Thanks everyone for all the many tips given here. If everything goes Pete Tong on the day, then at least it won't be for a lack of preparation and advice :-)
Cheers, JR On 12 September 2013 15:30, Ben Scott <mailvor...@gmail.com> wrote: > On Wed, Sep 11, 2013 at 4:54 PM, <kz2...@googlemail.com> 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 > > > -- *James Rankin* Technical Consultant (ACA, CCA, MCTS) http://appsensebigot.blogspot.co.uk
