How To Present At A Conference - A Checklist - Part 2

Summary

Manager Tools: How To Present At A Conference – A Checklist – Part 2

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Sarah and Mark continue their practical breakdown of how to successfully present at a conference, focusing on the nitty-gritty details, from slide deck formatting to confidence monitors, that make the difference between a stressful and a seamless presentation. They provide actionable advice and real-world anecdotes emphasizing preparation, professionalism, and respect for both the audience and behind-the-scenes conference staff.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Slide Deck Preparation and Format

• Confirm Format Requirements

  • Always ask the organizer what slide format and aspect ratio they require (4:3, 16:9, etc.).
    • "Ask the organizer in which format they want your slides. Please pay a particular attention to the aspect ratio they say they'll be using to project the slides." (Mark, 01:00)
  • Do not accept generic reassurances that “any format is fine”—your deck could be modified without your approval.
    • "Do not accept the organizer's statement that you can send it in in whatever form you want, and they are going to make it work." (Sarah, 03:19)

• Protect Your Intellectual Property

  • If slides will be shared digitally, provide a PDF, not a PowerPoint/Keynote file.
    • "Consider providing a PDF version of your final slides. Otherwise, sorry, folks, unscrupulous attendees will use your slides without attribution." (Mark, 05:37)
  • Always include your name, company, and copyright/trademark in the slide footer.

• Bring a Physical Copy

  • Print your slide deck to review and as a backup in case of tech failure.
    • "We also though recommend you print out a copy of your deck and take it with you." (Sarah, 07:24)
  • Avoid last-minute changes, which are both difficult for organizers and can make you appear unprepared.

Handling Technology

Laptops

• Use your own laptop if possible, especially if you are comfortable with the setup, and bring all necessary adapters (dongles).

  • "Bring every dongle known to mankind for your laptop." (Mark, 11:58)
  • Be aware of compatibility issues, especially between Mac and Windows environments.

• Tech Etiquette

  • Turn off Wi-Fi unless required, and silence all notifications to avoid unprofessional interruptions.
    • "Make sure you turn off wifi. Now, if wifi is necessary for connection... Please make sure you turn off all those darned alerts and pop ups." (Mark, 12:53)
  • Meet with the AV team well in advance to discuss setup and troubleshoot.

• AV Team Relations

  • Build rapport, show appreciation, and tip staff (including those often overlooked, like room cleaners and housemen).
    • "Tip them. Yeah, and tip them in advance. ...Here's 100 bucks. I just want to say thanks for all you're going to do for me to help help this audience out." (Mark, 15:00)

Remotes & Confidence Monitors

• Use Your Own Remote
  As long as you’re familiar and comfortable with it, stick to your device.

  • "Don't get a new one if you're comfortable with the one that you have. Don't use your phone or your tablet to control your presentation." (Mark, 20:13)

• Remote Practicalities

  • Make sure it's charged or has fresh batteries the night before.
    • "Change the batteries out. Just put in brand new batteries. Even if you used the dang thing last week..." (Sarah, 24:15)
  • If required to use the AV’s remote (for range or compatibility reasons), test it in advance on-site.

• Confidence Monitors

  • Confirm with organizers whether a confidence monitor is provided, and what it can display.
    • "Ask your organizer one whether or not they're going to even have them. Not all events have confidence monitors." (Sarah, 26:03)
  • Don’t rely on speaker notes—these are often too small to read.

Props and Room Logistics

• Flip Charts and Easels

  • Request flip charts or props in advance and specify exactly what kind (e.g., a sturdy back for writing).
    • "If you have a preference for the type of flip chart easel, make sure you make that clear to them." (Sarah, 28:33)
  • Avoid using tripods or easels that aren’t sturdy, as they can detract from your presentation.

• Handouts

  • Distribute props or handouts just before your session, not in advance.

• Business Cards

  • Do not leave business cards on every seat or table; it appears pushy.
    • "It's gauche, it's unsophisticated, it's clumsy, it says you're there for the money..." (Mark, 31:34)
  • Include your contact info (e.g., LinkedIn URL) in the slides instead.

Audience Engagement

• Know Your Audience

  • Gather detailed information about the audience (numbers, industries, level) from the organizer before your talk.
    • "Ask how many different companies or industries are going to be there... What is the level of these individuals in their career?" (Sarah, 32:05)
  • Tailor your examples and stories appropriately.

• Be Present

  • Attend the whole conference or as much as possible, don’t just show up for your session.
    • "We recommend you attend the event at which you are speaking. Don't assume that it makes you look cool and super busy and in demand to arrive a half hour before your talk." (Mark, 33:21)
  • Engage with attendees before your talk; reference conversations to increase relevance and connection during your presentation.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Aspect Ratios and Slide Formatting:

  • "If your deck... is sent in a different aspect ratio than they will project, they will modify your slides without your knowledge. This is an enormous mistake." (Mark, 04:04)

• On Backups & Tech Fails:

  • "You need it near you in case the tech, the presentation, the projector, the slides, the power totally fails. This happens." (Mark, 08:26)
  • "The lights go out. Or one time, I think I had a projector bulb explode." (Sarah, 09:18)

• On Professionalism and Tech:

  • "You don't realize how much [alerts] happens. ...It's just amazing. ...You're going to be a professional, figure all that stuff out." (Mark, 12:53)

• Tipping Invisible Workers:

  • "No one ever tips the conference servers or the people who clean the rooms. ...These people are genuinely appreciative, in some cases emotional about it." (Mark, 15:21)

• Audience Preparation:

  • "If you're presenting to a group of engineers, but you're using examples of nothing but marketing and sales, it's just, it's a stupid mess." (Sarah, 33:02)

• On Presence at the Conference:

  • "Attend the event at which you are speaking… Don't do that [arrive just before and leave immediately after]." (Mark, 33:21)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Slide Deck Preparation & Digital Sharing: 01:00–07:45
• Tech Backups, Laptops & AV Coordination: 07:45–18:48
• Remotes & Confidence Monitors: 20:13–28:33
• Props, Flip Charts, and Handouts: 28:33–31:44
• Audience Research & Engagement: 31:44–end

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Tone and Language

The episode maintains a conversational, pragmatic tone, filled with humor, anecdotes, and strong opinions based on deep experience. Advice is direct—sometimes blunt, always actionable and supported by stories drawn from Mark and Sarah’s extensive conference work. The language is accessible, often emphasizing professionalism and respect for both audience and staff.

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Manager Tools delivers a comprehensive, hands-on checklist for conference presentations, ensuring you're prepared for both the expected and the unexpected, from aspect ratios to applause.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to Manager Tools. This is Sarah and I'm Mark. Today's podcast how to present at a conference A checklist Part 2 of 3.

[B]

This cast answers these how do I prepare for a conference presentation? What special issues do I need to address when I present at a conference? How is presenting at a conference different from an internal presentation?

[A]

If you want answers to these questions and more, keep listening. Want to understand your team and yourself better in the year ahead? The MT disc assessment reveals how each person communicates and works best so you can lead with greater awareness and larger impact. Start the year with insights designed to help you and your team succeed. Get your team assessed [e-mail] assessment disk okay, next item.

[B]

Slide deck. Ask the organizer in which format they want your slides. Please pay a particular attention to the aspect ratio they say they'll be using to project the slides. Now at Manager tools we use 8 1/2 by 11 because it makes printing slides easier on a standard US paper. If you've been to one of our public conferences are one of our client conferences, we have a printed deck for you on 8 and a half by 11 paper bound so that you can take notes on it. I'm amazed how many trainers think people will just write notes on the hotel provided crummy stationary that's there with a pin that the hotel provided. Seems really, really weird now. This used to be a Fairly normal standard eight and a half by 11, right?

[A]

Yeah, sometimes it's called four to changed.

[B]

Yeah, four to three. Yeah. Extended is now popular which is 16.

[A]

Nine.

[B]

Yeah. I don't care for it at all. That's. It's because mostly people are presenting things digitally and 16 by 9 is more of a computer standard and it's actually the default standard in some software. I now I still haven't changed it. PowerPoint updated and when it opens up a new slide for me, even though there are a hundred, two hundred, five hundred decks on my. On my Mac that are all in standard four by three it opens it up in.

[A]

Yeah, 16:9.

[B]

16:9 in. In the aspect ratio. Yeah. Extended I think is what they call it.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Folks the preference for them, a lot of it depends on the size and shape of screen that they've rented which is generally what drives that aspect ratio preference, if you will.

[B]

Yeah. If you've ever been at one of our conferences when we're, when we're setting up, we usually do it the day before but in some cases we spend quite a bit of time juggling the projector.

[A]

Oh yes.

[B]

That is exactly right.

[A]

Hardest part for us.

[B]

Yeah. It takes 15 to 20 minutes to get it right. And by the way, extended doesn't work in a lot of smaller hotels where they have what amount to square screens rather than the new wide screens that would fit the extended version.

[A]

Yeah, that's absolutely it. Now, folks, and this is very important, do not accept the organizer's statement that you can send it in in whatever form you want, and they are going to make it work.

[B]

Oh, no.

[A]

Now, they're doing this out of a kindness to you. They do it to make it easier for you. They know well enough how to use technological equipment and to change slides. Of course they do, but what they mean is it's going to be easier for you today, now, in this moment. They want your deck as soon as is humanly possible to show them that you're ready. And so they're going to collect it and make the adjustments for you.

[B]

Yes. If your deck, though, is sent in a different aspect ratio, then they will project it. They will modify your slides without your knowledge. This is an enormous mistake. They will move things around on your slides, and the first time you see it will be when you're presenting. It's crazy. They'll perhaps miss animations because they don't know how to do animations. Although, to be clear, folks, having a lot of animations on your slides is dumb, okay? Or they'll abbreviate things you don't want abbreviated. Also, they may want to put it in their format of the look and feel of the entire conference, and they'll change your font. They might even remove a sub bullet to make something fit because they're not the one that has to present it. They don't mean any harm by that. They're simply trying to make it work within their systems. And it is a bit of a choke point between what you send and what actually happens. But. But you can manage that.

[A]

Now, folks, what we would suggest here is that you be willing to hold off on sending your slides until they confirm the aspect ratio. And then, if necessary, you modify your deck and rehearse it in its new format if you've had to change the ratio which you originally planned for, rather than just showing up on site with a different aspect ratio than you had originally planned for in different slides than you made.

[B]

Further, regarding your slides, if there are going to be electronic versions of your slides made available, be careful. Consider providing a PDF version of your final slides. Otherwise, sorry, folks, unscrupulous attendees will use your slides without attribution. They're your slides, you own the intellectual property. We're right now in the middle of a discussion. One of our longtime community members. Thank you. Matt Beckwith informed us that he just sat through some training by the HR provider of their relatively small firm and the HR provider presented one on ones and feedback virtually identical to the way we do, and then said in the middle of the presentation something like, as supported by data collected by Mark Horstman, no mention of manager tools. A gross violation of intellectual property and our trademarks and our copyrigh rights. It was just unbelievable. How would your company, how would you or your company feel if someone used your slides without attribution, or worse, removed your company logos and names and put their own on it? The fact is, it's unethical, but it happens. And so what you have to do is that you have to put your name and title in, at the title of the put presentation in the footer of each slide and include a copyright symbol and trademark symbols where appropriate. And again, if they're going to produce, if they're going to provide a digital version, tell them you can't produ, you can't give them PowerPoint or the Keynote. You can give them this PDF that I will provide for you. And that way you're controlling your intellectual property.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. And folks, that's the, the copy that you're giving them. We also though recommend you print out a copy of your deck and take it with you. Now, you can, and you should be reviewing your slides on your way there on the plane, whatever it may be. You can make notes.

[B]

If you have a printed copy, you can.

[A]

Sorry. Yes, exactly. Now, if you do this on your laptop, you may be tempted to make changes, but in the organizer's mind, now that you have already sent them your deck, assuming you've sent them your deck, they may be preparing to only use the one that you sent. Now, as a general rule, it is impolite to make changes at the last minute and then expect the organizer to accommodate you. It is also seen as though it's not always the case. But this is the perception that you weren't really ready when you sent your slides in by their deadline, and so you weren't really being truthful when you sent the slides in, and. And et cetera.

[B]

Now, that doesn't mean that two weeks before your talk on the effect of AI and staffing levels, when some new news comes out about what companies are doing, that you couldn't ask them to make a change two weeks before is completely reasonable. Hell, some of the presenters won't actually have sent in their slides by then. So you could send them an updated version of your slides, but you can't do it on your flight in or the night before in your hotel room. Now, you shouldn't take that written deck on the stage or have it in your hands, but you need it near you in case the tech, the presentation, the projector, the slides, the power totally fails. This happens.

[A]

It does happen. It's happened to me before, multiple times.

[B]

That's right. The lights go out.

[A]

Yeah. Or one time, I think I had a projector bulb explode.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

In the projector that I was using. And then it was just like, okay, guys, we're doing this freehand.

[B]

When we set up our public conferences and at client events, we have next to the projector a copy of the deck that everyone has so that we can pick it up real quickly and not lose a beat when the technology goes down, as it inevitably will. So you have it near you, and so you can grab it and keep presenting. Now, look, if you're totally prepared and rehearsed, you shouldn't need it, but it sure doesn't hurt, and it will feel like a bit of a warm blanket when you have it in your hand. Most presenters are unaware of their natural tendency to lean on the slides to guide them through their presentation. And they don't necessarily say the words in the slide. Please, dear God, don't ever read a slide to anyone. It's annoying and it's condescending, but it's nice to have them printed so that if you are not able to look at the confidence monitor, which we'll talk about here in a minute, or the screens behind you, you'll still be able to keep presenting just fine.

[A]

Exactly. All right, that takes us to the next item, then, which is laptop. Whenever possible, we encourage you to ask the AV team to allow you to use your own laptop for the presentation. They are going to say, as they all do, I assure you, this is the largest sticking point for us when we're trying to organize events. They all say that they have their own laptop and it's already hooked up and everyone else is using the AV team's equipment, so it shouldn't be a big deal. But if there's a problem with their setup, and some are great setups and some are not great setups, if there's a problem with their setup, they may not be as good at fixing their setup as you are at fixing yours. If you're not an expert with your presenting software like we Are you may want to punt to their presenting software. I mean, maybe they are better, but if you know your way around your laptop, if you know all your settings, if you, if you use it all the time for any manner of work, including presentations, it's probably smarter to use your own because you'll know where your settings are. And also in my experience as a Mac shop, I find in house av, they tend to be Windows.

[B]

Oh, tend. They are completely Windows.

[A]

Yeah. So they're not really generally good.

[B]

Yeah, sure.

[A]

At Mac. So if you use Mac, you probably want to use your own. Yeah.

[B]

Okay. In terms of your laptop, bring every dongle known to mankind for your laptop. Some places will still use VGA connectors versus the more standard HDMI on a Mac. Nowadays on Mac laptops you can get a dongle that has a usb, a USB C and an hdmi, or you can get one with usb, USB C and vga. You can't get both VGA and hdmi. Now there are some Mac laptops that have an HDMI port so you can plug right into the side of the laptop. But, but that's not always the case. Certainly not the case in mine. Now, if you do get to use your laptop, make sure you turn off wifi. Now, if wifi is necessary for connection to their projection system, usually it's not. But in smaller conferences, sometimes the projector is suspended from the ceiling and in that case probably it's wifi connected. Please make sure you turn off all those darned alerts and pop ups and so on. You don't realize how much that happens. And you may think, well, you know, when it goes into presentation mode in PowerPoint or Keynote, those things shouldn't pop up. But they do. They still do. I've seen it half the time when people present and they say, oh, just go ahead and ignore that. It's just amazing. Like there is advanced work you can work, you can do to keep this from happening to you. You're going to be a professional, figure all that stuff out.

[A]

Turn your WI fi off. It's really not that hard.

[B]

Yeah, we've seen an AV team mess up in a small way. Knock a laptop out of presenting mode, or maybe your software crashes. It happens. And suddenly your screen and the presenting screens are filled with update requests, weather alerts. Totally, totally, totally unprofessional.

[A]

Exactly. And folks, regardless of whether you're using your technology or they're using their technology, seek out the AV team in advance. More on this later. And seek them out well, well in advance of your presentation, Talk to them about what's going to happen, when it's going to happen, relative to your presentation. We would generally recommend if you can do it before the conference even starts, like on day one or on setup day. If you get there the day before the first day of the event, toodle on down to the conference room.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

See if they're around. Talk to them before all the action starts. The more you can learn. The sooner you can learn it, the more you'll be prepared.

[B]

Yeah. And be nice to the AV team. I remember one time saying to a guy who's fairly young, they said, oh, we've got this. I ended up tipping the guy a lot of money, but I said, I have been presenting longer than you have been alive, so we're going to collaborate a little on this. He didn't like that. And I had to dig myself out of my arrogant little hole there. But look, remember, use their names. Remember their names. Thank them for all their help. Tip them. Yeah, and tip them in advance. Hey, guys, I don't want to fuss with it at the time that I'm presenting, but I want to say thank you to you. Here's 100 bucks. I just want to say thanks for all you're going to do for me to help help this audience out.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

No one ever tips the conference servers or the people who clean the rooms. And when they get tips, these people are genuinely appreciative, in some cases emotional about it. You know, if you're talking to someone who's working their second job in a hotel, and they probably work in the hotel because, like a server or a waiter or something, or a cook on the. On the lunch line or whatever, this is a second job. So they can afford health insurance. They can get health insurance with the big hotel company. A 20 or 40 or $60 tip is a lot of money.

[A]

It means something.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Especially in these roles, folks, to Mark's point, the individuals in these kinds of roles in hotels are invisible. Their role is meant to be invisible. So they're not like your server. They're not the person that's out front.

[B]

Just going to build a relationship.

[A]

Exactly who you would expect to be tipped, which means no one tips them because they're invisible. They're supposed to be invisible.

[B]

I'll give you a good example of tipping, Sarah. And I think most of you know, we travel extensively, and when we go to airline clubs, we're members at United and American, and I think some others as well through our American Express card. But regardless, you see somebody coming around and they're always cleaning the tables. And I'm surprised how often they clean the tables, but they want the next person to come in to. Not if a table's empty. They don't want to see food on the table and think that, well, that seat is actually taken. Because those spots in airports are expensive for the airlines to pay for them, even though they're also valuable for the airlines. And you tip one of those cleaners 20 bucks, they will stop. You will see genuine thanks in their eyes. I've had cleaners. Have they teared up when I gave them 20 or 40 bucks because they were busting their tail. And again, they're invisible. A waiter in a restaurant, they're going to engage with you. Hi, I'm George. I'm your server tonight or whatever. They don't do that. And so people just let them do it. And in fact, if you watch for a while, you'll notice that people that are there, the guests that are there, ignore them.

[A]

Yes. Treat them like they're invisible. Right.

[B]

And they make. They make your life better.

[A]

They do.

[B]

And it's not a hard thing for you to do. Heck, we tip housemen and people who help set up the conference room. We've mentioned that a couple of times. As much as 100 bucks a day, they move tables around. And by the way, you can bet they're happy to see us when we come back to that same hotel three or four months later. And they work harder for us than anybody else they're responsible for on that day because they know, hey, these people tip, they appreciate me, they'll move tables, they'll do anything you want. And sometimes you send them everything. Exactly. So it's always that way. Every time at that hotel. We present in this room three or four times a year in this hotel, and it's still not right. And the Houseman will say, Mr. Horstman, Mr. Horseman, what do you need? Happy to do whatever you need me to do.

[A]

Yep. And okay, folks, sorry, one more thing about laptops before we move. Also remember, in bigger rooms, even in smaller rooms, frankly, if you're going to use your laptop, your laptop is going to be far away from you. Don't ever assume you're going to be able to get it even in really small rooms that I'm in. I think recently, Mark, when I was in, I was working with Freudenberg Battery. Where was that?

[B]

Oh, Ash, Indiana.

[A]

No, gosh. It's near Detroit. Remember, it's near Detroit.

[B]

Ah, yes, I should know it, but.

[A]

I don't know I can't remember it off the top of my head. Anyway, with Freudenberg battery I had to plug my computer in like my laptop into a screen but I had to put it in this corner underneath the table because that's where the the VGA plug was off the back of this monitor and the only other option was like running cord across the ground and then making a tripping hazard. So I just left my computer in this corner like on the floor like behind this thing. So you may not be able to get anywhere near your laptop. You want to be able to set it and forget it. Don't plan on being able to look at it throughout your presentation. Hey you out there. Are you tired of management theory that doesn't work in real life? Welcome to the club. If you've tried training with your team and you realize it is in actionable, have manager tools come on site for the effective manager training. It gives you proven real world tools for managing people, running one on ones and giving feedback that sticks. Take your management skills to the next level. Visit us online today at manager-tools.come mc to learn more about how you and your team can be better leaders going forward.

[B]

Next Remotes Bring your own remote control for your presentation software. Don't get a new one if you're comfortable with the one that you have. Don't use your phone or your tablet to control your presentation. Not only that, it looks dorky like oh look I'm modern, I have the software on my phone and then your phone's going to buzz or there's going to be an alert because you forgot to put it in airplane mode or whatever. And oh by the way, it has to have Bluetooth enabled. And if you're far away from your laptop, the Bluetooth may not reach you. Don't need all the bells and whistles like so many remotes. Provide a spotlight function. I actually really like that one, but I never use it. All kinds of actions that require you programming them and then remembering them. A double tap and then another tap gets you some interesting four quad view of four different slides put together. The remote should be small enough to disappear into your hand and be usable with one hand and really just one finger. So you can't get a new one unless you're going to practice with the new one and get comfortable with it. You should know without looking at it where the forward button is and where the back button button is. So much so that you can move your thumb or your finger or whatever to do it.

[A]

Mark do you remember that Old Logitech one. It was kind of shaped like an eight.

[B]

Yes, yes, it was.

[A]

It was shaped kind of like an 8. It had a little indentation in the middle, and it just rested perfectly in the crook of your thumb.

[B]

Yeah, it had forward and back. It also had a laser.

[A]

It had a laser. And it had a blackout.

[B]

It had a blackout thing. Yeah. In fact, I tell people all the time on their laptops, if you push the B button when you're presenting, if you're in presenter mode and you push the B button, the screen turns black. They're like, what I said. Yeah. And if you push the W button, your screen turns white. But obviously that's not on a remote. The other thing I liked about that was the laser. You should use a laser sparingly. And you have to be careful if your screens. If the projection is not actually a projector, but it's digital to two screens, two big digital screens. Lasers do not work on digital screens. They go into the screen. So you actually have to have different laser, a much stronger, usually a green laser to work. And so now you've got a laser in one hand and a remote in the other one. It's not good.

[A]

Okay, and now, folks, to be clear, Mark said, keep your normal remote. Don't do anything about your remote. It's your remote. But it is possible that you will have to use the AV teams remote.

[B]

This is probably the one thing that I am. I want to use my own remote, but I am. I roll over very quickly on this one.

[A]

Yeah. Now, sometimes, folks, to be clear, sometimes they encourage you to use their remote because they're encouraging you to use their laptop. And the dongle already works for their laptop. And it's. And it's a functional thing. More often than not, it is because the conference room you're presenting in is one that's quite large but has about 100 people in it generally. And your standard remote won't have the range needed to control the slides. You may be far away because it's.

[B]

Going to be in the back corner. Yeah. You're going to be 75, 80ft from them.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. Now, what we would suggest is don't hesitate to ask them if you can use yours in a test. Again, I mentioned in an earlier point, you want to get there early, maybe even day before. You could, like, run through, like, a. A remote test. At that point, get set up on your stage with your remote, use your laptop, see if you can advance and reverse your slides. But again, frequently, you won't be able to. Because you will actually be too far away and your remote will be. It may not be a persistent issue, but it kind of goes in and out depending on exactly where you're standing.

[B]

And whether there are people standing up between you and the AV table.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. Oh, and one more thing. If you're using your own remote and it is one that must be charged, make sure you charge the dang thing the night before. If it is one that has batteries, like my old Logitech, one that I still love and doesn't work anymore, change the batteries out. Just put in brand new batteries. Even if you used the dang thing last week and it worked, just brand new batteries, just so that you know it's going to work when you need it.

[B]

I do like our new ones. There's not as good as that old Logitech one with the batteries. I like the new ones because they have a dongle to charge. You can plug it into the side of your laptop and charge it. The stick ones, the long. They're a Logitech.

[A]

They are Logitech. Yeah. Yeah, they're. I mean, they're. I feel like they're like grade A in terms of remotes. The thing I don't like about the one we have now, while it is beautiful, is there's no blackout on it. No, I use blackout a lot.

[B]

Yeah, I think you can program it. It's that extra button at the bottom.

[A]

Yeah, I must. I'm a little bit of a Luddite, and I've tried multiple times. And then at some point, I'm like, this isn't worth my time. I give up. I use the B button. And if I can't get to my laptop and press the B button, then I just move out of the light. But, yeah, yeah, it's. Yeah.

[B]

Okay, next, Confidence monitors. Confidence monitors, if you've never heard of it before, are video screens that are set between you and your audience, usually at floor level, below the stage. Sometimes they're on the stage, although that usually makes them too close to you to be useful. And you want to be able to get as close to the front of the stage as you can. And what they project usually is what slide is being displayed on the big screen or screens behind you. Please don't look at the screens over your shoulder. Look at the confidence monitor.

[A]

Exactly. And, folks, important, ask your organizer one whether or not they're going to even have them. Not all events have confidence monitors.

[B]

True.

[A]

And you must ask them what the confidence monitor will be capable of displaying. Typically, they'll show the slideshow that is also simultaneously being presented to the audience and also usually a smaller version of your next slide on your deck for predictability so you know what comes next, but they're configurable. Find out what they can do. If you do not know, go ahead and ask. Talk directly to the AV company. Ask them you can talk to the organizer in advance. Organizers do have the ability to influence what can and can not be shown on the slides, but they cannot do it in the moment. They must do it during event setup in order to make any configuration changes that may be desired. In this case, ask the organizer, the AV company, to share what options exist for the confidence monitors. Tell them how you'd like to use the confidence monitor for your presentation. And remember, some are going to be flexible, some are going to accommodate you, others will not be flexible. And you're going to have to take that into account during your planning and your preparation. You may not have the ideal set of circumstances, but you have a confidence monitor, which is better than what many of the other people in the world have when they're presenting. So congratulations. You recognize that you probably won't be able to recreate the confidence monitor's options in your rehearsal, so practicing becomes a little less easy. But again, walk through that. Talk through that.

[B]

Yeah. If. If you're there early enough, ask to have them show you what options exist before the presenting day starts. It won't take but about five minutes. But again, you know you may not be able to take advantage of all those bells and whistles unless you formatted your slides a particular way. Please avoid trying to have them show speaker notes. They will likely be too small to read from the stage. On the confidence monitor. The majority of the conference monitor options still include your slides, taking up a third or a half or two thirds. And so the remainder for your notes is going to be probably illegible from a distance.

[A]

Yeah. Okay, that takes us to our next point then. We are at props. If you need a flip chart, flip chart stand and markers. Make sure you tell your organizer in advance. Now be nice because one, this is extra work for them. Two, these things cost them money to rent from a hotel. Be understanding if they've got a lot of questions. If you have a preference for the type of flip chart easel, make sure you make that clear to them. And keep in mind, folks, flip chart easel, these words are synonymous with that three poled item.

[B]

That's right, the tripod.

[A]

What is it? The tripod item that, like people, like.

[B]

Little hooks that come out on the front two legs.

[A]

People precariously put like a little sign on. And you're not meant to touch it. You're for sure not meant to touch it.

[B]

Or write on it.

[A]

Yeah, or write on it. Yes, exactly. So keep that in mind when you ask for a flip chart or you ask for an easel, you need to be very precise about what you mean. Like, I mean, a sturdy one. I can write on it. It's got a hard back. If that's what you're looking for, you must say that. Otherwise, chances are you're going to walk into a room that has an unusable easel or flip chart stand because most don't have firm backs, allowing you to write clearly. And even if you think you need it. Frankly, a bad easel is almost worse than planning not to use any easel at all. Exactly. It's going to detract from your presentation. It's going to look less professional. God forbid it tips over or you tip it over during the presentation. Just. No, not good.

[B]

Now, look, in term, we're going on in terms of props here. If you need a piece of paper or two on every table, it's probably best if you pass them out with help from the organizing staff right before your talk. You're not going to be. If you talk in the afternoon, you can't put your. Your props, your pieces of paper out there first thing in the morning. They're not going to want to do that. And it's generally not a good choice. You have to have practiced it. Some in the audience will be on their phones, and if there's something they're supposed to do, they may choose not to participate. Now, if you've wowed them, then you probably have them in the palm of your hands, and they probably will do that. But you better be really good if you're going to expect people to write something on a piece of paper and hand it in or something that's logistically really, really hard to do. Do not think that materials in the audience will necessarily make your presentation more interactive. Okay? Asking questions of the audience is about the only surefire way to get interactivity while also maintaining control of the audience and the energy you want them to get from you. And, folks, don't leave your business card on every table. It's gauche, it's unsophisticated, it's clumsy, it says you're there for the money, it says you're there to grow your business, and so on. That hopefully is a thing that could happen but it can't be front and center that they sit down at their table after the break and there's a business card of yours.

[A]

Yeah, and I mean, folks, remember, if you're speaking at an event, chances are you'll have the opportunity to email a PDF copy of your slides to the organizer. Put your LinkedIn, would you call it URL?

[B]

Yeah, it's URL.

[A]

Yeah, the URL to your LinkedIn in those slides in a clickable fashion. That's a way better move than leaving this takeaway that says I want to sell you stuff. All right, that takes us to the audience. Now, folks, Mark alluded to this, but know your audience. So in your first call with the organizer, find out how many people are going to be in the audience, because let's face it, 50 people is a wildly different animal than 500 people. Ask how many different companies or industries are going to be there, what those companies and industries are. What is the level of these individuals in their career? Are they individual contributors? Are they managers? Are they executives? See if you can get some backgrounds, right, sales, marketing, operations, engineering, hr, whatever the group makeup and dynamic is. Because you're going to want to consider these distinctions when you're thinking about examples to illustrate your point. So like for example, if you're presenting to a group of engineers, but you're using examples of nothing but marketing and sales, it's just, it's a stupid mess. It's just a missed opportunity. And your, your point's not going to land the same way. It's not going to resonate as deeply if it seems as though you're missing the point with most of the people in the room.

[B]

Yeah. Now, speaking of the audience, you should be part of the audience as well. We recommend you attend the event at which you are speaking. Don't assume that it makes you look cool and super busy and in demand to arrive a half hour before your talk. By the way, the organizer will be losing their minds and then leave right after because you have to catch a flight. Okay, don't do that.

[A]

Exactly. Don't do it. And folks, if you can spend all three days of a three day conference, that's great. If you can't, sure, that's all right. But at the very least, arrive the night before, show up for breakfast in the morning, sit down with the attendees, chat, ask questions about what they do, tell them you're a presenter. And you'd want a presenter of a conference you were attending to spend as much time before the presentation as possible with you. Wouldn't you mention people that you chatted with during your talk. All of this adds to relevance, adds to humanity of your topic. It prevents you stepping on a landmine or accidentally making a faux pas in front of the group because you're not aware of the people or the industries or the places they may work. All those things. Thanks folks. Join us again next week as we continue this topic. Now help us help others and tell your friends and and of course follow rate and review our podcast. And remember, five stars only. Please.