How to give a great presentation

Many of us are asked to give grand rounds or CME presentations. Some even have the privilege of speaking at regional or national conferences. Unfortunately, being an expert on the subject does not guarantee effective speaking ability. Over the years, I have learned what makes the difference between a mediocre vs. a great presentation:

Know your audience: It is essential to design any presentation with the audience in mind. A presentation given to the lay public will certainly be different from one given to physicians.
Be prepared: Have a backup plan for the unexpected. Arrive early, so you will not be rushed. Put an extra copy of your presentation on a flash drive in case your laptop stops working. Bring handouts.
Have a catch: You only have a minute or two to capture the audience’s attention. You may share a personal anecdote or explain why this topic is important to you. Starting out by reviewing a brief case can be useful when presenting to clinicians.
Engage the audience: Make eye contact. Ask for a show of hands or use an audience response system. Encourage questions and allow the audience to share experiences.
Use an appropriate font: Do not use a microscopic font that requires binoculars to read on your presentation slides. San serif fonts are better on screen. If you have more than six lines of text, you should split the material into more than one slide. I prefer light text on dark background because it seems easier to read when projected. Dark text on a light background is more effective on printed material.
Use slide animation appropriately: Video or other media add to a presentation’s power. Animation when building a slide or transitioning between slides is interesting. However, too much is distracting. You are there to speak, not demonstrate your prowess with PowerPoint.
Be animated yourself: There are few things that ruin a presentation more quickly than speaking in monotone. Move around and use hand gestures. Vary the speed and tone of your voice. If you are not enthusiastic about your material, how can the audience be?
Use humor, but be careful: You are there to educate, not be a stand-up comedian. If you are not funny (and many of us are not), then don’t try to be. If you choose to add humor, be careful. A cartoon or joke that seems harmless to you could be offensive to someone else.
Mix it up: Slide after slide of text is boring. Alternate with slides containing charts, graphs and other media.
Don’t read the slides to the audience: They can read for themselves.
It is about you, not about the slides: Some of the most powerful presentations I have listened to were given by speakers who used few or no slides. Few can pull this off, but don’t forget the slides are to add to your presentation, not distract from it.
Take a deep breath, relax and be yourself: You already know your material or you would not have been asked to give the presentation. A few butterflies in your stomach are normal. The audience doesn’t know you are anxious. Channel this nervous energy into enthusiasm while presenting.

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