Lesson 1 Criteria for Success

Analyze your audience
As in any other form of scientific communication, your audience during a presentation can vary widely. Are you presenting a poster in a more intimate, one-on-one or small group setting? Are you presenting a talk to a room full of scientists from various fields? Or are you talking to the general public? Understanding who your audience will be ahead of time will help you pick the right tone you want to use while delivering your presentation.
During your talk, you will receive subtle feedback from your audience that you can use to alter how you proceed—is your audience engaged, dozing off, looking elsewhere, or focused more on your slides than on you? Staying present and actively adjusting your volume, tone of voice, and body language can alter how your message is conveyed, how you are perceived, and whether you can keep your audience’s attention.
Skills
We have broken down public speaking skills into verbal and nonverbal communication, and tips on how to practice more efficiently.

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  Verbal – Speaking clearly, loudly, and in an engaging fashion can make or break a presentation. This article goes into more detail on how to use your voice effectively.
  
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  Nonverbal – Standing in front of an audience can be nervewracking! This article addresses how you can use nonverbal cues like eye contact and body language to convey confidence and a strong stage presence.
  
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  How to practice effectively – Practicing is an essential part of preparing for a presentation that often gets overlooked because we run out of time. This article will help you identify areas you want to improve and guide you through the process of practicing.
  
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  The day of your presentation – You have enough to remember before your presentation! To help take off some of the stress, we’ve put together a short list of tips to help you be at your best.
  

Why content is important in public speaking?
Good content will explain and educate your audience about your product or service and give the audience a message they will remember. If you are presenting on a topic about change then it can inspire your audience to want to change with you and commit themselves to helping facilitate this change
What are the 5 P's of public speaking?
A presentation is the culmination of the five p's of presentation; planning, preparation, consistency, practise and then performance of the finished piece.