The thought of giving a presentation can make some people feel physically sick. I remember someone once telling me that they had to take a Valium tablet prior to giving a presentation! However, with careful research and planning, you should be able to allay your fears.

In this article I would like to share my experience of presenting to clinical research staff and offer some tips for preparing, designing and delivering your presentation. Whilst some of my ideas can be applied to any presentation that you may give, I have tried to focus on the kind of presentation that you are likely to make as a CRA or Project Manager.

Initial Research

Once you have agreed or volunteered to give a presentation, the first steps are research and preparation. Mark Twain is quoted as saying “it usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good spontaneous speech.”

As part of your research find out who will be attending. Will you be presenting to a group of investigators and study nurses eager to understand what their tasks and responsibilities are for a new clinical study? Are you presenting to a group of monitors about your experience of a previous study or are you feeding back from a recent audit? By knowing your audience and what experience they have, you will be able to get to the heart of what they care about and what they need to know. If you are presenting to an international group of monitors, or going to another country to run a meeting or training session, then you will need to think about the language you use and the way their culture is used to receiving information.

Find out how many will be attending and, if you can, take a look at the venue/room. In a lecture theatre or large conference room, will you be heard or will you need amplification? How large is the room? Is it too dark, too bright, too hot, or too cold? If you are using PowerPoint or have to go online to demonstrate something such as Electronic Data Capture, will there be a technical person available when the inevitable signal comes on the screen “No Signal” or “Please Consult Manual”?

Make sure that you have a copy of the programme or meeting agenda. How much time do you have? Who will be speaking before you? Have you seen them present before? Are they talking about a subject that will generate a lot of questions and overrun?

Preparation

After your initial research, it is time to prepare and design your presentation. One of the keys for an effective presentation is structure and signposting. People are conditioned to receive information in a logical way. This will apply to all presentations that you will ever make. The format should be:

- Introduction and motivational opening
- Outline of agenda and objectives
- Content divided into sections
- Recapping, signposting and transition to the next section
- Summary and close on a high note

Depending on the type of presentation, you will need to think about how you will deliver it. Perhaps you are feeding back some feasibility data or audit findings to a group of monitors, training investigators on the key aspects and tasks relating to a particular protocol, coaching new CRAs, or brainstorming ideas after presenting on difficulties with patient recruitment. In the latter case, it may be that you begin with a presentation and then facilitate the generation and gathering of ideas. In this scenario you may want to think about giving a presentation that leads on to break-out sessions for brainstorming, and finally bring the group back together to create a plan of action.

As you start to build your presentation, think about the flow. When giving a PowerPoint presentation, try to link an idea from one slide to the next. For example, “Study X was delayed for the following reasons….R & D approval, Contracts, Shipping Study Drug”. “The next slide shows the new procedures in place to prevent these problems occurring again in the future”.

Remember not to overcrowd each slide, and make the text large enough for all to see. Have just a few bullet points per slide. I also like to include some kind of visual image to re-enforce key messages. You don’t need to tell the audience everything you know….just the things that they need to know. Think carefully about how many slides you will need. Don’t have too many, otherwise you will end up rushing your presentation. If you can get by without notes, this will create the appearance that you are confident and knowledgeable about your subject. However, having some notes handy may be helpful if you feel that you need a prompt or have many things to remember. Some people use index cards. Personally I prefer not to use these, as it does not look very professional when you are shuffling cards.

Rehearsal

Once you have designed your presentation, you are ready to rehearse. If you can find one or two people in your department to listen to you, arrange a meeting and run through the presentation as if you were actually giving it. If possible rehearse at the venue. This will give you a feel for what it will be like. Remember to time yourself, anticipating time for questions. Ask for constructive feedback. Your colleagues should not only comment on the content and the messages but also on the way you delivered it. There is a checklist below which you could use. Even if you can’t find anyone to present to, I would still recommend that you talk through it aloud, as if you were giving the presentation. Do parts of your presentation seem a bit tedious? If so think about livening it up. Perhaps try to make it interactive, with questions to the audience.