How to Give a Good TalkHow to Give a Good Talkand Why It Mattersand Why It Matters

Jang-Ho J. Cha, MD PhD

OverviewOverview• Why it mattersWhy it matters

• Good talks vs. bad talksGood talks vs. bad talks

• Telling a storyTelling a story

• AudiovisualsAudiovisuals

• How to talkHow to talk

Why it MattersWhy it Matters

• Papers don’t matter as much as you thinkPapers don’t matter as much as you think– People don’t read papers– Difficult to determine individual contribution

• Scientists are judged on their talksScientists are judged on their talks– Is this person a good scientist?– Should I invite this person as a symposium

speaker?– Should we hire this person?

Why it Really MattersWhy it Really Matters

If your audience can’t understand your talk, If your audience can’t understand your talk, they will conclude either that:they will conclude either that:

1.1. ““I am too stupid to understand this speaker,” I am too stupid to understand this speaker,” oror

2.2. ““This speaker is too stupid to make his/her This speaker is too stupid to make his/her presentation understandable.”presentation understandable.”

Either conclusion is disastrous for your career.Either conclusion is disastrous for your career.

Good TalksGood Talks

Bad TalksBad Talks

Good Talks, Bad TalksGood Talks, Bad Talks

GOOD:GOOD:

• Ends on timeEnds on time

• Spoken clearlySpoken clearly

• Easy to followEasy to follow

BAD:BAD:

• Goes over timeGoes over time

• MumblesMumbles

• Difficult to followDifficult to follow

Be a CriticBe a Critic

• In order to learn, judge other talksIn order to learn, judge other talks

• Give each talk a gradeGive each talk a grade

• If the talk was good, the speaker has If the talk was good, the speaker has done something right: emulate!done something right: emulate!

• If the talks was bad, the speaker has If the talks was bad, the speaker has done something wrong: don’t do it!done something wrong: don’t do it!

What People RememberWhat People Remember

• People listening to your talk may not People listening to your talk may not remember remember anythinganything about what you say about what you say but they will always remember how they but they will always remember how they felt about your talk.felt about your talk.

• Assume that the audience will recall at Assume that the audience will recall at most one fact about your talk: decide most one fact about your talk: decide what that is.what that is.

• So, what are people remembering?So, what are people remembering?

Logical Flow is All Important!Logical Flow is All Important!

• Great talk: “It seemed so logical!”Great talk: “It seemed so logical!”

• Scientists like to think of themselves as Scientists like to think of themselves as smart.smart.

• Construct your talk as if the next slide Construct your talk as if the next slide was the most logical thing in the world.was the most logical thing in the world.

• If you have planted the idea correctly, If you have planted the idea correctly, the audience will conclude that you are the audience will conclude that you are so smart.so smart.

Logical Flow: the Big PictureLogical Flow: the Big Picture

• Tell them where you’re going.Tell them where you’re going.–How would you review a movie?

• Do not assume that your audience will Do not assume that your audience will piece it together.piece it together.–Tell them what’s important:

• Your question• Your approach• Your conclusion

Your Ugly BabyYour Ugly Baby

• Everyone thinks their baby is beautiful. Everyone thinks their baby is beautiful. Not all babies are beautiful.Not all babies are beautiful.

• You can’t assume that people will be You can’t assume that people will be interested in your project.interested in your project.

• Every baby has redeeming qualities.Every baby has redeeming qualities.

Scientists Love a PuzzleScientists Love a Puzzle

• Get your audience to ride along with you.Get your audience to ride along with you.• Scientists can’t resist a good mystery.Scientists can’t resist a good mystery.• Set it up as a problem to be solved, and the Set it up as a problem to be solved, and the

audience will be right there with you.audience will be right there with you.• There has to be an answer at the end!There has to be an answer at the end!• The ‘question’ that you pose at the beginning The ‘question’ that you pose at the beginning

of your talk will be miraculously answered by of your talk will be miraculously answered by the data your present ---> “Ahhh!”the data your present ---> “Ahhh!”

Seminar as Musical CompositionSeminar as Musical Composition

• The essential feature is creating The essential feature is creating tensiontension and and resolutionresolution

• Tension: the unanswered questionTension: the unanswered question• Resolution: the experiment that you just Resolution: the experiment that you just

happened to performhappened to perform• If you present all of your data as ‘resolutions,’ If you present all of your data as ‘resolutions,’

your audience will be greatly impressed!your audience will be greatly impressed!

Logical Flow: How to Set It UpLogical Flow: How to Set It Up

• ““Here’s what we know”Here’s what we know”– Protein X has a PDZ domain– Other PDZ proteins bind protein Y

• ““Here’s what we don’t know”Here’s what we don’t know”– If Protein X and Y interact

• ““So, we decided to ask…” So, we decided to ask…” – Does X bind Y? – Does binding depend on the PDZ domain?

AudiovisualsAudiovisuals

• Don’t try to present all the data you canDon’t try to present all the data you can• Do try to present data in a logical fashionDo try to present data in a logical fashion• Slides should work with your talk, not against Slides should work with your talk, not against

itit• Remember: your audience is hearing it for the Remember: your audience is hearing it for the

first time.first time.– Pop vs. classical music

SlidesSlides

• Choose a high-contrast backgroundChoose a high-contrast background– White letters on blue– Black letters on light background

• Readable fontReadable font• Avoid wordsAvoid words

– If you have too many words, it makes your audience have to work too hard to read everything, and then they spend the whole time furiously trying to read what’s on the slide as opposed to listening to what you’re saying, which, of course, doesn’t help in the least. They inevitably feel like they’ve missed something.

SlidesSlides

• Avoid foofy backgrounds: detracts attentionAvoid foofy backgrounds: detracts attention– Good restaurants use white plates

• Keep the same backgroundKeep the same background– Eyes drawn to ‘novel’ stimuli

• Test your background in the lecture roomTest your background in the lecture room– “This looked great in the store.”

Chromatin Chromatin ImmunoprecipitationImmunoprecipitation

D2 NR10

2

4

6

8

Setting Up Your Data SlideSetting Up Your Data Slide

• Present your data as the answer to a Present your data as the answer to a burning questionburning question

• Example:Example:–In HD models, dopamine D2 receptor

mRNA is downregulated while NMDA NR1 mRNA is expressed normally.

–Both genes are driven by Sp1.

–Is there altered association of Sp1 with these genes?

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation: Decreased Sp1 Chromatin Immunoprecipitation: Decreased Sp1 Association with D2 gene, but not with NR1Association with D2 gene, but not with NR1

D2 NR10.0

2.5

5.0

7.57/7

7/111

111/111

SlidesSlides

• Any important point deserves a slideAny important point deserves a slide

• Use slides for transition:Use slides for transition:–Refer to your overview slide

–“Are we there yet?” Audience like to know where they are

–Conveys a sense of order to your presentation. Oh, yes!

• Do not pollute your slide!Do not pollute your slide!

DATADATA

R6/2 mice

Andrews Andrews et al. Brainet al. Brain 1999; 1999;122122:2353-63:2353-63

HD gene-positive patients

D2

PET

CTL HD

D2

bin

din

g

PPED2

PSSNR1

0

10

20

30

WTNII-

NII+Cortex

PPED2

-actinNR1

D2

NR1

0.0

2.5

5.0

7.5

7/7

7/111

111/111

How to TalkHow to Talk

• Giving a talk is not natural speechGiving a talk is not natural speech

• Must be loud!Must be loud!–Practice with someone in the back of the

room

How to TalkHow to Talk

• Not a conversation, but an orationNot a conversation, but an oration• Talk slowly!Talk slowly!

– Audience hearing it for first time– Audience reading your slides– Non-native English speakers– If you talk quickly, people assume you’re

nervous, and they become nervous. – If you talk slowly, with pauses, people assume

you’re brilliant.

How to TalkHow to Talk

• Don’t feel obligated to fill in the empty Don’t feel obligated to fill in the empty spaces.spaces.

• Practice talking “into the void”Practice talking “into the void”– Be comfortable with the sound of your own voice– Practice looking around the room– Time your talk

• Work on your enunciation and your English Work on your enunciation and your English speaking skills.speaking skills.– You are judged on how you talk

How Not to “Umm”How Not to “Umm”

• Don’t be afraid of the blank space!Don’t be afraid of the blank space!

• Listen to yourself speak.Listen to yourself speak.

• Every time you feel it coming on, take a Every time you feel it coming on, take a breath.breath.

Delivering the MessageDelivering the Message

• Beware of competition between the slides Beware of competition between the slides and what you’re sayingand what you’re saying– Helpful:

• Fewer words on screen• Clean figures• Speak slowly, leave pauses

• Do not gesticulate!Do not gesticulate!– Where do you want your audience’s eyes?

Laser PointersLaser Pointers

• Don’t wave that thing!Don’t wave that thing!–People find it visually irritating

–Detracts from what you’re saying

• Point to the item in questionPoint to the item in question

• Turn pointer off after you’ve pointed out Turn pointer off after you’ve pointed out item of interestitem of interest

Dress RehearsalDress Rehearsal

• Practice in the roomPractice in the room• Learn how to set up necessary Learn how to set up necessary

equipmentequipment• Familiarize yourself with the podium Familiarize yourself with the podium

and room acousticsand room acoustics• Practice advancing slides, using pointerPractice advancing slides, using pointer• Memorize the order of your slides:Memorize the order of your slides:

–Slide = the answer to a question–**Contributes to logical flow

Wrapping It UpWrapping It Up

• Important to finish on time.Important to finish on time. Finishing early Finishing early even better!even better!

• You will not have time to show all your data. You will not have time to show all your data. Get over it.Get over it.

• Remember: tension and resolution:Remember: tension and resolution:– Show how the data you have shown have

answered the question posed at the outset. Deliver the conclusion!

• Last chance to tell the audience what the Last chance to tell the audience what the take-home message is.take-home message is.

How to ImproveHow to Improve

• Practice. Practice. –Get used to the sound of speaking with

no one responding

• Practice again.Practice again.–Don’t look like you’re seeing the slides for

the first time.

• Practice in front of friends.Practice in front of friends.–Ask for honest feedback. No one will

spontaneously tell you you’ve given a terrible talk.

Take Home MessageTake Home Message

• Scientists are judged on their talks.Scientists are judged on their talks.

• People will People will notnot remember the content of remember the content of your talk, but they your talk, but they willwill remember if they remember if they were able to follow it.were able to follow it.

• Don’t wave the pointer.Don’t wave the pointer.

QuestionsQuestions