How to Give Great Presentations that Stick
Christopher Moriates, MD, chief of hospital medicine at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, and professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, both in Los Angeles, skillfully guided the audience at SHM Converge 2025 through a curated masterclass on presentations guaranteed to make them stick with any audience through applying the framework of the 3 Cs: Connect, Convey, and Convince. A hook can be the key opening to your next presentation through genuine enthusiasm about the topic or starting with a brief, pertinent story. The goal is to activate the audience’s emotional engagement and guide them to understand your “why” for the talk. “Curiosity must come before content,” Dr. Moriates said.
Next, your role as the speaker is to build a presentation that leaves your audience with important knowledge to take away, not a bunch of research data or concept dumping. If you say 10 things, you say nothing, which is why take-home points are necessary. For example, you might say, “I have three things I want to discuss. Number one …” The art of crafting this section of the presentation is you want to lead the audience to conclude the key points through effective use of supporting information, using simple graphs, demonstrations, and side-by-side comparisons to share your message. He recommended slides contain no more than seven lines and no more than seven words per line, with a minimum font size of 30 or more. Dr. Moriates warned the audience to avoid “slide text dissonance,” stating the key to graphics integration is to help your message, not distract from it. Additionally, never say, “I know you can’t read this slide but …” or, “I wasn’t sure who the audience would be.” These statements don’t build audience confidence in your message. You want to create a logical message that your audience can follow.
Finally, it’s time to convince your audience of your message by illustrating competence and strategic word choices. You can unwittingly undermine your credibility with common phrases like “I’m no expert, but …” or “I could be wrong, but …” Remember, if you were asked to give the talk, you belong there! Consider the confidence you will portray to your audience when you don’t fumble through your slides or read them like a teleprompter, or struggle with the pronunciation of a generic drug name. Practice is critical to your success, with the balance of not appearing overly scripted. Dr. Moriates recommended practice sessions with mentors and in front of low-stakes audiences, such as resident noon conferences or a small group of colleagues. When asking for feedback, consider giving them a printed sheet to elicit written feedback and verify the message received is the one you intended.
Key Takeaways
- Use a hook to connect with your audience. Use storytelling to communicate importance and engage the audience through emotion.
- Convey your key talking points with numbers and use graphics that support your message. Keep in mind that less is more on a slide.
- Convince the audience by knowing your talk, avoiding self-deprecating statements, expressing enthusiasm for your topic, and ultimately by leading them to new knowledge.
Dr. Spaeth is a second-year internal medicine resident at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.