So you want to be a GOOD Lotusphere speaker?
Category Lotusphere
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Note: I post this entry every year, as I believe it is relevant every year. I have updated this year's content, so read on. **Rock
Lotusphere 2008 speaker notifications have gone out - congratulations to those of you who were selected. As I stated previously, the selection process was arduous, but I believe that the content this year will once again exceed expectations. If you weren't chosen, please don't give up - I would love to have abstracts from you again next year. Remember, we're on a new trend of keeping the speakers and content mixed up, new, and fresh, so those who weren't chosen this year have a good shot next year - as do those who have never submitted before.
Today's post is revisiting a post I made WAAAAY back in 2003 entitled "What makes a good speaker, anyway?". Many people who were chosen to speak this year may not have much speaking experience - and now that the first hurdle is done (you've been selected to speak), the panic sets in - how can you be sure that you'll present a good session? Here is that article from 2003, but I have updated it to be more current.
What makes a good speaker, anyway?
There's varying opinions on what makes a good speaker. Phillip Greenspun (through someone else - these blog quote chains can get long) has the following to say about the use of slides when speaking:
Slides are useful when you need to show everyone in a room a graph, a photo, or some other item for discussion. Somewhere in the 1960s and 1970s things went horribly wrong, however, as bullet points began to make their way onto the slides.
Well, he may have a point - maybe. Slides can easily become a crutch - especially to a nervous or inexperienced speaker, because he will become completely fixated on the slides, reading them verbatim. This happens when a speaker is nervous about getting in front of a crowd, especially a crowd that is expecting to learn something. This fear is rooted in the desire to do good - a speaker on the stage wants to make the audience happy, and he fears not being able to offer something interesting on his own - so reads the slides, paralyzed from doing anything else. But, like all things, slides used in moderation are not the bane of the speaker - slides are simply a tool that, when used properly, can enhance the presentation experience.
The use of slides really depends upon the type of presentation you're giving. I break these presentation types into two groups, which I cover below...
Speech Types
I tend to group sessions into two types. First, there are general sessions, or the "vision" and "opinion" talks - these sessions are often keynote speeches, such as the opening general session at Lotusphere. I believe these sessions fall into the category mentioned by Mr Greenspun, in that these sessions are better delivered with a minimal amount of slides. The focus of these types of sessions is what the speaker has to say, and what he thinks. Any audio/visuals used by the speaker should be solely to entertain or illustrate and reinforce a point.
Then there are sessions focused on a particular topic, usually technical in nature. I think that these types of sessions are the proverbial "exceptions to the rule" - Mr. Greenspun's rule, in this case. The focus of these sessions isn't necessarily the speaker and what she has to say, but it is the content of the session itself. The audience at a focused session wants to learn something, get something tangible to take away - a new technique, exposure to a new technology, or learn about a new innovative process. In this type of session the slides play an integral part because it provides the attendee an outline for the new concept, reinforcement during the discussion, and reference material for review afterwards. However, just because the slides are important, it does not give the speaker the license to read them verbatim. In fact the speaker has to be even more diligent to not fall into that trap, as nervous speakers have a tendency to do.
Speaking Tips
So slides are fine to use, depending on the type of presentation and if they are used in moderation. But what other traits can you display or techniques can you use to ensure that your session will be successful? Here are a few tips that should help the new speaker be successful. Now these are just my own "tips from experience", and I hope that they make you a better, more engaging and interesting speaker. I am sure my readers who also have speaking experience will chime in with tips of their own (and I encourage them to do so!).
Do you have any other speaking pearls of wisdom to share? If so, post them here!
Rock
**Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
I tend to group sessions into two types. First, there are general sessions, or the "vision" and "opinion" talks - these sessions are often keynote speeches, such as the opening general session at Lotusphere. I believe these sessions fall into the category mentioned by Mr Greenspun, in that these sessions are better delivered with a minimal amount of slides. The focus of these types of sessions is what the speaker has to say, and what he thinks. Any audio/visuals used by the speaker should be solely to entertain or illustrate and reinforce a point.
Then there are sessions focused on a particular topic, usually technical in nature. I think that these types of sessions are the proverbial "exceptions to the rule" - Mr. Greenspun's rule, in this case. The focus of these sessions isn't necessarily the speaker and what she has to say, but it is the content of the session itself. The audience at a focused session wants to learn something, get something tangible to take away - a new technique, exposure to a new technology, or learn about a new innovative process. In this type of session the slides play an integral part because it provides the attendee an outline for the new concept, reinforcement during the discussion, and reference material for review afterwards. However, just because the slides are important, it does not give the speaker the license to read them verbatim. In fact the speaker has to be even more diligent to not fall into that trap, as nervous speakers have a tendency to do.
Speaking Tips
So slides are fine to use, depending on the type of presentation and if they are used in moderation. But what other traits can you display or techniques can you use to ensure that your session will be successful? Here are a few tips that should help the new speaker be successful. Now these are just my own "tips from experience", and I hope that they make you a better, more engaging and interesting speaker. I am sure my readers who also have speaking experience will chime in with tips of their own (and I encourage them to do so!).
- Trust your knowledge - You're the expert, so believe in yourself! You wouldn't have been asked to speak if you didn't know your stuff. Have confidence in your knowledge, because you have a great deal to offer the audience.
- Practice - This is another one of those "only in moderation" suggestions. Some people feel more comfortable if they have practiced a ton; others feel it is a waste of time. If you have never spoken in public before, then it is a good idea to practice - if for no other reason than to make sure you have the right amount of material for the time allotted. Keep in mind that in most cases the "live" presentation will go more quickly than the practice sessions, so keep that in mind. But don't over practice - which leads to the next suggestion...
- Be spontaneous - Don't be afraid to ad-lib, tell anecdotes, etc. It is OK to not have practiced every word; in fact if you over-practice, it is very noticeable, as you look like one of those Disney animatrons. Know what you are going to say, but don't be afraid to go "off script" where it makes sense.
- Give up the goods - It's good to give some background, but your audience is there to get some type of "takeaway" - they are there to get some tip, technique, or code that they can use. Get to the good stuff relatively quickly, and make sure you give at least one tip or trick that can be used by the attendees when they get home - think of it as a virtual doorprize. Giving a good takeaway for a session really leaves a good impression with the attendees.
- Show live code - Many first-time speakers make the mistake of trying to put all of their example code in the slides. Don't do that; instead, show live code, with relative points or highlights on the slides. People would much rather see live code than read code on slides. However, if you do display live code make sure you practice that to make sure your walkthrough is smooth, and go ahead and have it opened before you begin your session. Also, make sure you increase the font of your IDE (probably Domino Designer) so it is visible to the whole room.
- Test your demos thoroughly - Make sure your demos work before you go onstage. Find out what the environment will be for you (network connectivity, sound, etc.) and make sure your laptop and demos will be usable in this environment.
- Have a backup plan - While something doesn't go wrong every time, you should prepare like it will. Have a backup plan - make backups of your demos, do some screenshots in case you have a crash, you may even want to create a "Julia Child" if you're coding something live - i.e. have an "already baked" example to show if your live coding doesn't work as planned.
- Don't fear creativity - Don't be afraid to be creative and inject some planned humor in your presentation. I have done presentations with Forrest Gump clips, Young Frankenstein, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Monty Python (Holy Grail), and many more. Audiences like it, and it helps break the tension. Just don't overdo it - it gets old really, really fast.
- Get your slides in on time - People like having the materials available ahead of time, and get really ticked off if it isn't available when it's supposed to be. Not having the expected materials available will guarantee lower attendee evaluations. Additionally make them available for download afterwards, if possible. You can protect the content of your slides by posting them as PDFs. You can either use a conversion tool (such as PDF995) or use Open Office or Lotus Symphony (I strongly recommend it!), both of which can save documents and presentations as PDFs.
- Project your voice - If you are soft-spoken you need to practice projecting your voice. BTW, projecting is not the same thing as yelling. If you aren't sure if you project or not, get in a large room and have a friend stand at one end and you stand at another, add some background noise (like a radio), and talk like you will onstage. If your friend can hear you clearly, you're fine. If your friend has trouble hearing you, then take speech lessons, join Toastmasters, or even join a church or community choir - singers learn to project, and the same technique works for public speaking as well.
- Relax and have fun!! - The worst thing in the world is a nervous, stiff, monotone speaker. The best thing to do is to talk to the audience just like you talk to a geek buddy of yours. Explain what you are covering to the audience like you would explain it to your best geek buddy (without the expletives
). Make sure to vary the pitch and tenor of your voice - you don't want to sound like Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?). And for god's sake, smile! 
Do you have any other speaking pearls of wisdom to share? If so, post them here!
Rock
**Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
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Comments
Often when you see someone give a speech or presentation, it is so polished and professional that you might think "wow, I could never give a presentation like that". What you may not realise is that the speaker may have given that EXACT same speech 50, 100, or more times. This is a different proposition from putting together a one-off presentation and presenting it for the first time. So don't compare yourself to the polished professional speaker - this will only do your head in.
And here's the takeaway from this posting, your virtual door prize if you like. No-one knows what your presentation is going to be like before you do it. So if you miss a slide, or forget what you are going to say, or spend 20 seconds on slide instead of the three minutes you had planned, just keep cool. No-one knows that except you. You don't need to alert your audience to it with "oops I forgot what I was going to say".
Practise does makes perfect. We have a guy in Australia who regularly wins Toastmaster speaking competitions. His secret? He practises his speech around 70 - 80 times before he has to present it!
If you want to get some general practice speaking in beforehand LotusSphere then head on down to your local Toastmasters club - they'll welcome you with open arms. A few sessions can make a big difference. Also consider giving your presentation a trial run with your local Notes users group and/or your IT buddies at work.
hth.
Posted by Ethann Castell At 07:25:13 PM On 11/14/2007 | - Website - |
'I promise to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth'.
Okay. Kidding.
I've seen a *lot* of extremely gifted - far far more gifted people than I - flub. For all the wrong reasons.
Its said that only sociopaths and criminals are used to large audiences looking at them. Sorry, I forgot politicians, but they're just a subset of those two.
So. *Everyone* gets nervous. If you dont, then I sincerely believe that it'll go wrong.
Nerves are good.
How to get around them?
I read 'That Presentation Sensation', and it had a few pearls of wisdom.
1. Practice naked in front of a mirror. Seriously. If you can handle that (and it takes a while) then nerves are controlled. Okay, do it in a private place, m'kay?
2. Get the first five minutes word perfect. So if you freeze (and most of the speakers will at least once!), then you can continue.
3. DONT hold onto the podium, or use it as a shield. It reinforces the fear. Walk around. Get there early so you understand the space you have, and dont walk off the stage (I did.. It hurt..!)
4. DONT fixate on a single person on the audience, no matter how cute (Sorry, Bruce!). Scan around and try and make eye contact with everyone in the room. But DONT empathize too much with them. Dont focus on one person.
5. Be enthusiastic. People expect mistakes.
6. DONT read off the slides. It reinforces fear, and gets folks bored. A bored audience is a lost audience. Keep em awake. Challenge them. This is what they are here for. (However, be aware that this is not a good soapbox for making sweeping comments on other peoples code...)
And I have a few of my own.
1. Dont get the first slot on a wednesday or a thursday at Lotusphere. Some delegates ( *cough* ) dont get to bed till stupid-o-clock in the morning (if indeed at all), and seeing 'the village of the dammed' walk in is bad. Especially if your one of them.
2. Check the AV stuff! Dont as I have done, breeze in and find that your newly installed Linux distro does NOT work. (Sorry Todd and the A/V gurus. I did buy you beer at DNUG).
3. Know your audience, and know what jokes will work. Lotusphere is a little laid back, UK is very laid back, and Germany is very serious (in a good way). So aim the content at the right audience. Dropping the F*** bomb doesnt work in the US (as I found out to my cost).
4. Preparation, preparation, preparation. Having a demo go south on stage because VMWare decided not to work is not an excuse. I have known people get new jobs at lotusphere, honeymoon at lotusphere, get new spouses at lotusphere, and make new babies at Lotusphere. Keep your mistakes to small audiences..
(None of them were I, I'm sorry to add.. )
5. Did I mention "dont swear" ?
Phew.
And please. To repeat Rocky's point. Your there not because of your looks (sorry Paul!), or your dress sense (me!) - but because you have something interesting to say. So say it!
And have fun.
(Damn. I've given away all my secrets..!)
---* Bill
Posted by Wild Bill At 07:07:26 PM On 11/13/2007 | - Website - |
Posted by Chris Miller At 04:03:05 PM On 11/13/2007 | - Website - |
"Don't forget to pee before you start presenting (I recommend using the restrooms), it's only an hours presentation, but all that lunch time beer can hit at just the wrong time."
As an addon to that suggestion: When you go to the restroom right before you go onstage, make sure you turn your microphone OFF before going into the restroom.
Rock
Posted by Rock At 09:20:36 AM On 11/14/2007 | - Website - |
I would not give recommendations, as I don't really see myself as that good of a speaker (compared to the guys above). But some observations.
Consider it your chance to show off and be proud of what you do. Believe me, attending Lotusphere is NOTHING like having to speak at Lotusphere. I love doing both, but to be honest I just enjoy speaking at events.
Do not use rehearsed timed slides (ie ones that automatically move forward after x seconds). It could go horribly wrong.
This crowd are the top of their game - make sure you know your content. Well. I don't mean that to scare you, but it has to be said.
Nothing beats flashcards for notes for your slides.
Practice - lots.
Try not to engage in presentation karaoke. Its harder to copy someone else's presentation then write your own.
Ask for help. The seasoned speakers are always very helpful and honest. I remember Duff, Chris Miller and Libby giving some great feedback to me after the first time I spoke at sphere. I am more then happy to pay that forward. Also, if you are nervous, the other speakers will happily take front row seats for you, so you can see a friendly face. Trust me, that helped me (Duff saved my life - imagine the first time on stage at Sphere and beside a force like Buchan - I needed someone to keep me calm).
If I think of any more, I will post.
Posted by Paul Mooney At 03:20:05 PM On 11/15/2007 | - Website - |
Be sure to have backup plans in case the network goes down or performance is terrible. Also be sure to have a firewall installed on your machine before plugging in.
Try and avoid more than 6 lines of text on a slide, the Lotus attendees are getting older with each year and with it poorer eye sight. No one likes eye charts.
Don't forget to pee before you start presenting (I recommend using the restrooms), it's only an hours presentation, but all that lunch time beer can hit at just the wrong time.
Avoid too many slides, it's 60 minutes, so there is no way you should have 60 slides.
Don't be afraid to say you don't know. Saying you don't know the answer to a question someone asks is not a sign of weakness, making up an answer is.
Don't be afraid to be honest, if you're showing something and you know it doesn't work because of a problem with the product, don't be afraid to mention it and how to get around it (sometimes it can be beneficial to show how it doesn't work). The attendees are paying good money to learn hints and tips like that, saving the attendees time by giving them workarounds helps pay for their trip to Orlando, and really helps justify the trip to their bosses.
But as Rocky says, the key is to have fun, typically if you're having fun, are confident and engaging the audience will love you for it.
Posted by Carl Tyler At 04:20:59 PM On 11/13/2007 | - Website - |
Like Rocky suggests, I do the "code demo" live but I also create a slide with the entire sample code in it. this is my "lead in" slide to the demo.
The text is teeny-tiny on the screen - I usually make a joke about the font size and then I tell the audience, if they download the presentation, they can extract all the sample code from this slide.
I usually get a chuckle when the slide first appears and a "oh, cool!" when the hear how to use it.
Posted by Glen At 04:55:31 PM On 11/13/2007 | - Website - |
Posted by Carl Tyler At 10:00:09 AM On 11/14/2007 | - Website - |
That's an impressive and thoughtful list. I'm going to trail in with some old training tips ({ Link } <-at the end of the article). To me, whatever else happens in a presentation, the timing needs to allow for a terrific climax. Thanks, Rocky
Posted by Jack Dausman At 06:15:56 PM On 11/13/2007 | - Website - |