Net Meeting Presentations – What Happens When Your Cranky Baby Argues With A Top Executive On a Conference Call?

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills Article on Net-Meetings

Imagine you are on a monthly global net-meeting conference call that is being hosted by a manufacturing executive. On the phone, he is getting down to business and moving from hot-topic to hot-topic while moving through his slides. There are several hundred people listening in. As he is stressing an important point, the piercing scream of a baby wailing with gusto comes over the phone. There is silence for a few seconds, and then the executive asks, “Is that a baby? Has someone got a baby with them?”

This was a real life scenario back in 2006. I was silently chuckling at the unusual situation that was taking place, when a timid voice on the phone said, “I am phoning in from home, sir. My wife is sick, and I had to come home to look after the baby. I didn’t want to miss your call”. The executive politely asked everyone to press “star six” to mute their phones and he continued his net-meeting conference call. Is that what you would call a “career limiting moment”?

As someone who has been presenting technical information for over 19 years, I have learned from my mistakes and experiences and also from other peoples. This article is written so that you do not have to go through the same learning curve as I did. Before I get into the success strategies for net-meetings, let me share two more examples that we can learn from:

1) In 2004 during a period of cost cutting at the corporate office, alternatives were being explored to conduct technical training using a net-meeting approach. Management wanted to explore this forum as an alternative to a face-to-face training session where people would usually fly in from all over the world. The subject I was asked to present included training people on the risks relating to explosions at chemical plants, refineries, and gas plants. This was a subject that I had presented at technical conferences and I already had a one hour dynamic presentation. All I would need to do was hone the presentation to my audience’s specific needs. The most popular parts of this presentation were videos of different types of explosions. The videos depicted how different flammable gases produce different explosion characteristics. They also showed parts of test buildings getting blown apart during live testing. There were segments of videos showing doors and windows failing catastrophically with research engineers cheering loudly.

As a mechanical engineer and as someone who has seen his fair share of audio-visual and other equipment failures, I decided to test my presentation to make sure the videos would play flawlessly. It did not take me too long to find out that playing the videos in a net-meeting forum was not going to work with the online net meeting tools I had available. The bandwidth of the internet connection would not allow the videos to play effectively on a computer that was being monitored by a coworker in another city. The video segments were choking on the limited internet bandwidth, and were playing ineffectively. I had to regroup, eliminate the videos, and rely on being able to describe the effects rather than demonstrate them. Imagine an Irishman on a net meeting doing impersonations of different types of explosions.

2) This year, one of our technical people started doing monthly net-meeting conference calls where he would discuss and present on accidents, concerns, and revisit lessons we had learned from previous challenges. The presentations were on target for the audience, the slides were uncluttered, and he had great visuals to drive home the points. One of the challenges he had was that some people on the conference call had weak internet connections, and as he moved through the PowerPoint slides with photograph visuals, the slides would still be loading on some peoples screens when he was already moving on to the next slide. This was causing frustration for people who were on the conference call and trying to view the net-meeting PowerPoint presentation at the same time. The simple fix was to send people the presentation ahead of time so they could watch it directly from their computers without an internet connection. The slides were numbered to make sure that people were looking at the correct slide.

Success Strategies for Presenting Using a Net-Meeting Forum:
1. Learn the capabilities of the net-meeting software and hardware you are using.
2. Understand the limitations of computers that people may be using (old computers with limited memories, poor internet connections- such as phone service).
3. Practice your presentation online with someone in a remote location so you can find out what issues or challenges there could be.
4. Know your audience and customize your information to their knowledge level.
5. Consider including humor to keep the presentation upbeat and energized when it is appropriate for the audience and when it suits the content of your presentation. Entertainment can help keep the attendees’ attention and can also help with information retention.
6. Use a darker background with lighter lettering to keep it easy on the eyes of participants (the glare from a white background with dark letters can easily tire the eyes).
7. Have a back-up plan in case the technology fails (will you e-mail plan B instructions, etc.).
8. Understand time zones and the impact on people having to stay late or get up early (or connect from home with sub-standard computers etc.).
9. Get people to disable call waiting if they are participating by phone.
10. Provide a list of participant’s names, contact numbers, e-mail addresses, and an emergency contact number in case there are technical difficulties – have a plan.
11. Send your presentation to people ahead of time including an agenda. Number the slides.
12. Get people to test the net-meeting ahead of time so there are no disruptions or delays.
13. When people log in to your online net-meeting, decide ahead of time if you want to choose the option of “accepting” each individual attendee when they “call in”, or do you want them to be automatically “logged in”. If you have a large group of participants connecting to your net meeting or if people maybe logging in late, it can be distracting if you have to stop your presentation frequently to “accept” the attendee.
14. Determine ahead of time if you are going to let people ask questions throughout the presentation, use the online “chat function”, or just ask questions at the end. Let them know at the beginning of the presentation what the rules are.
15. Find a quiet undisturbed area to conduct your call.
16. If there are other people in the same room as you (when you are presenting) ask them to mute their cell phones and keep them away from the phone. Cell phones, Blackberries and similar devices can cause feedback noise if they are located near the desk phone.
17. Ask people at the beginning to mute their phones so there is no distracting background noise.
18. Open with an icebreaker – a story that relates to your material, a shock statement, a quotation, or a rhetorical question.
19. Get some audience interaction about every 5 minutes to keep the energy levels up and to keep it interactive. If you anticipate that questions may not be forthcoming from the attendees, you could consider setting things up ahead of time where people will ask a question you have previously provided them. You could also arrange ahead of time for someone to give a real life example that will illuminate your point.
20. Maximum time for an effective net-meeting could be in the range of 1 to 3 hours.
21. Suggestions for video conferencing – Your clothing should have pastel type colors and have no stripes. You should make no sudden movements as this will cause blurring in the video image. You should speak slowly and clearly and there should be no distractions within the video line of sight. Watch the lighting – e.g. if you are bald and there is glaring lighting in the room, it may make you look as if you have a hole in your head.
22. If your presentation content is controversial with the possibility of conflict, you should consider all other options first. There is generally no substitute for face-to-face meetings when there is the potential for disagreement. A face-to-face meeting allows you to build rapport with others, and also allows you to take into consideration body language and other non-verbal audience feedback during the presentation.

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on success strategies for conducting net meeting type presentations. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let’s help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave’s Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, etc.)
http://www.davehillspeaks.com

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention- Grabbing Presentation Skills – “How You Can Give Your Audience the Attention Span of a Crocodile”

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills Article

Back when I had hair, a six-pack stomach, and when slide rulers were cool (25+ years ago), I took a sabbatical from my career as a cargo ship engineer officer and drove around the coast of Australia with a friend for six months. We traveled in a very old Chrysler Valiant, a six cylinder workhorse of a car that brought us safely around the coast of Australia. We mostly camped in the National Parks around the country, and while traveling through Northern Australia, we worked for a short time on a small banana plantation. The plantation we were working on was adjacent to an estuary where salt-water crocodiles up to 30 ft. long were known to live.

The place where we put our tent was about 200 feet from the water in a very scenic spot overlooking the water. The night we pitched our tent, the owner of the banana plantation brought a cow on a rope. He hammered a thick wooden post into the ground about 150 ft. from the water and tied the cow to it with a 5 ft. length of rope. With a smile on his face, he said that it was just a precaution in case a crocodile got some ideas to travel on land and cause trouble. It did not take me too long to work out that “trouble” meant me or my friend becoming a late night snack. The farmer explained that the salt water crocodiles have great focus and excellent concentration. He said that research has shown that the first day they concentrate on your movements, the second day they make a plan, and the third day they implement the plan and try and get you. He then explained that if we should wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of the cow getting attacked, it would be a really good idea to “high-tail-it” out of there. So there we were, protected from highly focused crocodiles by a cow and a tiny Swiss Army Knife I had in my pocket. Don’t you love the Australians and their happy-go-lucky simplistic way of thinking and their saying, “She’ll be alright mate!”

Fast forward 25 years, and the subject of focus and concentration of human beings rather than crocodiles is on my mind. The challenges of crocodiles with their three day concentration and focused plan of attack is behind me, but now as a public speaker and trainer I have to deal with the challenges of humans that are unfortunately on the other end of the concentration scale. Research shows that the typical human being has an attention span somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes. I am sure we can all relate to our minds wandering during meetings and presentations.

Imagine a dysfunctional meeting. The presenter is droning on and on, reading words from his PowerPoint slides, and guiding the audience with his laser pointer. Some people are sneaking a peak at their laptops, the “Crackberry addicts” are holding their devices by their crotches thinking that nobody can see that they are getting their e-mail “fix”. The younger people are pecking away at high speed on tiny electronic keyboards, twittering or texting information to friends, coworkers, and any extraterrestrial aliens that may be checking the planet for signs of life! Wouldn’t it be great if people could be “in the moment” for three days like crocodiles rather than 5 to 10 minutes as humans?

As a presenter, I learned a long time ago that there are methods that you absolutely need to use to keep an audiences attention whether you are delivering a 20 minute presentation or a 2 day workshop.

Considerations for keeping your audience engaged:
1. When audience members are entering the room, welcome them, talk with them, and build a rapport.
2. At the beginning of your presentation, ask people to refrain from using laptops, Blackberries, etc. Make the suggestion with humor, for example: “Anyone caught e-mailing, texting, or Tweeting will be invited to sing the national anthem!”
3. Keep side conversations under control. Do not allow others to disrupt the presentation by chatting.
4. Engage the audience as soon as possible, use rhetorical questions, shock statements, questions, and stories
5. Open with impact – this is your first big opportunity to draw the audience into your presentation (click this link to see my previous article on introductions and presentation openings).
6. Change your presentation method frequently using methods such as:
• High quality uncluttered PowerPoint slides
• Move to a flip chart to provide a more detailed explanation of a point
• Conduct a question and answer session to engage the audience
• Form a break-out session. Get groups working on a problem and identify group leaders who will present back to the class
• Get one person to give a demonstration to highlight a point
• Get everyone involved in an exercise that involves individual problem solving
• Tell a short story that relates to the point and make sure it is one that the audience can relate to
• Put humor and other entertainment in your presentation even if it is a technical presentation
• Use short videos and clear illustrative pictures to get your point across
• Walk into the audience to engage them, ask them questions, and get their point of view.
7. Don’t overly criticize wrong answers or opinions otherwise you may not get any more feedback.
8. Tell the audience that there are going to be quiz’s during and after the presentation. This will help people focus and retain information.
9. If you are conducting a training session you can use an exercise such as getting everyone in the room into a circle, they throw a light fuzzy ball to each other. As each person catches the ball they have to say one thing that they have learned so far. Consider what other “games” are appropriate for your presentation and the audience.
10. Use simple handouts that require them to fill in missing words in short sentences. When people write down information it keeps them engaged and also has the added benefit of helping them remember the information.
11. Give out prizes to people who give terrific answers, get the room in competition mode. Remember, people at all levels of an organization love to win. Maximize positive feedback.
12. Break up the usual social “cliques” and form different groups either randomly or using a numbering system. This may also help reduce the potential for distracting social side conversations. The members of the groups can be changed every few hours if necessary.
13. Use stories and vignettes frequently to bring your information into perspective.
14. Get audience members to share their stories.
15. Keep the presentation conversational.
16. Use humor that is appropriate to the occasion and to the audience.
17. Relate to the audiences needs and experiences and provide value.
18. Be personable and energetic.
19. Know your audience (what are their needs, what are their concerns, customize your material).
20. What’s in it for them? (ask yourself this question at each section of your presentation)
21. Make sure you provide adequate bathroom breaks.
22. Make sure you know how to control the temperature in the room in case it starts to heat up and make people drowsy (or too cold and cause people to lose focus).
23. Keep your PowerPoint slides uncluttered – include relatable pictures and clear headlines in 40+ font size as much as possible.
24. Maximize your eye contact with your audience – learn how to do it effectively.
25. Use vocal variety and project your voice to the level that everyone in the room can clearly hear your voice. If someone asks a question, repeat the question back to the audience if the voice is not audible to the whole group.
26. Use gestures to illuminate your points and stories.
27. Use purposeful movement to enhance your presentation content.
28. Determine if your handouts and other reading material can be handed out afterwards so that people are not reading ahead during your presentation.
29. Use first names as much as possible (use tent cards or other types of name tags if you cannot remember the names).

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on keeping the audience engaged. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let’s help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave’s Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, etc.)
http://www.davehillspeaks.com

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention- Grabbing Presentation Skills – “Public Speaking & Projectile Vomiting, Not the Way to Leave an Impression”

In July 1997, I started working at a chemical corporation as a risk engineer. Soon after moving from Canada to the corporate office in Texas, I realized that my job would require frequent presentations to upper management and other groups, such as property insurance carriers. I knew my subject matter inside-out, but the main hurdle for me was anxiety. The night before my presentation I would toss and turn, trying to get to sleep. My brain would stay switched on, mentally delivering my presentation. I would be annoyed and frustrated with my inability to sleep and tell my brain, “I need to sleep- shut off for goodness sake!” I would focus my brain to think of something else, but it would revert back to the presentation in no time at all. I would peer at the clock- midnight, 3 am, 5 am, and then I would get the 6 am radio alarm clock going off. I would look at myself in the mirror as I brushed my teeth and see a picture of misery. Bags under my eyes, furrowed brow, brain already in a flustered state, stomach unsettled. In the kitchen I would stare at my coffee mug, trying to work out the ingredients for instant coffee and what order to put them in. On one occasion, I was driving away from the house with anxiety pushing up into my chest when brown liquid started to flow down my windshield. I pulled over to discover I had put my travel coffee mug up on the roof while putting my laptop bag in the trunk, and had inadvertently forgotten to take it down upon entering the car.

Fast forward a few hours and I would be standing in front of upper management, and my presentation would chug along, but when questions were asked, my brain would freeze with lack of sleep and anxiety. My answers would not be suitably detailed and cohesive. Afterwards, I would scold myself, “You knew the answer to the question, why didn’t you give them the details?” I was crashing and burning, and getting noticed in a very bad way.

Soon afterwards, I lined myself up to take public speaking night classes, and then I joined a public speaking club so that I could become an expert. It did not take long to understand how to deal with public speaking anxiety, and even use it to my benefit. At some stage, I realized that I was actually having fun presenting, and found myself volunteering to present information, mentor people, and conduct training.

Considerations for anxiety reduction:
1. Know your subject
2. Know your outline
3. Prepare, prepare, prepare
4. Hydrate – drink lots of water at least 2 hours before your presentation and have some water available during your presentation in case you get “cotton-mouth”
5. Do not drink coffee, dairy products, or iced water (dairy products and iced water can diminish the capability of your vocal cords)
6. Imagine yourself being successful
7. Tell your brain, “What’s the worst thing that can happen (you will not die!)”.
8. Have a back-up plan in case any audio-visual equipment fails
9. Have backup notes in case you get a mind- blank
10. Arrive early to deal with the unexpected
11. Use a cotton undershirt to minimize sweat leak-through
12. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes
13. Walk prior to your presentation, listen to music, imagine yourself being successful
14. Prior to your presentation, take deep breaths from your diaphragm
15. I have heard some people say that pressing their knees together just prior to the presentation takes the anxiety edge off
16. Remember- some anxiety is good; it is your body’s natural response to give you energy

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on public speaking anxiety. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let’s help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave’s Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, etc.)
http://www.davehillspeaks.com

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention- Grabbing Presentation Skills – Technical PowerPoint Slide Success Strategies – “He held me hostage and I prepared to die”

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills Article - Technical PowerPoint Slides

Imagine a dark and dreary chemical manufacturing conference room. It smells of dank and deteriorating technical manuals. It is about 4 pm and your brain is tired after a day of heated technical discussions and conflict. You are visiting the chemical plant to conduct a day-long risk assessment. In the conference room is a highly technical electrician; he is in his 50’s and “knows his stuff”. He is a PHD, a chemical plant electrical engineer, and teaches courses at the local university at night. You are there in the conference room with him and a process safety engineer. As you look at your watch, formulating your “exit plan” to get home, you make small talk and ask the electrical engineer what seemed like a simple question that would evoke a short answer.

One and a half hours later, the electrical engineer is still answering the question, and his energy and excitement are drawing him into a deeper and deeper technical answer. He is happy that he has a captive (captured) audience. The flip chart has pages of calculations and detailed crowded diagrams. As the flip chart pages fill out with details, he rips them off and sticks them to the wall. You and the process safety engineer are not following the flow of technical information. In fact, you are just politely nodding your head to imitate interest, but you have none in this level of detail.

That was me about 4 years ago. I was a visitor at the chemical plant and too polite to tell the electrical engineer to get to the point and answer the question. Eventually, I got the feeling that there would not be an end-point to this impromptu training session, so I looked at my watch and made some excuse to leave. The disappointment on the electrical engineers face was visible – he had not been given enough time to fully impress us with his mind-boggling knowledge.

When I got back to the corporate office the next day, I joked with my boss about the conference room scenario. He said, “Sometimes you ask people the time, and they tell you how to build a watch!”

Too often, technical people forget that when they are communicating technical data they need to convert it into “information” that the specific audience will understand. I have seen many presentations where there were PowerPoint slides full of overwhelming data resulting in the “glazed eyes” of the audience. This is a complete waste of a corporation’s limited resources.

For the last 12 years I have been reading books, studying presenters, attending workshops, and teaching presentation skills to build my understanding of effective presentation skills, particularly for technical people. I read a book recently by Dave Paradi called The Visual Slide Revolution. His book contains a lot of excellent information on means to convert technical data into clear, concise, uncluttered information. In my opinion, if you deliver technical presentations, this book should be on your bookshelf as part of your ongoing success strategy. The information below is my interpretation of how some of his concepts can be used by technical people who present information (such as engineers).

General considerations:

1. Minimize the clutter
• Label the parts (columns etc.) rather than having a separate reference table. Labeling the parts also allows us to eliminate the need for axis values.
• Eliminate any default horizontal or vertical grid lines that add no value
• Use 2D instead of 3D
• Reduce the amount of text
2. Increase the thickness of any lines (3+) to make them visible (line graphs etc.)
3. Arrange the data in a rational order if possible (chronological etc.)
4. Choose colors that contrast with the background
5. Start the vertical axis at zero to maintain visual calibration
6. If you are only talking about one box or pie part, color it in and leave the others in outline format
7. Be cautious of using acronyms – if they are not known by members of the audience, you can lose them as they try and work it out
8. One source of PowerPoint template charts is at http://slideshop.com/powerpoint-charts

Column Graphs:

1. Add data labels to each column if needed to show the value of the bars (you can then eliminate the vertical axis markings, as it is redundant).
2. Make the columns as wide as possible for visibility.

Mountain Graphs

1. Label each graph line if the is more than one (for a single graph line the heading will suffice)
2. Highlight specific areas you want to talk/focus on (emphasis circle etc.)

Bar Graphs:

Note: The graph vertical lines provide no value and could be removed. The “X” axis values could also be removed as they are already indicated on the bars

Pie Charts:

1. Put the most important part of the pie in the 12 o’clock position

Venn Diagrams:

1. Set the transparency to ~20% so that the overlapping can be seen and the text can still be seen
2. A PowerPoint template for a Venn diagram can be found at:
http://www.presentationmagazine.com/venn-diagram-template-653.htm

Finally: When someone asks you for the time… don’t tell them how to build a watch!

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on taking technical PowerPoint slides to the next level. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let’s help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave’s Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, etc.)
http://www.davehillspeaks.com

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention Grabbing Presentation Skills – Distracting Gestures – “Getting Undressed In Front Of the Audience”

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills Article

It was May 2005 in the conference room of a major corporation. I was listening to an acquaintance giving a presentation. She was well dressed and had a charming demeanor. I had heard her speak before, and was impressed with the thought provoking subject matter and humor that she would typically deliver. Within a few minutes of her presentation, I noticed that she had put her hands in her dress pockets and as she continued her presentation. I noticed her hands appeared to be fidgeting in there. Her facial expression gave a clear indication that she was troubled by something. I became distracted and curious. Was she scratching? Did she have a rash? My concentration on her presentation continued to diminish as I envisioned what was happening. My imagination started to kick in and I considered the possibility that she had acquired some Texas fire ants prior to the meeting. I also considered that maybe she had somehow come into contact with some poison oak, or even that she needed a bathroom in a hurry.

As someone who has a passion for training technical people to deliver exceptional presentations, I tend to look out for any distracting mannerisms that diminish the quality of a presentation or give an indication of nervousness. I knew the woman very well, and after her presentation I discreetly asked her what was going on. Her answer completely took me by surprise. She laughed and said, “Women sometimes wear pantyhose that do not fit very well, and as I was delivering my presentation, I could feel them sliding down and down and down.” She then added, “They slid down to the point that my brain was telling me that a major wardrobe malfunction was about to happen, and I could not focus on my presentation.”

What are some common visual distractions to avoid while presenting?
1. People leaning on the lectern or a table.
2. Speakers holding their hands in front of their crotch, behind their backs, or putting them into their pockets.
3. Most novice speakers have difficulty determining what to do with their hands, it takes them time to learn instinctively to keep the hands by the sides and raise them only to provide natural gestures that will illuminate the point.
4. Holding a pen or other object that does not provide value to the presentation.
5. People holding notes that they do not use and do not need.
6. Playing with your hair (as a bald man, I have not done that in years!).
7. Some women lean backwards and pivot a shoe on the heel with the toe pointed in the air. Sometimes the point of the shoe even oscillates backwards and forwards keeping some imaginary “beat”.
8. Nervous speakers sometimes hold their hands at chest height like a kangaroo or Tyrannosaurus Rex
9. When speakers are trying to improve hand gestures, sometimes they become too “mechanical” at first, but get smoother as experience builds. Aim for natural gestures.
10. Have you ever noticed a presenter unconsciously fiddling with their cufflinks or rings? Prince Charles is the notable expert on that!
11. Nervous presenters sometimes pace backwards and forwards without any purposeful reason. The movement does not compliment the content of the presentation.
12. Next to pantyhose mishaps, the only other very unusual gesture I have come across is someone who had a “monkey arm”; it swung backwards and forwards as if a chimpanzee was speaking passionately about bananas.

How can you improve your gestures and eliminate distracting ones?
1. Video yourself when you present and analyze yourself or get a competent speaker to coach you.
2. When you are scheduled to deliver a presentation, ask people to give you feedback and suggestions for improvement.
3. Some public speaking training clubs have a “Posture Monitor”. This is someone who looks out for distracting gestures and they have a small bell (or other device) to audibly let you know that you have some distracting mannerism going on. An enhancement of this is the bell combined with the Posture Monitor stating what body part they have noticed is distracting (e.g. “Ding” – hands…).

Final Note:
Learning about public speaking gestures is a very important step, but the most important thing is to practice, practice, practice, and get feedback from people who have expertise. Remember, most people do not even know that they have gestures that need improvement. The goal is to eliminate distracting gestures and to build ones that will enhance your presentation and illuminate your points and stories.

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on gestures during presentations. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let’s help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave’s Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, etc.)
http://www.davehillspeaks.com

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention- Grabbing Presentation Skills – PowerPoint Slide Success Strategies – “Attack of the Killer Deer”

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills Article

It was just another day out at the zoo in Austin, Texas. I left my kids seated on a bench to rest as I walked a short distance away to look at some animals in an enclosure. I must have been distracted and out of earshot for a while, because when I turned around, a “horror scene” was unfolding. My kids were cowering as a “ferocious” young deer came along to check if they had any food. I am not sure if the deer got out of its enclosure or if it was allowed to wander, but it certainly made for a captivating black and white photo. If you look carefully, you can feel the emotions coming out of the picture. The deer, with its head slightly bowed in a submissive posture is slowly inching towards my kids. My son is cowering behind his sister with his eyes focused. He appears to be nudging or pushing her towards the deer with the voice in his head saying, “Take her, take her now, she will taste good!”

This article discusses success strategies for visual slides such as this.

20 considerations to maximize the effectiveness of a PowerPoint slide through design:
1. The slide wording should clearly identify the point you are trying to make.
2. The wording should be in a “headline format” to grab the audience attention and make them curious (it doesn’t need to be a complete sentence).
3. Make the text short, taking up no more than two lines. Use a heading font size that is clear to see (~ 40 point).
4. The headline will be more effective if it includes a conclusion to frame the problem and a possible solution in the audience’s mind.
5. The text does not contain acronyms that may cause audience members to lose track while they are mentally trying to work out the meaning.
6. The slide design should tend to promote conversation. Wouldn’t the slide above make you somewhat intrigued and feel a need to get more details?
7. The graphic needs to relate to the text, and should be easy to correlate to the words (the one above could be more effective with higher definition).
8. People should be able to relate to the picture.
9. Refrain from:
• Slides that are full of words (and presenters that read word for word directly from the screen and even use the laser pointer to “bounce” from word to word).
• Too many points (one point at a time is ideal in many cases).
• Bullet points that are too wordy.
10. Know your material, practice, practice, practice (practicing in your head is not effective, practice out loud).
11. The background colors and font colors should be easy to see (this slide would work more effectively in a dark room – always consider the room lighting when developing slides). As a presenter, you want the focus to be on you rather than your slides. It can be beneficial to have a white background and dark font to allow the slide to be visible and maximize the level of room illumination.
12. The background is not too busy (the background is there to compliment your slide and to help illuminate the content rather than be the center of attention).
13. The font types are not too busy (use clear font types such as Arial and Times New Roman).
14. Use wording or sentence emphasis coloring sparingly. The coloring can be used to focus attention to a word or to highlight structure such as headline, points, and sub-points. The coloring could be further emphasized by putting the word in italics.
15. Use animation sparingly, the most effective use is to have your point and sub-points appear one at a time (on click) to keep the audience focused, to prevent them from reading ahead and tuning-out your voice.
16. Refrain from using the automatic timer in animation, as it can easily disrupt your flow if delays are encountered such as someone asking a question.
17. Overuse of visual and audio animation can be annoying and erode the image of professionalism.
18. Check your spelling and grammar.
19. Get peer review to make sure your presentation is on target for the specific audience. Let your presentation sit for a while, and then come back to it to see if you still think the scope and content is on target.
20. Use a consistent background as much as possible. Reasons to use a different background might be:
a. To highlight a major section change in your presentation
b. To make a specific slide more visible (i.e. to make a photo or other visual stand out)

Considerations to maximize the effectiveness of a PowerPoint slide through delivery:
1. Use the “B” button on the keyboard to blank out the screen to help focus the attention on you when you are telling a story (and if the slide visual does not compliment your story or relate to the train of thought). Another reason to blank out the slide would be if you are going to take some other action such as walk into the audience for discussion purposes, or move to a flipchart to clarify some details, etc.
2. Determine where you are going to stand and present from (left side from the audience view is preferable).
3. Determine what physical actions and movement will be required relative to the room configuration (is the flip chart in a suitable location so you are not walking through the projector light?).
4. Do not stand in front of the projector light.
5. Set the slides up so you can activate everything using a click of a remote. It can be distracting if you have to keep fiddling with a keyboard to get slides to advance or videos to play. It can also be unnecessarily distracting to have to give instructions to an assistant at the keyboard.
6. Face the audiences when you are talking, make eye contact, and engage them.
7. Don’t stay trapped by a laptop and keyboard.
8. Change presentation modes to keep the audience attention (slides, flip-chart, questions, video, stories, humor, physical props, etc.).

Final notes
1. Develop a presentation outline/table of contents (early on in the presentation) so that the audience understands how the information you are giving is pieced together.
2. Keep a camera with you when you may have opportunities to take photos that might be useful in the future. Keep focused on the kind of things you present on, and build a file of photos for use in your slides.
3. Gather your personal stories and develop a story file so that you can illuminate your slides by incorporating relatable personal information.
4. Beware of copyright restrictions when using images from sources such as “Google Images”. In Google Images you can do an advanced search and filter to identify ones with no copyright restrictions or minor requirements.
5. A cheap source for royalty free photos is www.istockphoto.com. These lower definition quality photos are very adequate for PowerPoint purposes and cost under $2 in most cases.
6. See my previous article on success strategies for linking videos in a previous article at this link.

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on taking PowerPoint presentations to the next level. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let’s help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave’s Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, etc.)
http://www.davehillspeaks.com

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention- Grabbing Presentation Skills – Get Noticed and Promoted –“As You Slide Down the Banisters Of Life, Make Sure The Splinters Are Facing the Right Way!”

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills: Get Noticed and Promoted

My first introduction to public speaking was when I went to a speech competition back in Ireland that my dad was competing in. It was May, 1980, and this was not to be a good evening at all. We arrived at the hotel in Dublin where the competition was being held, and it was in a very rough area of the city. In the hotel, there were signs everywhere that said, “Ladies, watch your handbags”- a sure sign that there were pickpockets prowling in the area. The evening was memorable for three things: the beer was bad, my dad did not place in the competition, and my coat was stolen and my wallet and car keys were in the pocket.

I will sum up my first public speaking experience with the saying, “As you slide down the banisters of life, sometimes the splinters are facing the wrong way!”

Fast forward another 18 years, and this time I am doing public speaking night classes at a local community college. My engineering job requires me to regularly present information to upper management. I am not comfortable; in fact, I am terrified. I am so stressed that I do not get to sleep well the night before I present, and I am presenting poorly. I am so worn out with lack of sleep that I cannot answer questions even though I have the detailed knowledge in my head.

During the presentation skills night classes, I learned a lot about public speaking. At the end of the class I was knowledgeable on the subject but it was not an end point. I needed a forum to put my knowledge into practice, and hone my skills. As someone who has been training technical people on presentation skills, I encourage trainees to take the initiative to join a public speaking club as I did over 12 years ago, and strive for excellence. When you “slide down the banisters of life”, you can sometimes choose which way the splinters are facing! Public speaking excellence is a choice, and in many cases, a means to get noticed in a very positive way.

This article focuses on cost effective ways to grow your presentation skills knowledge and confidence level to where it becomes a habit. Toastmasters International is a worldwide public speaking organization with thousands of public speaking clubs that are run by its members. The cost is about $60 for the first 6 months and about $40 every 6 months after that. Most clubs have weekly meetings which last an hour. Is a $60 investment to develop yourself into a great speaker, reduce your anxiety when presenting, and set yourself up for potential promotional prospects worth it for you?

What are 13 key benefits?
1. It is cheap, structured, and it works
2. You can turn up as frequent as your schedule permits (I do a lot of out of town travel, so I attend whenever I can)
3. Different clubs have different meeting times ranging from early morning, lunchtime, evening, etc.
4. The meetings are designed to give people as much opportunity to speak as possible
5. You get assigned a mentor
6. Attendees at meetings are assigned duties ahead of time (duty holders describe their duties at a meeting, this is used as another opportunity to help people get comfortable speaking in front of others)
7. Prepared speeches or presentations are generally 5 to 7 minutes in length (there are typically two or three speakers who present speeches that they have developed and practiced)
8. Your prepared speech can be a workplace speech or presentation that you want to get feedback on
9. Every prepared speaker gets a formal evaluation where you will be coached on what you do well and one or two things to focus on for improvement
10. There is a table topics part of the meeting to help speakers speak “off the cuff” for a few minutes
11. There is an “Ah Counter” to indicate when distracting filler words are being used such as ah, um, so, etc.
12. There is a “Posture Monitor” who indicates when nervous gestures are being used
13. Additional benefits from joining a Toastmasters club is that the club structure is designed to build leadership skills and listening skills

How do I find the most suitable club?
1. Go to http://reports.toastmasters.org/findaclub/ to locate a club in your area (you can even search by zip code, day of the week, time of day). Note: some clubs are listed in the “Club Status” as “closed” which means that the membership is confined to a specific company or organization (most are identified as “open to all”)
2. It is critical to visit several clubs to determine which one will provide most value to you
3. Search for clubs that have been in existence for several years and preferably have a membership base of over 25 members, and have over 15 people turning up at meetings
4. Ask them how many Distinguished Club Program (DCP) points they received out of 10 in the previous year. DCP is a formal measurement of criteria that can indicate how strong a club is and how successfully its officers are managing it. A total of 7 points or higher can help identify stronger clubs
5. Choose a club that best fits your needs as a speaker, and your character. Some clubs are somewhat formal, others are more relaxed and incorporate a lot of fun
6. When you are close to making a final decision, visit the club numerous times to make sure it will meet your needs and that your time is going to be invested in the best possible way
7. Ask the club officers who would be an exceptional mentor (get the best, this is a huge benefit to have someone knowledgeable keep you focused, give you feedback, and help you set and achieve goals)

What do I need to do to accelerate my progress at a Toastmaster club?
1. Turn up at meetings
2. Decide how often you want to speak…prepare, prepare, prepare…and speak often (I chose to speak monthly at first)
3. Set goals with your mentor and complete them on time
4. Listen to evaluators, learn who the exceptional ones are, and do not be afraid of asking for the best evaluator when its your turn to deliver a prepared speech
5. Go to Toastmasters educational sessions outside the club (local conferences etc.)
6. Enter competitions where you can push your capabilities and get comfortable speaking in front of larger audiences and people you do not know
7. Use the club to find your speaking niche; it’s a safe place to push the boundaries and learn from your mistakes

Why have I continued to maintain membership in Toastmasters for 12 years?
1. I have fun at the meetings. My dad had the same experience, he stayed in Toastmasters into retirement; it became one of his hobbies
2. Mentoring people gives me great satisfaction; watching people change from stressed speakers to exceptional confident speakers is an invigorating experience.
3. I use my speaking time to get feedback on the effectiveness of my content, speeches and humor that I will use in presentation skills training and keynote speeches.
4. Videotaping my speeches helps me produce training materials and also allows me to critique myself later on.

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on taking presentation skills training to the next level. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let’s help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave’s Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, etc.)
http://www.davehillspeaks.com

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention Grabbing Presentation Skills – Get Noticed and Promoted –“Presenting To Hostile Audiences”

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills Article

In May 2005, I was at a review meeting at the corporate office in a conference room. People were taking turns to present technical information to upper management for approval. The person speaking before me was presenting on a very unpopular subject. His presentation dragged on and on, and I could feel the negative energy level rising in the room. I had gone to this meeting feeling relaxed; the information I was presenting would benefit the company and help implement new regulatory safety requirements. I had also brought along the two page procedure which described the process for implementation. It was short and to the point. The concept I was presenting was logical and was already being implemented informally at the company’s chemical plants. I felt it would only take a short time to get the nod of approval. That was the plan…the result was very different.

I stood up and gave a short outline of my proposal and its benefits to the organization. At the same time, one of the executives who were visibly infuriated by the previous speaker quickly scanned through my procedure. He then aggressively flung it on the table and declared, “This is rubbish“. He then picked it up from the table and threw it down again, repeating, “This is rubbish“. The room with 20 of my peers and numerous executives went deadly silent. My boss and I looked at each other, and I immediately stated that I would address the concerns outside the meeting. Ah yes, another fine day at the corporate office. I went back to my office after the meeting; I was furious and humiliated. The vice president of my department came to my office a few minutes after the meeting and sat down to talk to me. I think he was trying to understand if I was angry enough to quit. I was very close. Less than a month after the disastrous meeting, my safety procedure was approved as written, and a few months after that at the company Christmas party, the executive came up to me and stated, “I have been told that an apology would be in order“. Somehow this did not make me feel much better.

This story leads into this week’s article on using persuasion techniques to help gain consensus on the concept you are presenting.

10 Success strategies for persuading potentially hostile audiences
1. If people suspect that they are being “tricked” or “coerced”, you could break the bridge of trust and set yourself up for failure for future presentations.
2. When your presentation has been developed, consider reviewing it with your peers to make sure the content is fine tuned to your audience and their level of understanding.
3. If differences in opinion or conflict are a possibility, you can open with remarks such as, “I realize that many of you today may have issues with what I am presenting. It is important for me to tell you that I have spent a lot of time trying to see this issue from your viewpoint. We may not agree on everything, but we do have common goals. How we can get to the common goals is what my presentation is about today“. This can help the potentially hostile audience understand that this is not a one-sided viewpoint. It sets the scene for a decision making partnership.
4. It can be very beneficial to identify common ground at the beginning of a presentation. This sets the stage for possible agreement. On the contrary, if you were to start off on an unpopular topic that immediately hits a nerve; you run the risk of emotional conflict that can remain throughout your presentation.
5. Use respected sources of information wherever possible to build credibility.
6. Identify any “fuzzy logic” in your presentation such as statistics that are hard to nail down. This can help the audience trust that the information you are bringing to the table is not lop-sided. You might say, “One of my challenges in putting together this presentation was to give you specific, hard facts to help you make good decisions; however, I must be honest and tell you that some of the examples are based on limited data, but I still feel they are relevant“.
7. Provide supporting information in your presentation to demonstrate that other successful people in industry or in the community (that the audience can relate to) are either in agreement of the concept you are presenting or are practicing it. This will help deflect the perception that what you are presenting is radical or nonsensical.
8. Arrive early to the meeting and take time to have conversations with as many audience members as possible. Use humor where possible to diffuse tension. Try to remember people’s names as it can be beneficial to be conversational with them during the presentation using their names. An example would be, “John, I have heard you talk about this and I respect your views. Similar views are shared by Steve and Michael, and I feel that we can all reach a reasonable conclusion with some minor changes”.
9. Build your credibility wherever possible, let the audience know how much experience you have with a subject, dress like a professional, and have the posture and speaking skills that will help build your credibility.
10. When conflict is potentially going to cause emotional barriers for progress, it can be very beneficial to build allies. If possible, meet with some audience members one-on-one ahead of time to explore the potential resistance, and to make your case in a non-explosive/emotional forum. If someone in the audience helps support your concept, this can be a huge benefit to gaining consensus as a group.

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on presenting to potentially hostile audiences. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let’s help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave’s Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, etc.)
http://www.davehillspeaks.com

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention Grabbing Presentation Skills – Get Noticed and Promoted –“Videos That Can Get You In Trouble”

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills Article

Recently, I conducted a two day technical training course on industrial accident investigation. I spent a lot of time preparing for this session. There would be 20 people being trained and I wanted to make sure that everything would go smoothly. Since the training was on a fairly dry technical subject, I worked creatively to insert my personal stories and humor to help illustrate my points. I also had some funny photos and some linked videos that would lighten up the training session, give the trainees a break from the technical details, and help them understand the importance of the information. As someone who has been involved in investigated accidents over a period of nearly 18 years, I have a strong passion to share my knowledge on preventing repeated accidents.

I arrived one hour early at the training session to make sure the room was set up in a workshop type layout as I had requested. The handouts and other training materials needed to be put at each of the tables, and most importantly, I had to make sure the room projector and audio system would work smoothly. As someone who has been doing public speaking and training for over 10 years, I understand the importance of arriving early to deal with any unplanned events, particularly problems with projectors, audio systems, microphones, etc.

I had been informed that there would be a ceiling- type projector to show my PowerPoint slides, it would be connected to a computer and a powerful built-in audio system so the audio in my videos could be clearly heard. There would be a USB port on the computer where all I had to do was to plug in my memory stick containing the PowerPoint file and the linked videos. I had tested the memory stick on two computers prior to traveling to check that the videos would automatically play when I advanced my presentation slides. I always set up my videos to automatically appear and play with a single click of my handheld remote, so that I am not fussing around a computer keyboard. I also travel with my own remote control so that I am familiar with the slide “advance”, “reverse” buttons etc. and I know that the batteries are new.

When I was shown how to work the room computer and ceiling projector, I plugged in my memory stick and started clicking through my slideshow to get to a slide that had a linked video. The video would not play. I wasted no time as experience has taught me that videos failing to play on a computer usually means that it does not have enough memory or that the file is located too “deeply” on the hard drive (putting the file on the desktop or on a memory stick usually solves the file location issue). I immediately went to my back-up plan to connect my own laptop to the projector using the auxiliary connector that was available for this purpose. This worked well, the videos played, but I now had the problem of getting the audio system connected to my computer so the videos could be heard. The tech person tried to get the audio system to work by plugging in the room speaker audio connection but it failed to operate. My back-up plan was to plug in my portable speakers which were just loud enough to project to the back of the room.

Everything I have learned about video failure has been learned the hard way. The saying it’s not a matter of “if” the failure will happen; it’s just a matter of “when” holds very true in this case. The biggest disaster I have seen was many years ago when three professional speakers were giving a panel presentation on public speaking skills. They had brought a DVD to play on the laptop (which was being supplied by someone else) to play some of their speech material to support their points. The DVD “choked” on the laptop; it played a few seconds and then would “blank out” as the computer memory was not adequate to run it. After a few minutes of frustrating attempts to get it to play, they had to give up and complete the panel discussion without it.

10 success strategies for presentations that utilize linked videos
1. Spend time learning how to link videos in your presentation software (“custom animation” in MS PowerPoint) and have them play automatically in “full screen mode” when you advance the slide on the click of a remote button. Keep the video entry and exit simple. Choose the option to have it “appear” rather than using some of the other animation options to “fly in and out”, “spin in and out” etc.
2. Make sure your videos add value to your presentation, illuminate your points, and relate to your content. Make sure the video content is appropriate for the audience, and that you are complying with copyright restrictions
3. Make sure your linked videos are not so large that they overwhelm your computers capability
4. Set up a computer file that includes your presentation and the linked videos. If you want to move your presentation from computer to computer this will reduce the risk of having to re-link the videos to the slides. To prevent your video from becoming inoperable, do not file your presentation too “deep” into the layers of your computer hard-drive filing system. Use the desktop or a memory stick.
5. Learn the tricks to get a computer to link to a projector. Most projectors I have used require me to press the “F8” keyboard key multiple times to get my laptop to connect to the projector.
6. Find out ahead of time if someone will be available to help you set up the audio-visual equipment and deal with any problems. A phone call to this person to explain your needs and to identify experience level may be beneficial.
7. Arrive at least one hour early to set up and test the equipment. If you are testing the volume in an empty room, remember to increase it to take into consideration the effects of the room being full of people and also the potential for background noise such as air-conditioning fans, etc. If the audience cannot hear the video sound, it will be annoying to them.
8. Develop back-up plans for anything that can go wrong. Bring your own projector, laptop, extension cords, spare remote batteries, and audio speakers etc. as a backup. Have your training session designed so that you can still conduct your training session if there is equipment failure (work off the handouts etc.).
9. Test, test, and test your presentation on multiple computers ahead of time.
10. Develop a checklist of everything you need to do (testing, etc.), so you do not forget anything.

Final Note: Equipment failure causes undue stress that can be avoided by simple knowledge, preparation, testing, and backup plans. Why start off your presentation stressed due to equipment malfunctions? Maintain your image of professionalism with the aforementioned tips.

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on incorporating videos into presentations. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let’s help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave’s Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, etc.)
http://www.davehillspeaks.com

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention Grabbing Presentation Skills – Room Layout and Wardrobe Malfunctions – “Please Check Your Fly!”

Dave Hill Speaking at the 2004 World Championship of Public Speaking

In August, 2004, when I was competing at the World Championship of Public Speaking finals, I was on the stage the night before the competition, and stood in awe as I started to comprehend what it was going to be like to speak to an audience of over 2000 people. The seating area seemed to go on forever into the background. The stage was the widest I had ever seen. I spent about 10 minutes on the stage thinking about the potential challenges this speaking area would present. Some of my considerations were:
1. Every seat in the room has a “customer”, I need to make sure I give due attention to all areas of the huge room while delivering my speech.
2. The speaker entry area and the spot where the Master of Ceremonies (MC) was located were at opposite ends of a very wide stage. I would need to make sure I did not move too fast across the stage to shake his hand, as I could potentially find myself out of breath or breathing heavily at the start of my speech.
3. I would be using a lapel- type microphone, but they would also have an emergency hand held microphone lying on the ground at the edge of the stage at the center (for the possibility of lapel mike malfunction). I made sure that I knew exactly where it was.
4. I evaluated the lectern adjacent to where the master of ceremonies would be located. I would not be using it for my speech, but I would be using it for the interview portion at the end of the event. Here were some of my considerations concerning the lectern:
• How high is the lectern? I am a short person and some lecterns are high enough to hide me if I stand behind them (Do I want to have a box ready to stand on? Do I want to make fun of the situation – “Can you see me now, Can you see me now!”).
• How many microphones are on the lectern? How can I adjust the height of them so they are not blocking my face, and will pick up my voice more effectively (nothing more embarrassing than snapping a microphone in half that is not intended to be adjusted!).
5. While walking around the stage, I checked for anything that might be a tripping hazard; slight changes in elevation of the floor sections of the stage, loose duct tape, carpet nails poking up, electrical wires, etc.
6. While delivering my speech silently in my head, I practiced my purposeful movement. I had to get a good understanding how my speech would be coordinated with the wide and deep stage. The stage set-up would allow me to not only do side-to-side movement and front-to-back movement, but it would also allow diagonal movement.

This bit of preparation helped me reach my potential at this important event by minimizing the unexpected, reducing anxiety, and allowing me to focus on my speech delivery. The only thing to take me by surprise on the day of the competition was someone who was standing at the entry point of the stage, he stopped me a moment before I was due to step on the stage and said in a very business-like voice saying, “Please check that your fly is closed.” This person had been assigned by the organizers to make sure the speakers would not have any “wardrobe malfunctions” – that, folks, is attention to detail!! To put that in perspective, I really would not have wanted an open fly to allow the audience to see that I was wearing my “Lucky Leprechaun” boxer shorts under my very formal attire! I should also add that they were projecting my image up onto huge screens. Thank you wardrobe malfunction prevention person, your attention to detail is greatly appreciated.

CLICK HERE if you would like to see a three minute excerpt of my speech.

This article highlights the importance of understanding the configuration of the room you are speaking in, and the preparation that you can do (and the changes you can potentially make to suit your purposes). Whether you are speaking in an auditorium, conference room, or training in a classroom- style room, there are many things you can do to help maximize your success. When I coach speakers, I encourage them to take control of the room when possible. Simple considerations can have a huge positive impact on your presentation.

One of the most challenging speaking venues for me has been a gymnasium with over 1000 people attending. People were seated 360 degrees around me. I knew this ahead of time; I received permission to move the lectern to a better position (while still allowing it to be functional for my introducer). I was able to create a large speaking area that would allow me to move about energetically while making sure I was making eye contact with people in every quadrant. If I had arrived at this event without this knowledge, it could have resulted in a level of unnecessary stress as this is probably the most difficult audience seating configuration I have ever had to speak to.

Success Strategies – Managing Your Speaking Arena with Preparation
1. Do you have a good understanding of the room dimensions, seating configuration, location of the lectern, location of the projector and screen, what obstacles will be in the way, etc.? Can you visit the event area ahead of time or get them to send you a drawing, sketch or photo? Hotels and conference rooms usually have this information available online or if you ask them for it.
2. Do you have any control over the room or the layout? If so, work it to your advantage. I prefer not to use a lectern, and like to move it away to the side so it is usable by the person introducing me, but is not an obstruction to my movement during my presentation (I like to move about!). What type of presentation or training are you giving, what is the expected size of the audience, and what type of seating configuration will maximize the success of the event? Many times I see speakers stepping backwards and forwards around lecterns that they are not using, and it is an obstruction that they could easily have asked to be moved.
3. Will there be a microphone available (lapel or hand-held)? If not, will your voice be able to project clearly to the back of the room when it is full of people?
4. What distractive noise (air conditioning fans etc.) could there be in the room or in an adjacent room? I have once given a speech when the adjacent conference room had a Mexican musical hoe-down going on. Luckily, I have a strong voice and had a microphone that was suitably adjusted by the assigned AV person to allow my message to be audible.
5. Where are you going to put your supply of rehydration water (for longer speeches, presentations, or training sessions)? Put it in a place where you are not going to turn your back to the audience, or have to reach down to the ground. In addition, keep it away from laptops and projectors etc.; nervous hands can fumble and set you up for failure.
6. When you are being introduced, where will you stand and how will you make your way to the speaking area? I prefer to stand at the back of the room when I am being introduced, and then walk to the front through a clear path down the center of the audience or to the side. If you have to fight your way through obstructions or ask people to pull in their chairs, this can be distracting and diminish your image as a professional.
7. If you are using a projector some considerations might be:
• Is it a ceiling type or one that sits on a table in front of the screen?
• If you are bringing your own projector, do you know if you need to bring extension cords/power bar, or if they will be supplied?
• How will you manage the tripping hazards of wires from the projector/speakers/extension cord? Can someone put a mat or duct-tape on the wires to reduce the hazard? Imagine the disaster of tripping over projector wires and pulling the projector to the ground with the “pop” of the bulb!
• Where will you stand and move to? You do not want to be walking in front of the projector image or standing with the projector image on your face. Ceiling- type projectors with an elevated screen may allow you to use the speaking area extensively where the table projector may limit your movement to a corner. If there is a table projector obstructing movement, I typically choose to stand on the left (as viewed by the audience).
• Will you use a remote to move from slide-to-slide? Will you use your own or will you use one that is supplied? Will someone show you how to use it ahead of time? Are the batteries good? Do you know the procedure to connect/configure your remote to someone else’s laptop?
• Will you need someone to sit at the laptop to move from slide to slide? Is that person familiar with PowerPoint etc. and can they understand your signals to move to the next slide or back? If you are advancing the slides directly from the laptop yourself, can you do it easily without getting in the way of the screen or projector light?

Final Note: Remember – preparation sets you up for success and also can help reduce anxiety.

Dave Hill - Article On Presentation Skills

I would appreciate any comments, tips, or personal stories on room layout and other considerations. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let’s help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave’s Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, etc.)
http://www.davehillspeaks.com

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.