Presentation Skills for Researchers

Presentations and public speaking are par for the course in any successful research career, be that at conferences, viva exams, or investor pitches. Back at the beginning of my materials science PhD, I was petrified of such events. I felt that I was someone who was just no good at public speaking, and I was worried that it would hold me back in my career.

Fast forward ten years, and I am now a professional science presenter, comedian and storyteller. I have performed stand-up comedy about materials science at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, done a TEDx talk, and been invited to speak at academic and industry conferences across the UK and Europe. I no longer get nervous stepping on stage. In fact, I actively love it!

So, what changed? Well, public speaking is a learnt skill. Okay, a tiny number of people might be natural-born speakers, but for the vast majority of us, feeling comfortable giving strong presentations is something we can learn through theory and practice. I’m living proof of that! And I’m excited to teach these techniques to others.

In this three-part training series, I will give you the skills you need to speak confidently and engagingly to any future audience, be they professionals or the public. We’ll cover how to tailor your message to your audience, how to structure a presentation like a creative story, and I’ll provide practical tips on body language and performance to increase the impact of your words.

There’s no prior experience of presenting required – this training is for everyone from folks who detest public speaking, to regular presenters looking to step up their game to the next level.

Testimonials

“The most valuable thing I got from Anna's training was the idea of structuring presentations as stories with different 'acts' and how this can really engage and relate to a diverse audience. It really benefitted me in reconsidering how I view my project data overall and I will definitely be implementing it, not only for my future presentations, but also in my writing. Anna was professional but approachable and friendly and the training day had a relaxed and encouraging environment throughout. I would recommend her!”
- Dr Georgina Starling, Postdoctoral Fellow at UCL and the Francis Crick Institute

“Anna delivered a fantastic masterclass for our staff. Despite being online, the session was practical, interactive and entertaining, with exercises for the group and plenty of discussion. A real highlight was Anna’s fantastic storytelling section – demonstrating the importance of messaging, structure and tone, whilst gripping us all with her adventures swimming the channel! Anna is brilliant to work with – professional, personable and keen to understand and tailor the session to meet the needs of our group – we will definitely ask her to be involved in future sessions.”
- Dr Amy Seakins, Engagement Manager at Imperial College London

I’m delighted to have worked with Anna to deliver storytelling, presentation and media skills training at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML). She is an excellent trainer and communicator. While planning the sessions with her, she was very accommodating and helpful, talking through different options to match our needs. The sessions were engaging, insightful and inspiring and I received a lot of positive feedback from the other attendees. I would definitely recommend Anna and I hope to work with her again.
- Jennifer Lockett, Head of Integrated Research, Impact & Support Services at Plymouth Marine Laboratory

Past Clients