Practice your presentation several times out loud (if possible).
The first thing you should talk about after introducing yourself and your topic is why the audience should even care about your topic (and don’t assume it’s obvious).
If using a hand-held microphone, hold the microphone near your mouth, not in front of your chest.
If you’re using a computer for slides or a demo, set it up ahead of time if possible.
If you’re using a computer for slides or a demo, set it up ahead of time if possible.
This. In my experience at least 50% of computer presentations started at least 15 minutes late because of some technical problems. But people always believe that the computers are the same everywhere, therefore nothing could go wrong. (Then they turn on the projector and see only a blue screen. Or the light bulb is burned out. Or a remote control is missing; or a cable. Or the presentation is in PDF and the computer can only run Powerpoint, or the other way round. Or it’s a different version of Powerpoint. Or the computer does not recognize the memory stick in the USB port. Or, most importantly, something else.)
Or the presentation is in PDF and the computer can only run Powerpoint
Seriously??? I always save my presentations as PDF in order to be sure that they’ll run on whichever computer I’ll use—is that not a reasonable assumption?
Depends on how reasonable and computer-literate is the person who prepares the computer. I guess this improves over time; most of my data are like 10 years old. (I met people who didn’t know that Internet is not the same thing as Explorer, or that companies other than Microsoft make software too.)
Probably the risk is lower if a person prepares the computer for presentations of many different people; and higher if it is usually for the same three or four people from the same organization. Lower if the organization is computer-related (university teaching computer science, IT company) and higher otherwise.
The first thing you should talk about after introducing yourself and your topic is why the audience should even care about your topic (and don’t assume it’s obvious).
This applies to posts as well. If you’ve got a long one, start by giving the reader a clear idea of where you’re going and what his payoff will be. Motivate the reader.
If you are nervous about a presentation or performance, practice while standing on top of your bed. In a pinch, a picnic table or playground equipment will also do.
Tips on giving a speech or presentation:
Practice your presentation several times out loud (if possible).
The first thing you should talk about after introducing yourself and your topic is why the audience should even care about your topic (and don’t assume it’s obvious).
If using a hand-held microphone, hold the microphone near your mouth, not in front of your chest.
If you’re using a computer for slides or a demo, set it up ahead of time if possible.
This. In my experience at least 50% of computer presentations started at least 15 minutes late because of some technical problems. But people always believe that the computers are the same everywhere, therefore nothing could go wrong. (Then they turn on the projector and see only a blue screen. Or the light bulb is burned out. Or a remote control is missing; or a cable. Or the presentation is in PDF and the computer can only run Powerpoint, or the other way round. Or it’s a different version of Powerpoint. Or the computer does not recognize the memory stick in the USB port. Or, most importantly, something else.)
Seriously??? I always save my presentations as PDF in order to be sure that they’ll run on whichever computer I’ll use—is that not a reasonable assumption?
Depends on how reasonable and computer-literate is the person who prepares the computer. I guess this improves over time; most of my data are like 10 years old. (I met people who didn’t know that Internet is not the same thing as Explorer, or that companies other than Microsoft make software too.)
Probably the risk is lower if a person prepares the computer for presentations of many different people; and higher if it is usually for the same three or four people from the same organization. Lower if the organization is computer-related (university teaching computer science, IT company) and higher otherwise.
This applies to posts as well. If you’ve got a long one, start by giving the reader a clear idea of where you’re going and what his payoff will be. Motivate the reader.
If you are nervous about a presentation or performance, practice while standing on top of your bed. In a pinch, a picnic table or playground equipment will also do.
If you are going to try to stand on a picnic table, check to see how and whether the top is attached to the base.