Presentations

Having watched the recording of our recent presentations, I would like to say that the most important point is to be able to talk about one's topic without relying on reading. I understand that one feels quite anxious before the presentation, however small prompt cards are much more useful. That way the presenter can engage the audience into the topic without losing contact with the listeners.

Moreover, slides oveloaded with text somehow distract the audience as listeners are busy reading the lines on the slides instead of concentrating on the talk itself.

Additionally, if one needs to move to the next slide, it is best to do it while talking. The point is that pausing for too long could lead to awkward silence. Consequently, extends the time of the presentation.

If presentations have time limit, I would suggest that one practices in advance and consider 1-2 mins per slide. For example, for an 8-10 min presentation, 8 slides would be enough. That means 2 mins of talking time per slide. But, the talk should be structured so that it delivers the most important points of the subject being presented.

The way a topic is presented, determines whether audience would be engaged in listening to the talk. If presenter is not interested in the subject themselves, then it would be difficult to produce an engaging presentation.