HOW TO MAKE A

GREAT TALK

by Dina F. Mandoli

Designed for the MCB Graduate

Program at University of
Washington
Modified for ASPB
 HOW TO VIEW THIS
PRESENTATION
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there is an animation that I would like you to look
at, I will direct you to go into slide show mode.

Dina Mandoli
DESIGNING A GREAT TALK

I. TYPES OF TALKS

II. STRUCTURAL FEATURES

A. MECHANICS

B. TONE AND FLOW

DESIGNING A GREAT TALK

I. TYPES OF TALKS

II. STRUCTURAL FEATURES

A. MECHANICS

B. TONE AND FLOW

DESIGNING A GREAT TALK

I. TYPES OF TALKS
• Formal
• Informal
• Spontaneous
• 12 minute
• 45 minute
• Job….arghhhh!!
 TYPES OF TALKS
• Formal - practice timing!
• Informal - no rambling allowed…
• Spontaneous - important, overlooked
• 12 minute - has one punch line
• 45 minute - has 1 or 2 themes
• Job - practice, practice, practice
DESIGNING A GREAT TALK

I. TYPES OF TALKS

II. STRUCTURAL FEATURES

A. MECHANICS

B. TONE AND FLOW

DESIGNING A GREAT TALK
II. STRUCTURAL FEATURES
A. MECHANICS
– Audience rapport
– Organization
– Flow of ideas
– Crystallizing ideas
– Style
B. TONE & FLOW
– Adapting to the circumstance
– Personal appearance
– Audience rapport
– Pace of the talk
DESIGNING A GREAT TALK
II. STRUCTURAL FEATURES
A. MECHANICS
– Audience rapport
– Organization
– Flow of ideas
– Crystallizing ideas
– Style
B. TONE & FLOW
– Adapting to the circumstance
– Personal appearance
– Audience rapport
– Pace of the talk
AUDIENCE RAPPORT
Say “hi”.
Earn their trust.
Keep their trust.
Say “bye”.
 ORGANIZATION
Introduction…Rationale…Results…Summary

• Share your organization;

• sub-summary slides mark
sections, define logic,
crystallize ideas;
• transitions…;
• have a clear ending…”Thank
you…”
ORGANIZATIONAL AIDS
Facts about people:
• Their thoughts stray during a 45 minute
talk.
• They need repetition both to remember
things…
• …and to crystallize & integrate new
information.
• They need to trust a speaker to learn.
 FLOW OF IDEAS
Make what you want the audience to know OBVIOUS
from the start of the talk - tell them the punch line first.

Remind the audience of where you have been, where

you are going and why often enough that they follow
your train of thought.

Remember to…
 WHY CRYSTALLIZE
IDEAS?
• Cements concepts and integrates data.
• Gives the chance for folks who drifted off or
were drawing a cartoon to catch up.
• Relieves stress of folks who “didn’t get it”.
• Allows folks with different learning styles or
from different backgrounds to “see” where
you are going.
 CRYSTALLIZING IDEAS
You know the work better than anyone!

Simple slides help the audience:

• Hypothesis “If…then,…”;
• logic “We reasoned that…”;
• titles that are informative;
• sub-summary;
• overall summary.
 STYLE…
Depends on your comfort zone & personality.
Jokes…
Sunsets…
Backgrounds…
Font…
Colors…
Show and tell…
Bullets… Transitions… Movies… Animation.
Depends on the audience you are addressing.
 TRACING THE ROOTS OF
THINGS IS NOT OBVIOUS…

Science, 1993,
Random Samples,
DESIGNING A GREAT TALK
II. STRUCTURAL FEATURES
A. MECHANICS
– Audience rapport
– Organization
– Flow of ideas
– Crystallizing ideas
– Style
B. TONE & FLOW
– Adapting to the circumstance
– Personal appearance
– Audience rapport
– Pace of the talk
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE,
KNOW YOUR ROOM,
KNOW YOUR TIMING,
KNOW YOURSELF.
Kindergarteners versus adults
Big versus little
Short versus long
Reminders & transitions
 GETTING THE ATTENTION
OF THE AUDIENCE
• Please guess the amount of time that you
have to get the attention of your audience
and what you should wear for a talk.
• Now, please go into slide show mode to see
some answers. Do take the time to look at
the URLs. They are amusing if nothing else…
 THE 11 SECOND RULE
What is the occasion?
What is the message?
What are the consequences?
http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_success.html
http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_men.html

Men Women
- dress suit with tie - dress with heels
- slacks & a jacket ± pipe - suit with skirt
- jeans and T-shirt - suit with pants
- coordinates with jacket
- jeans and T-shirt
- power accessories
Please exit slide show mode
now.
 THE 11 SECOND RULE
What is the occasion?
What is the message?
What are the consequences?
http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_success.html
http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_men.html

Men Women
- dress suit with tie - dress with heels
- slacks & a jacket ± pipe - suit with skirt
- jeans and T-shirt - suit with pants
- coordinates with jacket
- jeans and T-shirt
- power accessories
WHY SHOULD I CARE?

Be enthusiastic

Be present (“Puzzled?…”)

Be interactive (violate borders)

 AUDIENCE RAPPORT
nteract at many levels:
• Establish rapport with body language;
• keep it with a loud, clear voice… ;
• … and open body language;
• keep eye contact with audience,
• give them space to think;
• match the depth/breadth of the information
to their needs.
 THE RELATIVE VALUE OF
WAYS OF COMMUNICATING

What is the relative impact of your

body language, your tone and your
words? On the next slide you will
see the answers so get your
guesses in mind and then go to
slide show mode. Again, do take
the time to look at the URLs.
 PACE OF THE TALK
Memorize…
Intro sentence, transitions, summary

Pick highs & lows, then emphasize

with:
• body language ( 55%)
• pauses; http://skepdic.com/neurolin.html
• slow down or speed up delivery ( 38%);
• an extra slide;
• the words you choose ( 7%).
http://entrepreneurs.about.com/cs/marketing/a/uc062003.htm
Please exit slide show mode.
 PACE OF THE TALK
Memorize…
Intro sentence, transitions, summary

Pick highs & lows, then emphasize

with:
• body language ( 55%)
• pauses; http://skepdic.com/neurolin.html
• slow down or speed up delivery ( 38%);
• an extra slide;
• the words you choose ( 7%).
http://entrepreneurs.about.com/cs/marketing/a/uc062003.htm
 AND ONE LAST THING…

Mind your manners!

In words … (“Tommy, …”)

In tone… (matching the context)

In physical displays!
(gender based interactions and self-stroking)
 POWER asymMETRIES

Mirroring level of interaction (emails…)

Always err on the side of politeness

Avoid fawning

Avoid self-erasure

Avoid sliding into another mode near the end

of the interaction.
DESIGNING A GREAT TALK

I. TYPES OF TALKS II. STRUCTURAL

• Formal FEATURES
• Informal • Audience rapport
• Spontaneous • Organization
• 12 minute • Pace of talk
• 45 minute • Flow of ideas
• Job….arghhhh!! • Crystallizing ideas
• Style