Many people have experience presenting to peers and clients, but a conference presentation is a different animal. Especially since it is not in your own work environment, you need to prepare extensively.
It is not out of the question for your technology to fail when you are on stage, or for the venue to have less-compatible equipment. It is always a good idea to bring back-up materials.
Know Your Topic
Conferences bring like-minded people together from across the country and the globe. They can be a great opportunity to share ideas and research, and potentially meet new collaborators for future projects.
When presenting at a conference, it’s important to know your topic well so you can answer questions and explain your research clearly. A common mistake speakers make is spending the majority of their presentation going over existing literature and background information. People at conferences want to hear new and exciting research, not a recap of old findings.
It’s also helpful to have a good story or anecdote that will help audience members remember your talk. Stories are useful for conveying abstract or complex concepts because they allow people to relate the idea through a personal experience.
Know Your Audience
Often, presenters get tripped up when they are unable to understand who their audience will be. Knowing the background of your audience can help you decide how much context is appropriate and whether to simplify complex ideas or dive into advanced topics. You can also anticipate questions and objections and address them proactively, which builds credibility and shows that you have empathy for your audience’s concerns.
Additionally, understanding how much time you have to present can guide your method of delivery. Attention spans are limited, so it is important to know how long you have before your audience’s interest begins to wane. You may also be able to leverage audience champions, individuals who can redirect off-topic discussions back to your presentation topic. This can increase the collaborative nature of your discussion and make it more successful.
Prepare Your Slides
It’s easy to get carried away with conference slides, and if you don’t keep control of the information you’re putting up, it can distract the audience from what they should really be paying attention to – your main ideas. Before diving into building your slides, create an outline of your key ideas and the order in which you want to present them.
Limit each slide to one single thought and make sure the font size is big enough for audience members in the back row to read. You should only use your slides as supplementary visual aids to help the audience understand what you’re talking about.
Before the presentation, go to the room where you will be giving your talk and familiarize yourself with the space, acoustics and seating if possible. This will make you feel confident and prepared when you give your talk.
Prepare for Questions
The one thing that can derail a great conference presentation, shatters confidence and undermines credibility like nothing else is a poorly-chosen question. A bad question can be anything from an inopportune, difficult or impossible to answer to a nonsensical retort.
On the other hand, a good question can be a) a valuable learning experience for the audience – for example, asking for clarification on a point; b) an opportunity to open new avenues for collaboration by connecting with a speaker; or c) a way to demonstrate your interest in a particular topic.
While it’s hard to predict all questions in advance, it’s worth including some in your presentation preparation. Also, make sure to keep some time aside in your session schedule for Q&A. This will give your audience a chance to think about what they might like to ask you.
Practice
It’s important to practice your presentation so that you feel confident and comfortable. This should include rehearsing it aloud and walking around the conference session room until you feel familiar with the space.
Remember that conference presentations range in length from as little as one minute to over an hour. Having an idea of how long you will present gives you the opportunity to structure your talk to fit within that time.
Make sure to practice with a timer, so that you are accustomed to speaking in your allotted time. It’s not professional or helpful to go over your allotted time, and it can discourage engagement from your audience. Practice also includes rehearsing how you will handle questions during your presentation. You should be able to articulate concise answers and offer to follow up with any additional information your audience may require.