Legal Research

"Presentation Mistakes: The View from the Audience"

Posted by Bert Webb: "I routinely do presentations and thought many of the things I do and know about presenting to an audience were simply common sense.  However, sitting in workshops over a three-day conference gave me the perspective of a participant.  It appears that many of the common sense things that I do and know are not so common sense.  How many ways can someone screw up a presentation?  From the back row, let me count the ways!

If the participants have paid for the workshop, don't berate them for their choice of seats...
Ensure that materials for the workshop are distributed prior to the workshop...
If you use an object in a demonstration, make sure I can see it...
Know how to work your equipment...
Have credentials that support your authority on the topic that you are presenting...
Speak Correctly...
Talk to me, not your screen...
Keep the jargon and buzzwords to a minimum...
Don't ask for questions if you're not prepared to answer them...

The poor presenters at this conference make me appreciate the effort of preparation and the hard work to learn the craft of public speaking of good public speakers and presenters. 

It wasn't all bad, however.  One group of presenters absolutely blew me away!  They made none of the mistakes the other made and their level of preparation and professionalism in public speaking was outstanding.  After three days, I felt like giving them a standing ovation!  Bravo!"

Hat tip to Tom Mighell of Inter Alia

The full text of this post is available at the source site listed below

Source: Open Loops, no date posted

Full post as published by Stark County Law Library Blawg on April 22, 2009 (boomark / email).