You know a lot about your project, and you have an investment in it. Be confident that you know your subject. Your knowledge and excitement will come through.
Be Prepared & Engage the Audience
Have a one- or two-minute mini-speech (the “elevator talk”) ready to go. When people begin looking at your poster, don’t wait for them to ask a question. Just say, “Would you like to hear about my research for a minute or two?” They almost always agree, and this frees them from having to read and figure it all out themselves.
Offer to answer questions, and if you don’t know an answer just admit it and speculate with the person or ask what he/she might do. Point to figures and use them in your explanation.
Check with your audience to make sure they understand the technical aspects of the explanations (for example, “Do you know about fluorescence microscopy?”) if that’s an important component of your study.
Check regularly to make sure they’re following what you’re saying (”Does that make sense?”).
Remember that visitors with questions are not trying to challenge your expertise — they’re genuinely interested in learning more about your work, or in helping you think of better or additional ways to approach your topic.
Use Your Voice
To convey your ideas effectively, you need to speak with confidence. A confident voice has
- High Volume: Because your presentation area may be crowded and busy, remember to speak loud enough to be heard.
- Slow Speed: When nervous there is a tendency to speak more quickly. A good rule of thumb is to speak slowly enough that you think you are speaking too slowly; this will probably be the perfect speed.
- No Fillers: Fillers like “um,” “uh,” “like,” “you know,” and “okay” detract from your message.
Get feedback and practice
The Public Speaking Center is a free resource for all UT students. Trained consultants can help students at any stage of the planning or rehearsal process for presentations, speeches, job interviews, and more. Consultants can spend an hour with you to tailor your message and delivery to your specific audience and occasion. They can also assist you by acting as a sounding board for ideas, or by helping you prepare speaker notes and visual aids. Additionally, you can rehearse your presentation and receive feedback on content along with your vocal and nonverbal delivery.
If you have an upcoming group presentation, we encourage you to schedule an appointment for you and your co-presenters.
Adapted from the UT Writing Center’s Poster Presentations handout.