Guest blog by Rebecca Saleeb, The University of Edinburgh
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I recently attended the Motor Neurone Disease EnCouRage UK meeting. It is a fantastic conference that empowers early career researchers (ECRs) in the art of science communication.
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Simon gave a brilliant workshop on public speaking. It was full of advice on how to capture the audience’s attention and how to get your key message across.
However, his advice on body language – be open, own the space, make eye contact, start with a smile – felt impossible for me to implement.
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As is standard in most conferences, the default presentation arrangement was a lectern with a microphone. I’m quite petite, so I hate lecterns. Standing behind them makes me feel small, which is not the energy needed to produce a confident talk.
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I queried it with Simon; asked how to connect with the audience when you’re stuck behind a lectern. And his reply was to not speak from behind a lectern. Instead, request a microphone that allows you to move.
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It seems obvious, but honestly, I thought this was an option that was only available to the most important people – the invited talks and plenary speakers. Certainly not an option for a 3 minute flash talk in a line-up of 22 early career researchers!
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But Simon assured me that the audio visual teams want to help all of us succeed. We had a quick chat to them and it was a simple solution – they would give me a head mic 5 mins before my talk that they will activate when I step on stage. They were not the slightest bit annoyed by the request.
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Being free of the lectern made all the difference. Where the lectern diminished my confidence, I was now able to stand and move more confidently. I battle with nerves when I speak, but because I was mimicking confidence physically, I felt it mentally too.
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It also allowed me to talk and gesture more naturally, interact with my slides and better connect with my audience.
- It felt like a real TED talk moment!
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The moral here – don’t be afraid to ask for that small adjustment that will help you present at your best. Everyone wants to see you succeed, including the AV team.
Rebecca Saleeb, The University of Edinburgh
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Simon adds: Thanks to Beccy for that fascinating and insightful blog. I've always said that the more preparation you put in before a big presentation, the better it's likely to go.
And that very much includes simple but smart tricks like this one.
I'm always happy to consider hosting guest blogs, if you've got something you want to share. Feel free to get in touch through the contact page.
