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Volume 1, Number 2
Summer 2003

10 Tips for a Better Presentation

Every morning at the speaker's breakfast of the 44th Annual Meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management in Phoenix, Ariz., U.S.A., Paul Ebel from BE Inc., a safeguards and training company in South Carolina, presented 10 tips for better lectures. The purpose of his presentation was to improve the professionalism and effectiveness of the more than 300 paper presentations made at the annual meetings.

Ebel has been designing, conducting and consulting on training courses for more than 30 years, and the 10 tips that he presented were his nominees for the most important ways to improve the INMM presentations.

If you were at the speakers breakfasts then you heard these ten tips for better lectures, but if not, they are listed below for your information.

1. Practice Your Lecture
   
   1. So you don't have to look at the slides
   2. So you are not surprised by something on the slide
   3. So you can present a professional air
   4. So you appear prepared to the audience
      
      
2. Know Your Key Points and Care
   
   1. There are a few key points and that is the purpose of the presentation.
   
   
   2. Know these key points and make sure that you get them across.
   3. Care about imparting these key points to the audience.
      
      
3. Never Redesign Your Lecture from the Podium
   
   1. This urge is always felt by presenters.
   2. Suddenly you have a better idea; but it never is. Believe me!
   3. This causes you to miss main points and run over time.
      
      
4. Keep on Time
   
   1. Some have said that INMM is run like a "Prussian Prison Camp."
   2. Timing is crucial for everyone.
   3. People move from venue to venue based on the specific times of papers.
   4. Keeping on time and on schedule is paramount.
      
      
5. Limit the Use of a Pointer
   
   1. Out of 100 things you can do with a pointer, five are good, the rest are bad.
   2. Unless you are an accomplished speaker leave the pointer at home.
   3. We can read the slide, but if you must point to something special then OK.
   4. Pointers bounce around and people think you are nervous even if you're not.
      
      
6. Carefully Design Your Slides
   
   1. Illegible slides are a traditional complaint of the INMM presentations.
   2. Use lettering that is bold, san-serif, 12 lines per slide and bright contrast.
   3. Remember the slides are an outline and not the speech itself.
   4. You should have an introduction and conclusion slide.
      
      
7. Validate Questions if You Want Them
   
   1. There are ways to get questions and ways not to get them.
   2. Validation by repeating, appreciating, telling how fits into subject
   3. In INMM meetings, repeat all questions to make sure all understand.
   4. Answer the question in just a few sentences (preferably three).
      
      
8. Dress a Little Better than the Audience
   a. Leave no doubt who is the lecturer. This is subtle but clearly helps.
   b. Sometimes this is not hard to do given the dress level of some labs.
   c. Keep your appearance on a professional level.
9. Speak Clearly and Slowly
   a. Many do not have English as first language (130 wpm vs. 170 wpm).
   b. Don't jingle keys, drink water, or chew gum.
   c. Speak to the audience and not to the visuals or to your notes.
10. Be Enthusiastic
    a. This is the trait that will carry the presentation.
    b. Be enthusiastic even if you hate the subject (someone else's paper).
    c. Remember the story about little boy in barn with horse manure.
    d. Don't worry about being "dorky." Enthusiasm is blunted by a podium.

You may remember only one of these but just one will help you in the effectiveness of your presentations.

Many of these tips are in the INMM Speaker's Manual which can be obtained online at the INMM Web site, and there is even more information at that Web site which should be consulted before preparing a paper for the INMM Annual Meeting and before preparing your presentation and slides.

The INMM may give a similar presentation at the next year's annual meeting speaker breakfast, and so your suggestions are important for the next year's presentation. Paul Ebel would like to hear some of your nominations to the "top 10 list" for next year. E-mail him at paulebel@aol.com.