ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS

Skills

Effective Openings
Communication experts agree that the first 3-minutes of a presentation are critical.
These experts talk about hooks basically the WIIFM of your presentation (youre
now wondering what WIIFM is right?) * Hooks are simple techniques, for getting the
immediate attention of the audience. A good start also makes you feel more confident.
Heres how the experts suggest you hook the audience:
1. Give them a problem to think about.
2. Give them an amazing fact.
3. Give them a story an anecdote or a simple example from everyday life
(metaphor for example).

Examples
1. According to recent research more than 90 percent of U.S. adults use
caffeine regularly, and, on average, they consume about 200 mg per day.
For healthy adults, the FDA says 400 mg a day is OK. However,
consuming much more than that can have dangerous, negative effects.
And the milligrams add up quickly. A medium-size coffeehouse coffee can
contain more than 300 mg, and most 16-ounce energy drinks contain
between 160 and 240 mg of caffeine.

2. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a critical public health and socio-economic

problem throughout the world. It is a major cause of death, especially
among young adults,1 and lifelong disability is common in those who
survive.

3. Recent statistics have indicated that in the European Union

approximately 7.7 million people who have experienced a TBI
(Traummatic Brain Injury) have disabilities.3 These debilitating injuries
commonly lead to neurocognitive deficits (such as impaired attention,
inability to form visuospatial associations, or poor executive function) and
psychological health issues; for example, 3070% of TBI survivors
develop depression. In addition, TBI survivors also exhibit increased
impulsivity, poor decision-making and impulsiveaggressive behaviour.

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Skills

4. You know, your heart is about the size of your 2 hands clasped together.
Pause. And it beats 1000 times a day. and mine is probably beating a
million times a minute doing this presentation right now! But on a more
serious note, heart disease is a greater threat to you than breast cancer
or prostrate cancer.

5. Anxiety disorders cost Finland more than 42 million euroes a year, almost
one-third of the country's total mental health bill. More than 22.84 million
euroes of these costs are associated with the repeated use of health care
services; people with anxiety disorders seek relief for symptoms that
mimic physical illnesses.
6. Arthroscopic knee surgery is one of the most common unnecessary surgeries
performed todayalong with back and hip surgeries, pacemakers, cardiac
angioplasties, hysterectomies, and Cesarean sections.
7. How many people here this morning know someone with Type I diabetes? Could
you raise your hand? How many know more than 3 people with Type I diabetes?

PROBLEM TECHNIQUE
1. Suppose . How would you .
2. Have you ever wondered why it is that ? You have? Well if I could
show you would you be intererested?
3. How many people here this morning ..? Well imagine . Do you
think thats possible?

AMAZING FACT TECHNIQUES

1. Did you know that .
2. According to the latest research ..
3. Statistics show that ..
4. I read somewhere the other day that

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STORY / ANECDOTE TECHNIQUE

1. You know,
2. When I think about . Im reminded of ..
3. Have you ever been in a situation where
4. I remember when
5. It turned out ..

Skills