Tag Archives: talks
What you really need instead of an elevator pitch
I bet you’re feeling a little guilty whenever someone asks you if you have an elevator pitch, you know, those 30 second or 1 minute talks about what you do that can be given in the time it takes to … Continue reading
Improv for scientific communication with Aniek Ivens
How I wish I understood you, but I have no idea what you are talking about. You seem friendly and animated and clearly love your research, but what is your question? Why do you like this figure so much? What … Continue reading
Chalk talks: how to avoid 10 pitfalls
You got an interview for a job, a faculty or a postdoctoral position! But they want you to do a chalk talk. What do you do? What is a chalk talk anyway? First of all, be sure you find out … Continue reading
Two things you must do when speaking to a broad audience
You know how important it is to be clear in a talk. You need to have a story, a clear flow. Ideally you build the argument rather than giving it all away with an outline at the beginning. You illustrate … Continue reading
Need to open really old powerpoints?
You probably aren’t old enough to have talks from the 1990s that you want to open with Powerpoint, to grab old slides, to see how you did it back then, or simply our of curiosity. But if you are and … Continue reading
Will anyone remember your meeting talk?
What if you gave a talk and everyone came, but no one remembered it even as they left the room? What if they did not remember what the main problem was, how you approached it, or what you discovered? What … Continue reading
Have you got an elevator pitch ready to go?
What is your big question? Can you explain it to anyone in 90 seconds? Can you link exactly what you are doing to something anyone would understand as important? Can you give a brief audience the flavor of what exactly … Continue reading
Follow up and new topic questions after seminars
Few things are as deflating as pouring your soul into a talk, then having no questions at the end as your audience scrambles to escape. At some level, it might be your fault. Perhaps you left too little time for … Continue reading
