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Arriving at the Gig
Check
the Equipment
Checking the equipment may sound
like an obvious thing to do, but I’ve often seen
presenters arrive at an event, only to find out their
laptop doesn’t work with the projector, or the
presentation is in the wrong format for the computer,
even though the presenter has supplied everything.
If you’re bringing your own
presentation equipment, such as a laptop and a
projector, for example, always check that everything’s
in working order before you leave for the gig. Check
everything! Set up your projector and hook the laptop to
it, and then run through your delivery either the night
before, or the day of, your presentation, to double
check that everything you need will work.
Sometimes, however, this just
isn’t as simple as it sounds. In the winter of 2010, I
arrived at a location to do a sales presentation for a
corporate client and they had a specific room fully
equipped for these types of presentations. They had all
the latest gadgetry, including a smart board, some
wireless microphones, and a high-end projector, to name
a few items.
I had requested, and expected, a
computer with a very specific software package installed
on it, in order for me to do this presentation, and I
was assured the computer would be ready. When I arrived,
I checked with the IT guy to confirm that the software
had been installed, and he assured me that everything
was ready.
I arrived about 90 minutes early,
so I fired up the projector, the microphone, the smart
board, and the computer to test everything. As it turned
out, the software I needed was not installed, even
though I’d been told it was. I tracked down the IT
person, and it took him about 45 minutes to find the
software and get it installed, thankfully, well before
my presentation began. The result of being early was
that the delay was seamless to the audience. Had I not
checked the equipment, my presentation would have
started out with a 45-minute break, while the software
was being installed.
Although it wasn’t my fault the
software wasn’t installed, I was responsible to ensure
that everything was ready for my presentation.
So, what’s the lesson? Test
everything you can before you speak. It could save your
presentation. |