How to prepare for a presentation at a scientific conference: preparation rules

(How to prepare a speech at a conference so that it turns out to be serious enough, but not soporific for the audience)

The whole world will know about your ideas and discoveries only if you present them correctly. To do this, you need to write a plan for the report, supporting text, visual support, add something original, and also overcome the fear of public speaking. To facilitate and speed up the process of preparing for a presentation at a scientific conference, we have collected practical tips and life hacks in one article.

Features of any conference

A conference is an event whose purpose is to introduce valuable and interesting ideas to the scientific world. And the quality of the presentation of these ideas will determine how many people will hear and become interested in your topic.

It is at such events that sponsors often look for “victims” - applicants for research grants.
This is why serious preparation for the conference is so important. But to do this, you need to know in what order it takes place and what to expect from the event:

Each participant in a scientific conference must register some time before its start. This is necessary so that the organizers can plan the presentations and group topics into areas, create a program for visitors, and then distribute to the participants the priority number for their presentations.
Each conference has its own purpose and theme, which the organizer, philanthropist or sponsor talks about at the beginning. This is called the ceremonial part.
Invitees are seated in pre-planned places - thematic sections. Speeches begin, which everyone listens to, and then they slowly delve into it and take part in the discussions.
After all the performances there is a buffet - here those who are especially heated will be able to cool down their ardor, the speakers will be able to take a breath, and everyone who wants to will be able to make new acquaintances and chat with old acquaintances.
Sometimes visitors from other countries and cities are provided with a sightseeing program or other entertainment activities.
The final stage is the publication of a collection of scientific papers presented at the conference.

Voice the statistics

A bold statement containing statistical data is ideal for persuading the audience to listen to your recommendations and follow them in the future. The main thing is that these numbers are directly related to the main message of your speech.

For example, the vice president of sales for a leading US healthcare company successfully markets hospital software using this method. She begins with dry but impressive numbers: “Medical errors have become the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. We are talking about 400 thousand cases a year. This is much more than previously thought. We want to create a world without medical errors, and we need your help."

Preparing a report for a conference: thinking through the speech

When preparing to speak at a scientific conference, you should start by thinking through your speech:

Audience analysis . By identifying who is in front of you, it will be easier to understand people's needs and problems. With this information in mind, you can craft a great speech.
Pre-planning . You need to start thinking through your speech long before you sit down at the computer to write it. Start about a month in advance, always keep a pen and a piece of paper nearby. Write down interesting speech patterns and thoughts that you can later use in your speech. The main task is to answer the question of how you can solve the audience’s problems.
Highlighting the main idea . Psychologists say that people remember up to 7 thoughts from one speech. But the entire speech should be built on one idea. Think carefully about your conference preparation plan: one main idea and several thoughts!
Audience satisfaction . Think not about what needs to be said, but about what the audience wants to hear from you, how you can solve their problems with your speech. The main mistake speakers make is talking about themselves. Viewers don't like to hear about someone else, they like to hear about solutions to their problems.
Call to action . Before you start speaking, you must understand the end goal: what action do you want the audience to take after the talk is finished?
One minute rule . A one-minute speech requires an hour of preparation. If the speech lasts 15 minutes, then you will have to spend at least 15 hours on it, including preparing the presentation.
Search for the optimal strategy . There are no universal speakers. What may be great for one person may be uncomfortable for another. You need to find your own style: pace, genre, visual component, etc. You can make presentations in different ways: mindmap, sticker map, mental planning, abstracts, PowerPoint presentation, speech design. Find one that makes you comfortable, try new ones, experiment.
Response . If you are well versed in the topic of the report, consider yourself to have a problem: you cannot think objectively and look at the problem with a fresh look from the outside. Actively ask the audience for help, let them leave feedback.

The main idea of the speech is a reason for visitors to think about the problem long before the conference. As a result, people will come to the speech prepared, with their thoughts and questions

Give the participants a task

The format of the task can also seem bullshit - it immediately seems that you are asking listeners to stand up and start exchanging business cards or hugs. In fact, the task is soft and does not require active action from the listeners. For example, show a picture and ask to guess what it is. Or offer a choice between two options.

Memory champion Joshua Faure began his presentation with a simple task: close his eyes and imagine everything he was saying. Faure offered unexpected and absurd images: for example, Britney Spears dancing on your coffee table. In the middle of the speech, the speaker returned to this exercise - the audience remembered the strange images just as vividly 15 minutes later.

Preparing the text of the speech

The optimal speaking time is 10-15 minutes, of which 5 minutes are devoted to questions from the audience.

The speed of measured speaking is approximately 100 words per minute. It turns out that the entire speech should fit into 2 sheets of printed text in 12-point size.

“It takes more than 3 weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech,” said the famous writer Mark Twain

Here is the approximate content of any conference abstract:

definition of a scientific problem, familiarization with the purpose and objectives of the research;
stages and progress of the research (how the hypothesis was proven, whether the problem was solved);
scientific novelty and value, personal contribution of the speaker and results.

Remember: the maximum concentration of listeners’ attention is at the very beginning of the report. Try to put the most meaning into this part.

Keep sentences short and simple, avoid introductory constructions. This complicates speech comprehension and wastes valuable time.

It’s best when the sentences are as short as possible and look like abstracts: this way the audience will remember more thoughts.

Don't forget to define complex terms.

An ideal speech is 1-2 minutes shorter than the time allotted to the speaker by the organizers.

When preparing, you need to take into account all possible risk factors: excitement, technical problems, etc. By making your report a little shorter, you will have peace of mind, because you will have precious minutes left over.

Don't forget to prepare handouts with important numbers, graphs, calculations, and examples. This will help save time and avoid “chewing” them during the performance.

Conclude by reminding the audience of your main problem. Mention your personal contribution to resolving the issue.

Tips for making your speech memorable

Psychologists advise using strong feelings and emotions in speech: information, along with strong emotional shocks, is best delayed.

Whatever the serious topic, add a part about personal experience to its discussion. The storytelling format is extremely popular today - telling stories based on real-life examples (it is often used at TED conferences). If you can’t give an example from your own life, describe in at least a couple of sentences how the research can be used in the lives of your listeners.

Tell a story in which listeners recognize themselves.

Bryan Stevenson raised $1.3 million from one TED talk. The same performance became the record holder for the longest applause. Stevenson's topic is complex - the shortcomings of the American judicial system and discrimination.

The peculiarity of this speech is that the speaker spent a quarter of the speech establishing contact with the audience. For the first five minutes, Brian told a personal story about his grandmother, who saw each grandchild as an individual. The story aroused interest and trust - only after that the speaker began to talk about the injustice of the court in the United States.

The story doesn't have to be personal. Start with a case, a work situation. This is how Mark Robert, at the beginning of his speech, talks about the results of an A/B test when he asked his subscribers to play a simple game and program the movement of a car. In fact, there were two games: in one, after an unsuccessful attempt, you simply try again, and in the other, if you lose, your points are reduced.

Please note: Robert did not show his expertise and talk about the A/B test, which he rolled out on a representative sample. The speaker adapted the content to suit the audience of non-specialists.

Mark Robert's TEDxPenn talk

Preparing a presentation for a conference

70% of people perceive visual information better. This is why presentation is so important. If you want to be listened to, follow the advice of experts:

Slides should be concise and not overloaded with data. Take the example of Steve Jobs, who had 1 thought per slide. Use minimal words on one slide (let Twitter inspire you to do so). The information on the slide should summarize, not repeat, the speech.
Use different ways to present information: lists, pictures, charts, tables, statistics and charts.
Consider your use of colors. Choose 3-4 primary tones (neutrals) that go well together. If your color perception is not very good, use the help of special resources. Pastel shades (beige, light blue, light green, etc.) are chosen as the tone, and a contrasting color is used for the text on them. Remember: the eye perceives a light background with dark text better, and not vice versa.
Photographs improve imagery and clarity. Try not to use boring images from a search engine. Take photos from free photo stocks (Pixabay, FreeStockImages, StockSnap).

PowerPoint is not the only presentation creation tool. There are others too. For example, Canva or Prezi offer tons of stylish and fresh templates prepared by professional designers.

How to behave when speaking at a conference

Even with strong excitement, you should try not to twitch. Take your hands out of your pockets, adopt an open posture (do not cross your arms over your chest), do not bite your nails, do not bang your fingers or feet, or fiddle with clothing or other objects. Entering the stage must be firm and decisive.

Before starting your speech, look around the room, make eye contact and select one “victim” to whom you will read the speech. Smile and take a deep breath.

Use pauses throughout your speech. They provide a break not only for you, but also for the audience: you give them time to digest the information received. If the audience begins to actively discuss something, give them time to tune in to further speech.

Remember: everyone loves someone who is charming and friendly. So smile and talk to the audience. Keep your back and head straight.

Don't be afraid to use gestures - let your hands help explain the material. They should be open, palms facing the audience.

Rehearse in front of the mirror and look for your techniques. Watch performances by famous personalities and learn useful moves from them

Don't sight-read a report - it's ugly. Tell the story according to a pre-prepared plan.

If possible, record the rehearsal on video and watch it. This way you will see most of the mistakes (lack of facial expressions, filler words, awkward posture, etc.) and will be able to correct them in time.

Be sure to check the equipment several times: both yours and the organization on the basis of which you will perform. Copy the speech and presentation onto a flash drive. You never know what can happen to your computer. If possible, study the stage before performing.

Show a powerful photo

A picture is worth a thousand words. And maybe more. So whenever possible, use pictures instead of text. A high-quality photo will make it easier to understand, capture the imagination of the audience and make the report more memorable.

For example, the president of an electrical equipment sales company skillfully inspired his managers to cut costs. Instead of showing them the usual charts, graphs and tables, he opened the meeting with a rather strange question: “Why did the Titanic sink?”

Everyone responded in unison about hitting an iceberg. Then the head of the company displayed an image of an iceberg on the general screen: its tip was visible above the water, but a much larger part was hidden under the surface. “The same thing awaits our company. Hidden costs are the very underwater danger that will drag us to the bottom.” This visual metaphor inspired managers, and their savings proposals ultimately saved millions of dollars.

Express methods for dealing with fear of public speaking

If you're so afraid of public speaking that you're breaking out in a cold sweat and your knees are weak, it's not over. Statistics say that public fear is second only to fear of death.

We have some tips for you to help you fight it:

A couple of hours before your performance, exercise. A light jog or exercise in the gym promotes the production of endorphins, which actively fight stress.
Give yourself permission to be excited. Anxiety is normal; even experienced speakers feel nervous before going on stage.
If you are afraid of criticism from the public, remember yourself: how often do you find fault with the speaker? Do you set yourself the goal of “overwhelming” him? The audience often takes the position of the speaker and is in a positive mood.
To reduce anxiety, find a familiar person or just a pleasant face in the room and address him during your speech.
If you suddenly get lost, don’t stop and don’t apologize. Most listeners don't know what's going on next in the report, and won't even notice it. If a presentation freezes or there is a major power failure, prepare a joke about this topic in advance and defuse the situation. Those present understand perfectly well that this is not about you.
If the anxiety is too great, imagine the most terrible course of events for you and think through its solution. Often, just knowing that you have a plan in case the worst happens is enough.
Deep breathing helps you calm down and focus on what matters most. Inhale, count to 5 and exhale. Do this exercise for 5 minutes, it relieves tension.

Play a short video

Imagine: you start your presentation to the production department with a video in which satisfied customers give a positive review of your product. Or you open a fundraising event for endangered species with a mini-film about the Amur leopard and its offspring.

The video evokes an emotional response. Unlike words and slides, a short film engages the audience more easily, adds drama and quickly conveys the essence of what is happening.

What techniques do you use? Share in the comments.

How to answer audience questions

Yes, and there are some tricks here too.

Try to look at your presentation from the outside and see places where the audience may have questions. This will help you prepare your answers to them in advance.
Don't interrupt the person asking the question. If you don’t quite understand or the question is too broad, please clarify.
Immediately after the question, repeat it to the audience. Often the first time it is not possible to make out what the viewer was asking.
Don't forget to thank us for your question. Not only is this good manners, but it will also give you a few seconds to think about your answer or just take a breath.
When answering, use arguments and examples of other works.

If there is silence in the room and no one is asking questions, make a joke.
This will defuse the situation and allow you to end on a positive note. You can ask your question in the spirit: “Before the speech, I was asked a question...” and immediately answer it. Or agree in advance with a friend who will help out in this situation and ask a question to which you will already know the answer. If you suddenly find that you cannot answer a viewer's question, do not panic. You cannot know everything in the world.

Thank him for the interesting question and ask him what he thinks about this. It's tricky to ask the audience who knows the answer and can share it with the audience. The most important thing is to hide your confusion.

These were the basic tips for preparing for the conference, the most important goal of which is to make you enjoy the process. And help with a speech or report will be provided by the student service.

Difficulties

Difficulties in public speaking can be divided into 5 categories.

Firstly , the lack of ability to plan the time of a speech in such a way as to retain the attention of listeners as much as possible. The audience should not get tired of the information and its presentation.
Secondly , you need to be able to get rid of nervousness. Listeners should under no circumstances feel it. Most often it is transmitted by trembling of the voice during speech and confusion of speech. We’ll look at how to speak in front of an audience without anxiety below.
Thirdly , from excitement at a public speech, you can easily fail it. You may get a “dry throat” or just want to run away.
Fourthly , the success of the speech depends only on the lecturer himself, who has no one to count on but himself.
Fifthly , the difficulty is understanding the audience's attitude towards the performance. You need to clearly understand the needs and inclinations of your listeners in order to impress them.