Cheri Simonds and Kathleen McKinney

Illinois State University

            As faculty members, we have all sat through some very dreaded faculty presentations—recall the colleague at conference who read every detail of his/her 35 page diatribe on his/her latest research.  Or we may be the ones who have suffered the extreme anxiety of having to present our own “job talks.”  We spent many laborious years learning how to conduct research but little, if any, time was spent on how to present that work in a meaningful way.  The purpose of this article is to present some general guidelines of public speaking that will serve faculty members well in their future presentation endeavors.  The following suggestions for faculty members are based on numerous years of teaching public speaking as well as many textbooks read on the subject.[1] 

Ask Questions About Your Audience and Situation

·        Who is your audience?

·        What is their knowledge of, interest in, or attitude toward your topic/research?

·        What is their academic background?

·        Where will you present?

·        How large/small is the room?

·        How will it be arranged?

·        What tools will be available (white/black board, overhead projection, VCR, outlets, microphone, power point capabilities)?

·        What are your time limits?

·        Will there be time for discussion?

Planning the Presentation

·        What is the purpose/goal of your presentation?  This will guide your decisions on what to include in the presentation.

·        Decide which information you do/do not want to present.  Keep in mind that not everything in your study/research is relevant for the presentation.  Begin by cutting and pasting only that information in your document that must be presented for the audience to understand the major elements of your research.

·        Organize the above information into major segments.  This will comprise the body of your presentation.  If presenting a paper, you may want to use the level headings from the manuscript to do this.  Now, determine the order in which you want to present each point under each heading.  Use only key phrases and ideas which will allow you to remember the information and the order in which it will be presented.  This will also keep you from reading from your notes and will result in your speaking more extemporaneously. 

·        Once the body of the presentation is outlined, decide on how you will introduce your topic/research?  An introduction is comprised of an attention “getter”, a relevance statement, and a preview to the presentation.  Several rhetorical devices may be used to capture the attention of your audience including humor, quotations, startling statements,  anecdotes, rhetorical questions, etc.  Make sure that the attention “getter” is appropriate to the topic and the situation.  You will also want to be sure you make your topic/research relevant to the audience.  What is the importance of the information to the discipline?  Finally, you will want to preview the major headings of your presentation.  This will allow the audience to follow along with you while you speak.

·        Decide how you will conclude the presentation.  A conclusion consists of a summary of key ideas and a final closing thought.  Make your final comments as memorable as possible.  You might want to refer back to your attention “getter” to do this.  For example, if you provided an anecdote in the beginning, refer back to it.  If you asked a rhetorical question, answer it.

·        Decide what, if any, visual aids you will use.  For example, you may want to make a transparency or provide a handout of the major points of your presentation.  The handout may be used by audience members to take notes of any questions they may ask in discussion.  If making an overhead transparency, use a 20 point font or larger.  Do not put too much information on any one visual aid.

·        Practice your presentation.  Use your outline to guide your thoughts.  Do not read from your notes.  Time your practice sessions to ensure you are within your time limits.

The Presentation

·        Try to relax.  Feel confident in your preparation.  To release excess energy caused by anxiety, there are many things you can do.  Take a few deep breaths.  Take a drink of water. Do tension/release exercises in your hands and legs.  Practice tongue twisters or walk a flight of stairs before entering the room.  Visualize yourself giving a successful presentation.

·        Be sure everyone in the room can hear you.  Look for nonverbal cues from people in the back of the room to see if they are struggling to hear you. 

·        Be sure to talk slow enough for everyone to grasp the important elements of your topic/research.

·        Be sure you talk to your audience, not your visual aid. 

·        Be sure to look around the room.  Eye contact is essential to maintaining audience attention.

·        Have fun communicating with your audience!