If you’ve ever been in a room (virtual or otherwise) full of presenters, you know there’s a lot more to giving a talk than just slides and bullet points. Our latest Digi-Physi-Coffee meeting dove right into this topic, unpacking the “why” behind presentations and exploring how both audience and presenter objectives shape what we share—and how we share it.
Three Legs & Three Objectives
We kicked off by discussing the three legs of a good presentation—delivery, visual design, and content—as well as three equally important objectives:
- Audience’s objective: Why do they care? Or do they even care? Sometimes the audience just wants the talk to end!
- Presentation’s objective: What problem does the presentation aim to solve or what information does it set out to share?
- Presenter’s objective: What does the speaker want to achieve—prove progress, spark collaboration, or just “get through it”?
One takeaway: being aware of these objectives keeps presenters (and their slides) focused and relevant.
Highlights from Our Presenters
During the meeting, each group member shared stories illustrating how different objectives and audiences shaped their approach. Farhad had to prove progress to colleagues who lacked his technical background. Deanna adapted one topic into three distinct talks to suit each group’s interests. Yingying highlighted how a presentation’s objective could diverge from a presenter’s personal goals at an IEEE conference. Suyog emphasized packing essential knowledge into a concise session. Rohit wrestled with limited prep time and used topical references to keep things relatable. Iqra prioritized gathering critical feedback for her PhD work, while Abhinanda aimed to pique student curiosity by stripping down complex problems and highlighting a memorable success story.
A recurring theme: understanding why your audience is there—to learn, to be entertained, or (sometimes) just because they have to be—and using that knowledge to shape the talk.
When the Audience Is…Disengaged
We also touched on those less-than-ideal scenarios: captive audiences who tune out or just want the presentation to end. One idea is to treat these moments as chances to experiment with new delivery styles or fresh content—because if no one’s going to remember it anyway, why not try something bold?
In the end, a successful presentation isn’t just about the slides—it’s about recognizing why you’re there, why your audience is there, and how your delivery can bridge those goals.
Stay tuned for more Digi-Physi-Coffee highlights, and feel free to share your own tips or presentation stories in the comments on linkedin! We’re always excited to learn new perspectives on turning an “okay” talk into a memorable one. Link to LinkedIn