Presentations
Presentations
I'm sure that I spoke of this before - maybe in parts, here and there - but, wanted to bring it up again. Was reading an article the other day on how to make a presentation (like PowerPoint).
It amazed me how still, to this day, after years and years, people still don't know how to make and do a presentation. I don't want to discuss how a presentation should be made or not; I want to discuss the other elements of a presentation.
What other elements?
In a past posting, I mentioned that I do NOT do presentation when I go on press or analyst tours. Why? Because I want the other individual focused on me, not on anyone or anything else. When they are looking at me, I know when they are paying attention and when they are not.
Was at a job interview the other day, and one of the questions I was asked was: "If, in the middle of your presentation, you notice that your audience is not paying attention as attentively as they should. What would you do? a) Start over, b) Ask if they need me to repeat anything, c) Ask if I am going to fast and they are lost, or d) Ask if they don't understand anything".
What amazed me, if you have done over 50 presentations in your life, is that there was no "e) Skip ahead to the meat of your subject, worry about the details later".
When I lived in Israel, I was reminded that what I had always been doing was welcomed, as I always would present "e)", which the the Israeli culture demands. Get to the meat of the subject and cover the details later. In other words, get to the strategy and go over the tactics at a later time/date.
I know, I know, it depends on your audience - a CEO wants strategy, where Product Managers want tactics first and then strategy. In other words, the CEO wants "what", and the PM wants "how & when".
I know I am rambling again, but, I am a member of a board of advisors for Dell Computer. They send presentations out, from one of three individuals. Two of them present as if I am a PM, while the other presents as if I am a CEO - AND, that same individual, in later slides, gives the tactics if I have further questions or issues.
Okay, an analogy. If you have kids, or nephews, nieces, etc., you probably have been in the position of one of the following:
1) "Owww, it hurts, it hurts. Help me."
2) "I bit the inside of my mouth. It hurts. Help me."
Which one would you prefer? Of course, #2. Gets right to the point, huh?
To close this, back to them paying attention or not. Do presentations when you have a technology that can't be seen with the naked eye, or have to display large images, sketches, etc. to numerous individuals. When I have one or two people that I have to give a presentation to, I do not do a presentation. When more then three, then, do a presentation.