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Point, Click & Wow! -- Chapter 6: Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse
Page 5 of 9
Know the environment. If the meeting is at a site you don't control, the odds of something going wrong increase dramatically. Low-tech methods such as using overhead transparencies have fewer breakdowns. A financial consultant said, "If the site is my site and under my control, then I use the high-tech equipment. If the site is not my site, and not under my control, I go as low tech as I can get."
Be sure the site has the equipment you need. Never believe it when representatives for a conference site say they have the equipment needed for you to give a multimedia presentation. They may have equipment, but not state-of-the art. Find out the brands, types, and capabilities of the equipment.
Practice with the pointer. When you use a laser pointer, you must hold it still on one point on the screen. And you must leave it in one place long enough for your audience to focus their eyes on the spot you are pointing to. Follow these same guidelines when using the pointer from the software program remote mouse. Never wave it in your audience's eyes. People don't like that! Using a laser pointer takes practice—but not when you are in front of your audience. Practice using the pointer, and have someone watch you and tell you if you are using it effectively.
Check out the computer. Check out the computer one last time just before the presentation. Then don't play with it, and don't let anyone else touch it. Don't leave the room with your computer on unless you put a sign on it that says, "Please don't touch the equipment. Thank you."
Work with your hired graphics expert. When you hire a consultant to create a presentation, you need to direct him or her. You need to explain the type of audience who will be seeing the presentation, give him or her a sense of your business, and describe the levels of expertise of the people who will be giving the presentation. Don't assume the expert is thinking of all these things. We have heard of companies spending thousands of dollars to have a presentation designed, only to have to scrap it.
Be sure you can run the software. When you hire someone to make a sophisticated presentation, you need to know how to use the graphics package it was created with. Why? What if something happens during the middle of your speech and you haven't the faintest idea what to do? You should at least learn the program basics.
Know the minimum requirements. Save yourself the embarrassment and find out ahead of time whether the on-site equipment meets your requirements. Better yet, if you bring all your own equipment, you'll never have to worry about this issue.
Use the partner system. For high-level key presentations, always go in twos. If something happens with the technology, one of you can speak to the audience while the other troubleshoots the equipment. A good pairing consists of the speaker and the expert on the technology. It's not a good idea to pair two speakers who are novices concerning the equipment or software program, or two technical experts who are inexperienced speakers.
Carry an extra bulb for the projection system. One Polaroid dealer said, "The only bulb that always works is the one in your pocket."
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The only way you'll know what could go wrong is to do the whole speech. This may expose many of the issues we just addressed, thus giving you an opportunity to correct what is wrong before it is too late.
Present with Total Confidence
You've now created a clear, easy-to-follow electronic presentation. If you want to give it with style, follow these simple guidelines. You've done your real rehearsal and had someone fill out the Rehearsal Critique Sheet. And you've planned how to incorporate their comments into your behavior. Here are your last guidelines.
Plan What to Wear
Practice in the actual clothing you will wear. You may have to climb up and down a platform, so don't wear anything too tight that won't let you take big steps. If you have gained or lost weight, be sure the clothes aren't so loose that they bag or so tight that seams will rip open or the zipper pop. (Not a pleasant experience when you are presenting in front of a hundred people!) Women, don't wear bracelets with loose jangling pieces, or every time you push the mouse button your jewelry will make a noise against the mouse. Now that every business has different dress standards, ask what type of clothing people wear. Don't assume that "business casual" dress means khakis and a knit shirt. You must ask, "Tell me, what specifically do people wear."
When people look at you, you want them to see your face. Wear something that highlights your face. Look at your complexion and wear a color that sets it off. For example, you wouldn't want to wear a light blue pair of pants and a black sweater. You'd do the opposite so the lighter color would lead them to your face.
Source: Wilder Presentations and Jossey-Bass Publishing
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