What Leads to Success in Presenting? Consider the Audience, Subject and Time You Have Available

Abstract

Everybody has been unfortunate enough to attend a thoroughly tedious presentation at least once. Yet, if you have ever been at a presentation that has informed you, excited you or even inspired you, you will know that there is a world of difference between the presentation you have never forgotten (for all the wrong reasons) and the presentation you will never forget (for all the right reasons). Be passionate about the topic. Unless you convey your own excitement and interest in a topic, your audience’s reaction will never be more than lukewarm. If you feel bored yourself, how can you expect the listeners to be interested? Focus on what draws you to the topic, the aspect that got you involved. It is your duty as a presenter to bring passion and interest to the topic. Never settle for mumbling and bumbling your way through. Consider the presenting context. You will need to tailor your content depending on who you will be presenting to. Suppose that you are talking about a newly released drug. The way you talk about it will differ depending on the audience involved. Journalists will have very different expectations from a group of pharmacology research scientists. The content needs to fit the context. Think about why this topic was chosen. You should be able to justify why the audience should give up their time to listen to you on this subject.