Overview of many different tips and techniques to help you perform at your best on stage. Being your best on stage requires a lot of preparation and planning and these tips and techniques are things I've learned, have heard from others, and hope they might be also useful to you.

1. Presentation
Tips & Techniques
Russ Unger - @russu | GE Capital Americas

2. IIntroduction

3. Russ Unger
Who Am I?
GE Capital Americas
Where Do I Work?
Experience Design Director
What Do I Do?
Uh...

4. Who Really
Cares?
Hint: Rhymes with “no one”

5. IIWhat I’m Going
to Tell You

6. • Preparation
• Structure
• Timing
• Pre-Gaming
• On Stage
• Q & A
• General Niceties
Presentation Tips & Techniques

7. IIIPreparation

8. • Tell ‘em
• Tell ‘em
• Tell ‘em
Well, Maybe.
But It’s a Good Place to Start.
Structure

9. ImageSource©TimeInc.
• Creation Hours
• Slides Per Minute?
• Minutes Per Slide?
• Average adult attention
span: 15-30 seconds
Timing

10. Research Notes / Outline Cards
Slides Practice

11. “Whitney Hess
I walk through each section, writing in any voice-over that I want to
be sure to hit into the Notes area for each slide.

12. • Buy a Good One!
• Logitech RS800 is Jared Spool’s Current Favorite
The Clicker
http://t.co/dX8aG2D
The Jared Spool 9000™

13. IVPre-Game

14. “Chris Fahey
You aren’t going to sleep the night before, so get plenty of sleep
during the week leading up to the night before.

15. • Easy on the caffeine
• Light meals / snacks
• Find your happy place
Light & Easy

16. “Jesse James Garrett
Have something small to eat, not a full [meal] or anything heavy. If
you’re going to have coffee, do it well before you have to be on
stage.

17. Case the Joint

18. “Alex Dittmer
I always go pee when they call “five minutes to places”. I’m not sure
how I started that habit, but it seems to relax me.

19. “C.E. Lane
It seems like there’s some sort of inverse formula stating the harder
you are about to rock, the more silent you will become beforehand.
Before the biggest solo show I ever played, I fell asleep under a
card table.

20. VOn Stage

21. ImageSource©TimeInc.
• Prepare!
• Prepare!
• Prepare!
• Remember: You’re the Pro
and Authority on the Topic!
Stage Fright!

22. “Eytan Mirsky
I try to do some [content] I am most comfortable with in the
beginning because I know that if/when those go well, I will become
more relaxed.

23. “David Armano
Try to focus your presentations on something you feel passionate
about. That’s one of the reasons my stage fright is pretty minimal.

24. Break the Ice

25. ImageSource©NathanaelBoehm
http://www.scottberkun.com/blog/2010/speak-to-bored-audience/
“Scott Berkun
If you prepared correctly (meaning you practiced, have clear points,
are enthusiastic about them, and understand why the audience
showed up) you’ll look like a rock star.
(On talking to a bored audience)

26. ImageSource©TimeInc.
• Posture
• Podium use / reliance
• Mics - handhelds, lavalieres,
and how to use them
• Know your clicker
• Don’t T-Rex
Stage Presence

27. “
1. Stand Tall
2. Keep your head and eyes UP
3. Smile
4. Never retreat
5. Move with purpose, energy & enthusiasm
5 Tips for a Good Stage Presence

28. • Love it
• Or Leave it
• A story: How I Sucked.
Enthusiasm! YEAH!

29. ImageSource©SouthParkDigitalStudiosLLC
• Stand up
• Sit down
• I own you
Authoritah

30. ImageSource©TimeInc.
• S l o w d o w n
• Let people absorb your information
• Don’t read your slides
• Look at / face the audience
• Kill the sarcasm
Presenting

31. ImageSource:http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/143626
“Lee Iacocca
You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get those ideas across,
they don’t do anybody any good.

32. Perception of Spoken Message in Regards to Communicating Feeling & Attitudes
0
15
30
45
60
Words (7%) Voice (38%) Non-verbals (55%)
5%
95%
Who uses the
“Disabled” toilet
Source: Monarth & Kase, “ﬔe Confident Speaker”
Source: ﬔe Internet
People Like Stats

33. • Quiet != Bad
• Note takers (& Sketchers!)
• The Twitters
Reading the Crowd
ImageSource©TimeInc.

34. • Diplomacy wins
• YOU have the microphone
• Be nice
• Until you can’t
Hostiles & Haters

35. • Don’t make a scene
• Find your bearings
• If all else fails: be honest and forge onward
Losing Your Flow
ImageSource©TimeInc.

36. “Erik Soens
A simple retort such as “Whew... that got away from me, let me
reiterate” works just fine.

37. “Eytan Mirsky
Most times people are not as aware of any mistakes as you might
think. They are not focusing on things the way you, as the
performer, are.

38. VIQ&A

39. • Repeat the question
• IDK is OK (just follow-up)
• Being wrong: also OK
• Manage the questioneer
• Get out of the way!
Basics of Q&A
ImageSource©TimeInc.

40. VIIGeneral Niceties

41. ImageSource©TimeInc.
• Organizing is hard work
• Mistakes happen
• Audience is there for you
• Be classy
Appreciation

42. VIIITake Aways
(What I Told You)

43. • Preparation and Rehearsal are your best friends
• Pre-Gaming rituals help you find your “A” game
• Be aware of your stage presence
• Find ways to engage your audience
• S L O W D O W N
• Don’t forget to think about Q & A
• Be nice, be appreciative, stay classy
Presentation Tips & Techniques

44. IXResources

45. Additional Resources

46. ImageSource©NathanaelBoehm
Quotes / Interview Experts
Alex Dittmer David Armano Scott Berkun Jesse James Garrett
C.E. Lane Erik Soens Whitney Hess Chris Fahey Eytan Mirsky

47. XClosing Slide

48. Thank You!
Thank the Audience
Title of the Presentation
Your Name / Twitter / Etc.
Name of the Event
Hashtag
Promotional Stuff About You (Employer, Affiliations, etc.)