.pannelldiscussions.net/2011/03/181-answering-questions-after -presenting-a-seminar-or-conference-paper/ Parnell D. PowerPoint tips. 2009. [Cited 2 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http://www.pannelldiscussions.net/2009/03/147-powerpointtips/ Rennie L. Assisting candidates with conference and seminar presentations. In: Denholm C, Evans T (eds). Supervising Doctorates
147
Downunder. Camberwell, Victoria: Australian Council for Educational Research, 2007; 200–207. Stone T, Rossiter R. Making the most of conference attendance. Nurs. Health Sci. 2014; 16: 275–276. Templeton EE. How to deliver an effective conference paper. The Chronicle of Higher Education 2010. [Cited 12 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/deliveringan-effective-conference-paper Thomas J. Five tips to help avoid reading your slides. 2014. [Cited 2 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http://www.presentationadvisors .com/5-tips-to-help-avoid-reading-your-slides
© 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
Copyright of Nursing & Health Sciences is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
Nursing and Health Sciences (2015), 17, 145–147
Editorial
Getting the message across: Delivering a quality conference presentation PAPER TWO: GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS: DELIVERING A QUALITY CONFERENCE PRESENTATION The first of these two editorials focused on making the most of attending a conference (Stone & Rossiter, 2014). This one focuses on the challenges of delivering a quality conference presentation. Although many conferences are scheduled worldwide, being selected to present generally requires undergoing a competitive selection process (Brown & Schmidt, 2009). Selection provides the opportunity to disseminate findings from research and share knowledge gained through innovation and expertise in clinical practice. If your audience is actively engaged, you are likely to receive invaluable feedback in the form of questions, encouraging and critical comments, and recommendations (Rennie, 2007 p. 206).
YOUR ABSTRACT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED Once your abstract has been accepted it is time to turn your attention to crafting a quality conference presentation. We can all recall a presentation that was inspiring and instructive. We can equally shudder as we remember the one that failed to deliver what was promised in the abstract. How do you ensure that yours is inspiring and instructive and accurately portrays your message?
THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO PRESENTING AN EXCELLENT PAPER Make sure you have printed out the conference guidelines for oral presentations and read them carefully, that you check updates in case of changes, and check the length of time allotted to you. Does this include question time? Have your abstract in front of you as you begin planning: you will need to refer back to it multiple times to ensure that you will “talk about what you promised in the abstract.” A common mistake committed by novice presenters (and by some more experienced) is attempting to cover too much material. Clearly identify the key message you want to convey. Remember, you have a brief period of time in which to speak. Choose carefully to avoid your audience feeling overwhelmed by a mass of information delivered at a rapid pace (Coughlan et al., 2013, 133). You may find it helpful to use post-it notes or a whiteboard for planning, and remind yourself that less is more. If you are using PowerPoint slides, prepare these to serve as “signposts.” NEVER prepare a presentation with all your material on slides and then read directly from them; this is often cited as the most annoying thing a presenter can do. It © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
distracts rather than assists comprehension because we read much faster than we can absorb by hearing. Your audience want to hear your narrative. Frequently it is nervousness that leads us into reading rather than talking to slides. Have your script written in the notes section or on cue cards and practice. The more you practice the less anxious you will feel. Contemporary presentations rely less on masses of data or dot points and more on arresting and relevant visuals, with the presenter talking to these. Most people relate to pictures more easily than text (Parnell, 2009). Using the bullet-point templates on PowerPoint can result in your simply reading the list of bullets to the audience (Thomas, 2014). Slides with multiple ideas/points/list items make it harder for the audience to remember each item because there is no visual point of reference. Break the dot points into multiple slides, each with a visual (image) to illustrate your narrative (Thomas, 2014) and help the audience retain and recall.Think carefully about which pictures will best illustrate the point you are making (Parnell, 2009) and ensure that images work coherently: nothing looks worse than a messy mix of graphics and photographs. Remember your audience needs to be able easily to read the material on each slide. Avoid overcrowding or small font sizes. Likewise, check your color scheme carefully for readability when projected onto a large screen and resist the urge to incorporate elaborate animations and transitions. Don McMillan’s (2008) talk on how not to use PowerPoint entitled “Life after Death by PowerPoint” (http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WGiePuNFXwY) hilariously illustrates many of our points.
PRACTICE PRESENTING BEFORE THE CONFERENCE Use every opportunity to get feedback before you leave for the conference. This requires preparation in advance, rather than frantically adding finishing touches in your hotel room the night before the event. Present at an in-service, or during a lunch break; be creative in seeking opportunities to practice with your peers. Make it clear that you need feedback and questions. Encourage your peers to provide honest and constructive feedback which you can use to fine-tune the content and hone your presenting skills. While you may feel awkward asking your colleagues to listen to you practice your presentation, having as many “trial runs” as possible will prove to be invaluable. Not only will your confidence be enhanced, you will have less need to read verbatim from your written notes, and most importantly you will know how long it will take to deliver (Coxall, 2009; Templeton, 2010). As a rough rule of thumb, you should not have more than one slide per minute of speaking time (Parnell, 2009). doi: 10.1111/nhs.12204
146
Will a colleague be presenting the paper with you? Work closely with your co-presenter to keep it tightly tailored to the time available. If you are to speak first, it is crucial to adhere precisely to time; excessive talking in the first half will cause your co-presenter to be rushed and flustered, diminishing the audience’s appreciation of the climax. At the risk of being repetitive, practice, practice, and practice again (Golash-Boza, 2011). Is your’s one of a suite of presentations? This is where practice before the conference will result in lower stress levels and less anxiety. When awaiting your turn to speak, focus on your fellow panellists’ presentations. Take notes as if you were in the audience, thinking carefully about the relationship between their paper and yours: this will enable you to draw attention to connections with earlier presentations, and at question time to refer to another panelist in your response. Think of potential questions to ask of others; nothing is more uncomfortable than being the only one whose project does not elicit questions or comments. Helping colleagues not only saves face but gets some feedback on their research (that is what conferences are about, after all), and will make you sought-after for future speaking engagements (Coxall, 2009).
BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR THE CONFERENCE Back-up, back-up, and back-up. Think of all your worst-case scenarios and be sure to have all bases covered. Check that your presentation is in a form compatible with conference hardware. Have at least two copies on a USB stick in two different places in your luggage. Email it to yourself or use a cloud solution. Load your talk promptly on arrival at the venue, and have a back-up plan for any malfunction of video or audio links. If the scheduling allows, check the lectern, verify that your material has been loaded correctly, and you can navigate the electronic platform.
DELIVERY TIME Wear something you feel comfortable in, act as if you are confident (even if you are not), and do not disqualify yourself initially by saying something like “I hope this is not boring,” or “I am not really the right person to be talking about this,” because instantly you undermine your credibility. Engage with your audience: what is in it for them to listen to you? Show you are aware of their needs: “I know I am the only obstacle between you and your lunch, so I will make your time as enjoyable as possible: this will be especially pertinent for those of you working in clinical areas.” To ensure that you do not bore your audience to tears, remember this is not the time to read an essay; instead tell a story. Coleman (2014) reminds us “Neuroscience has shown that the human brain was wired for narrative.” A presentation that is primarily a recitation of statistics and figures is unlikely to “get your message across.” “Ten minutes of speaking is only about 1300 words.” Audience absorption of your key points and argument requires clarity, brevity, and succinct short sentences. The worst thing you can do is go over time. It is extremely rude © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
Editorial
and reflects badly on your organizational skills to continue speaking despite signals indicating that “time is up.” Keeping to time is a sign of respect for other panellists, and your audience (Coxall, 2009).
QUESTION TIME Many people say that they are most worried about question time: perhaps being unable to answer the question, or someone finding a mistake in the presented work or becoming hostile. Thank a questioner, and then check that you understand the question: “Please can I clarify . . . do you mean. . . .” There is no shame in saying, “I am not sure I fully understand your question; could we please meet later because I am very interested in your point of view.” If an apparent mistake in your data or methodology is mentioned, again give thanks for the excellent point and say you will carefully review your work. Hostile or aggressive questioners are often tackled by fellow audience members or the session chair. If they will not desist, stay calm and say something like “I would be happy to talk about it afterwards, if we can do so civilly” (Pannell, 2011). Question time may be a particular concern for people whose English is not their first language. You can prepare for this by rehearsing your talk, with answers in English for questions you anticipate. One trick is to have available at the end of your PowerPoint talk additional slides to cover these questions (Pannell, 2011). They may not be needed every time, but are a useful aid to answering questions authoritatively. We hope this advice is helpful, and we look forward to seeing you at a conference in the near future! Rachel Cathrine Rossiter, RN, BHltSc MN(NP) HScD College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, UAE Population & Social Health Research Program, Griffith University, Australia Teresa Elizabeth Stone, RN, RMN, BA, MHM, PhD Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan
REFERENCES Brown JM, Schmidt NA. Strategies for making oral presentations about clinical issues: part II. At professional conferences. J. Contin. Educ. Nurs. 2009; 40: 198–199. Coleman J. A speech is not an essay. Harvard Business Review Blog Network, September 11. 2014. [Cited 28 Oct 2014.] Available from URL: http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/09/a-speech-is-not-an-essay/ Coughlan M, Cronin P, Ryan F. Doing a Literature Review in Nursing, Health and Social Care. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2013. Coxall B. How to hack a conference (AKA attend one productively). The Chronicle of Higher Education 2009. [Cited 2 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/howto-hack-a-conference-aka-attend-one-productively/22891 Golash-Boza TM. How to give a fabulous academic presentation: five tips to follow Get a Life. PhD: succeed in academia and have a life tool 2011. [Cited 2 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http:// getalifephd.blogspot.jp/2011/04/how-to-give-fabulous-academic .html
Editorial
McMillan D. Life after death by PowerPoint. 2008. [Cited 2 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= WGiePuNFXwY Pannell D. Answering questions after presenting a seminar or conference paper. 2011. [Cited 2 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http:// www.pannelldiscussions.net/2011/03/181-answering-questions-after -presenting-a-seminar-or-conference-paper/ Parnell D. PowerPoint tips. 2009. [Cited 2 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http://www.pannelldiscussions.net/2009/03/147-powerpointtips/ Rennie L. Assisting candidates with conference and seminar presentations. In: Denholm C, Evans T (eds). Supervising Doctorates
147
Downunder. Camberwell, Victoria: Australian Council for Educational Research, 2007; 200–207. Stone T, Rossiter R. Making the most of conference attendance. Nurs. Health Sci. 2014; 16: 275–276. Templeton EE. How to deliver an effective conference paper. The Chronicle of Higher Education 2010. [Cited 12 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/deliveringan-effective-conference-paper Thomas J. Five tips to help avoid reading your slides. 2014. [Cited 2 Nov 2014.] Available from URL: http://www.presentationadvisors .com/5-tips-to-help-avoid-reading-your-slides
© 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
Copyright of Nursing & Health Sciences is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
