I’m starting (just starting!) to think about my two presentations for that conference in September. It’s just dawned on me that it’s AUGUST and I haven’t any idea what I’m going to say, and how I’m going to say it.
I think my subconscious has known for ages and has been trying to prod me into awareness, though, because I have been noting blog posts about presentations for the last few weeks…
Like this one on how to do a great presentation, from Kathy Sierra (Creating Passionate Users). Some of the points made:
Take a ridiculously long time to prepare. I think he suggests a minimum of 20 hours per hour of presentation, to work on your slides and talk. [The he referred to here is Damian Conway.]
Don’t make it all about YOU.
Use huge, readable fonts (and very very few words)
Don’t read from your notes.
Be energetic. Be enthusiastic. Dare I say… be passionate.
You don’t have to behave as someone you’re not, but if you CARE about the topic and the audience (and if you don’t, why are you there?), make sure that it shows. Energy and enthusiasm is infectious. [I just hope I am not sick of blogs and wikis by the time it’s time to give my presentations. …Wait, what am I saying, me, sick of blogs and wikis??? … Okay, I’m safe 😉 ]Care.
Care about the audience. Care about their time. Care about their attention. Care about what they probably paid in time and money to be there. Care because… that’s the kind of person you are ; )
And then this morning (via Scobleizer) I noted this scenario, written by a Microsoft person, about the code he was presenting to a live audience failing. Actually I’ve had similar things happen before. Just recently too – in front of a group of about twenty PhD students. The search example I’d prepared didn’t work. I was trying not to be too mortified in front of the class, making lame jokes about how it was like a cooking show, and oops my soufflé just collapsed and where was the one I prepared earlier? Luckily one student had been following my every word, and had tried my search, and strangely enough, it worked for her – and hooray for her, she said so to the whole class, which diverted their attention from the sweating librarian briefly. Enough time to think up another example, quickly.
So, looking at it positively I think I have had a fair amount of experience with failing presentations… I should follow Kathy Sierra’s advice and start preparing NOW, though.
Categories: procrastination, presentation, Click06
8 Comments
Sierra’s comments sound about right. I would say I spent about 20 hours preparing and then practicing my presentation for ALIA04.
I did not prepare a script, just some very basic notecards in the style I did when I was a school debater.
I heeded all the advice about making PowerPoint minimal.
I stuck to time. Nothing worse than being flustered by the ringing bell.
I was still really nervous despite all the preparation, but the preparation meant that I could lose my notes, forget everything else and still deliver my presentation from memory.
I was pleased with how it went, and that was the main thing.
btw… I was pretty sick of my topic by the end of it. It kind of became a passing fad too which in a way was good!
You’ll be fine! I did my first conference presentation (thankfully I was co-presenter rather than up there on my own!) in July and only started panicking seriously about it in June. It was an adaptation of presentations that we had done before to in-house groups so not entirely new material, and I’d guess you’re in a similar position.
I’ve always clung to notes for presentations, and insisted on far too many rehearsals with them! But, with my co-presenter’s encouragment, when it came to the real thing I agreed to have them there in case I dried up, but try to do without them. It went much better.
You certainly have the enthusiasm for your subject, and I think that’s what makes any presentation appealing.
I’m looking forward to hearing how it goes.
Thanks Fiona – I think I had better take the 20 hour prep advice. It would be too embarrassing to be less-than-well-prepared in front of a national audience. And that point about time is good for me to remember, too. The danger for me is getting carried away and talking too much (seriously!). My enthusiasm gets me starting to improvise and it’s then all too easy to get off track. But if I am well prepared hopefully this means I stick to time.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Alison 🙂 I don’t mind talking without notes (strangely enough) but I might have to use Fiona’s tip about notecards to keep me in line a bit. I am going to have the interesting situation of doing two talks, one after another, and having to be sure I keep within the set limits. Thankfully they are on quite different topics!
Having seen Damian Conway talk on a number of occassions I can believe that he spends a considerable amount of time in preparation. I wouldn’t be surprised if he expends more than 20 hours per hour of presentation.
His explanation of quantum superpositions defined in terms of kingsize, regular and mini Mars bars was particularly good.
Quantum superpositions as Mars bars, huh? Thanks MR, I think I might have to go and see if I can find some of Dr Conway’s talks online… I note that he is speaking at Online in Sydney early next year! (Now I wish I was going)
Don’t need to panic, CW. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.
My wife and I are actually planning if we can get leave to go to Perth for her to attend the Click06 conference as well as get a chance to hear you speak.
And also visit Jaws! 😛
Wow Isaak! If you do manage to come to Perth in September, we’ll have to catch up! 🙂
Oh, definitely! My wife and I (plus baby Matthew) am looking forward to that as well if we do get to go to Perth. And maybe we can all go to Jaws to have lunch. 😛