I have been preparing my presentation for the Inspecht HR Futures Conference in late Feb. Oh my... that’s less than 2 months away. But I came across an interesting article on SmartCompany - 10 tips to avoid PowerPoint disasters
You may think these tips are quite basic, but anything can happen on the day. Readers might also want to have a read of these tips http://www.skillsworkshop.net/a4.html
Check the power: Is the laptop plugged in and is the power on?
Disable power saving and screen savers: A system kicking into sleep mode is irritating enough, but I’ve seen a presentation stop when a password protected screen saver came on and no-one in the room knew the word to unlock it. Turn off all the power saving features or crank up the time settings to the maximum.
Turn off updates and scans: Run virus scans and system updates before the presentation. Turn off all scanners or update tools while you are presenting.
Don’t run any unnecessary programs: Constant “you’ve got mail” type noises are distracting, also you do not want an embarrassing instant message from your idiot brother-in-law popping up as you give your call to action.
Keep it simple: Exotic fonts and rare graphics increase the likelihood something will go wrong. Watch your image sizes too as well as many computers struggle with big graphics.
Test your presentation: Get to the venue early and test your show on the venue’s system. Just because it works on your computer doesn’t mean it will on someone else’s. This is particularly true if the venue uses a different presentation package to yours.
Clean up your system: If you are using your own system, give it a good clean out the day before. Clear out the browsing history just before the presentation.
Test your equipment before the show: If you are bringing your own technology such as mouse/pointer combo device, install it before you take the stage. The famous Bill Gates Blue Screen of Death when showing a preview of Windows 98 is the poster child for what can go wrong when you don’t test beforehand.
Check your connections: Personally I like to avoid accessing the net during presentations, but if you need net access, check you have it before putting your show together and test it at the venue.
Call for help: The moment you notice something not working right, raise the alarm. If something starts beeping or spewing toxic smoke, it’s probably a good idea to let the organiser know about it before the sprinkler system goes off.
Need a good laugh, there are some funny videos on YouTube.
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