Observe and report

Dear Conference Presenters:

Congratulations on having a research paper or topic deemed worthy of presentation. You cleared the biggest hurdle!

The next hurdle is the actual presentation.

When you are preparing your remarks, keep in mind that the audience members are your peers. They come to your session because there is something about it that seems interesting. They may or may not know as much as you do about your subject.

You have a duty to prepare something interesting. Auntie Beth is here to help.

Here are some DOs and DON’Ts for presenting (really, any kind of public speaking):

• DO tell a story to kick off the presentation. You can do this; humans are natural storytellers. For example, tell us how you got interested in your topic.
• DO think of your presentation as a narrative with a clear beginning, middle and end.
• DO have visual aids. DON’T write out all your text on the slides.
• DO show how to use the technology if you are presenting on the benefits of an app. Every conference room has a projector. DON’T walk up and down the aisle waving your phone as a visual aid.
• DO relax and turn on the charm. Think of it as a conversation, or at least a conversation starter.
• DO pay attention to your audience. If they are napping, then your storytelling needs some work.
• DON’T read your research paper, for the love of God. (I will leave your session so fast I’ll just be a blur.)
• DON’T go over your allotted time. It’s just unprofessional and rude to your co-presenters.
• DON’T fight with your audience. It’s OK to disagree with various points people make, but it’s not OK to get shouty.
• DO let organizers know if it seems like the panel makeup is not as diverse as it should be. With all the focus on under-representation, you would think that all white male panels would be a thing of the past. You would be wrong. This guy gets it:

Remember to breathe and have fun. If you aren’t having fun, neither will the people who came to see you.

Go get ’em, Tiger!
Auntie Beth