On Wed, Sep 11, 2013 at 4:54 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > What bothers me the most is trying to remember my lines (although I guess the > PowerPoint slides will make good prompts) ...
I haven't done much presentation, but one thing I do know: Do *NOT* fall into the trap of reading your slides to the audience. Slides should be visual aids, completely separate from your speaker's notes. Most slide programs have the ability to add notes to each slide, you can use that. Or just have a list of bullet points on a sheet (that's what I usually do). As others have said, memorizing lines will sound forced, so it's better to have a list of reminders than a full script. Personally, I'm a fan of a smaller number of slides, used for things like graphs, photos, example code, screen shots, etc., brought up as needed. This makes it a mixed-media presentation -- speaking some info, showing other info. I dislike slides which are just a bunch of titles and bullet points, advanced for each point the speaker is making. However, some people like the textual reinforcement. Not everyone learns the same way, so they're not wrong, just different. One way to address that is to provide a companion document with that info (or plug your book/website/blog), but that requires more resources (prep time especially, also money if you're printing audience packets). > ... the possibility of getting some left-field questions at the end. Remember that one of the smartest things anyone can say is, "I don't know." Nobody knows everything, that's impossible. Experts are experts because they have a solid foundation, good experience, and can solve new problems. If the problems weren't new we wouldn't need experts, just a checklist. So if someone asks you a left-field question, you can answer honestly and to the best of your ability. If the answer is, "I've never encountered that before, I would have to research it", that's fine. If the answer is, "I've encountered that before, but I don't remember the details -- I'd had to check my notes. Get with/email me after the presentation", that's fine. (Also makes you look good for following through and for having notes.) If the answer is "There are too many possibilities, I'd have to look at the environment in detail.", that's fine. Bonus points for adding "But I'd start by looking at...". And as others have said, don't be afraid to politely tell someone to shut up. It's a one-to-many presentation, not a one-to-one support call. -- Ben
