2
1.1
Introduction to This Book
A good speech starts with a good slide deck. This applies just as much to gifted
speakers as to those wishing they could hide six feet under ground while on stage.
Great speakers are entertaining and instill confidence. But despite their speaking
skills, their message might not get across properly if they rely on poor visual backup.
On the brighter side, even a poor public speaker with a shaky mastery of the
language can deliver a great and well-structured talk, if backed up by the appropriate visuals.
It amazes me every time I attend scientific conferences, to realize that the vast
majority of these high-level and experienced scientists, definitely stars in their
respective domains of research, have no clue when it comes to delivering a presentation. Over and over the same basic and obvious mistakes, which make the audience
either stare at their watches hoping for a quick end to this torture or fight against the
humiliation of snoring in public.
There is nothing wrong with spending 10 years of one’s life at the university to
get entitled to these few additional letters at the end of one’s name. But why isn’t
any time spent on learning how to give an effective presentation?
Whether you are a scientist, an economist, an engineer, a medical doctor, a politician, everything starts with a good slide deck.
I am confident that both the young undergraduates with very little presentation
experience and the older more seasoned scientists with possibly less up to date
“computer skills” are likely to benefit from this book.
The following pages are filled with numerous tricks and advice written in a very
concise manner. Simple, right to the point.
(You are expected to already know how to use a slide presentation software –
only a few instructions on how to use specific features of PowerPoint are included)
1 Introduction
1.1
Introduction to This Book
A good speech starts with a good slide deck. This applies just as much to gifted
speakers as to those wishing they could hide six feet under ground while on stage.
Great speakers are entertaining and instill confidence. But despite their speaking
skills, their message might not get across properly if they rely on poor visual backup.
On the brighter side, even a poor public speaker with a shaky mastery of the
language can deliver a great and well-structured talk, if backed up by the appropriate visuals.
It amazes me every time I attend scientific conferences, to realize that the vast
majority of these high-level and experienced scientists, definitely stars in their
respective domains of research, have no clue when it comes to delivering a presentation. Over and over the same basic and obvious mistakes, which make the audience
either stare at their watches hoping for a quick end to this torture or fight against the
humiliation of snoring in public.
There is nothing wrong with spending 10 years of one’s life at the university to
get entitled to these few additional letters at the end of one’s name. But why isn’t
any time spent on learning how to give an effective presentation?
Whether you are a scientist, an economist, an engineer, a medical doctor, a politician, everything starts with a good slide deck.
I am confident that both the young undergraduates with very little presentation
experience and the older more seasoned scientists with possibly less up to date
“computer skills” are likely to benefit from this book.
The following pages are filled with numerous tricks and advice written in a very
concise manner. Simple, right to the point.
(You are expected to already know how to use a slide presentation software –
only a few instructions on how to use specific features of PowerPoint are included)
1 Introduction