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Remind yourself

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For your brief presentation, remind yourself to

  • Start with story, not statistics or data — Lead with what's compelling, not what's comprehensive. 

  • Lead with your hook — Grab attention immediately, don't build up to it. 

  • Share who you are and why you care. 

  • Know your audience deeply — Tailor every element to their interests and values. 

  • Use concrete examples and metaphors — Abstract concepts need tangible illustrations. 

  • Connect to audience experience — Help listeners understand why they should care. 

  • Embrace the unexpected — Even routine work has surprising elements that are worth sharing. 

  • Make the stakes clear — Help your audience understand what success or failure means. 

  • Practice out loud — Timing and flow are crucial for short presentations. Rehearse in all kinds of situations. 

  • End with action — Give your audience something concrete to do or consider.  

  • Prepare for questions — Anticipate what your condensed version might leave unclear.

 

  • Maintain enthusiasm — Your passion, joy, commitment, or drive for the work should shine through even in a very brief format.

 

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. 2412389. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.