Who said that the technical speech would definitely leave the audience?

People often ask whether technical or scientific presentations can be as deeply rooted in the hearts of the people as non-technical presentations? It is true that not all speeches have the shocking influence of the Nobel Prize, but I estimate that when you describe your research results or discuss the latest academic journal, your audience may think of you as a visitor. I know that what you want to talk about is very important. Otherwise, why waste time? But since it is so important, it should be more effective. It has never been said that "Clear expression" and "contact the audience" are sufficient conditions for effective communication, but we must say this is a necessary condition.

Three years ago, I gave people some suggestions on technical speech skills. I still believe in a rumor that I used to cite.

Engineers and Scientists

Jay H. LehrThe doctor published this article in 1985.ArticleAs mentioned in stone throwing:

Speeches that cannot reasonably use and control time and bring new knowledge, Joy, ideas, and inspiration to the audience, and most importantly, those that cannot attract the attention and interest of the audience should be punished by throwing stones. Our tolerance for boredom should be zero.

--

Jay H. Lehr

This week, I received a letter from Naveen Sinha, a graduate student at the School of Engineering and Application Science at Harvard University. He also realized that a good speech or lecture should have three elements. He wrote:

1. There should be an outline at the beginning of the speech and should be repeatedly reiterated during the speech process so that the audience can have a comprehensive understanding of the context of the speech.

2. Do not write anything unless you use a complete sentence at the top of the PPT. The title of a phrase has little effect. I have learned this from the book science speech art, and I still think this is a good suggestion.

3. The simpler the PPT, the better.

Naveen was inspired by the excellent speeches of the two professors. One was his mentor, Professor Richard losick, and the other was Professor Bonnie Bassler of Princeton University. "Both of them will tell stories that are easy to remember, rather than simply listing data ".

Ted example: BDr. onnie Bassler's speech

Naveen is right, and Dr. basseler is indeed unparalleled. Click the link to go to the video of her speech at the TED lecture. Dr. Bassler's speech style is approachable. Her statement is very clear. For example, she often says "This problem is --" or "this is the case --". While giving answers, she also takes care of the two questions we often ask as audience members: "What about that? What does it have to do with me ?" I love her style very much. She never depends on projection and does not list the points. She naturally sets her sights on all the places in the room and devote herself to what she is explaining at this moment. Sometimes, she will guide you through the screen, but it is just to explain the points. She uses a lot of gestures to explain some of the processes. Buddha is talking to you in a routine and common way.

PPT skills

Dr. Bassler's PPT is very simple and serves as a helper for conversation, so everyone's attention is focused on her own and the topic. When she doesn't talk about the content in the PPT, Ted will switch the camera to her, so everyone will focus on her. You can also use a similar technique when giving lectures or holding small meetings: Insert a black PPT between each part, or press the "B" button on the keyboard to make the screen black (don't worry that the room will turn black, there must be other light sources, right ?)

Yes, Dr. Bassler's speech targets only ordinary people, no matter how high their education is. However, I think this better demonstrates that scientific presentations can be both profound and concise, so as to be close to the audience.

What should I do?

The situations of each speech are different. Both the audience and the speaker have different personalities. Many factors may affect your solution. But if you want to learn from scientists how to successfully speak at the meeting, Jay H. Lehr's article "throwing stones" will give you many useful suggestions. Remember, finding a story in your content is not a story.