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Arriving at the Gig
Scan
the Stage or Platform
I recently gave a presentation to
a government department, in a room that was built like a
theater. It had rising seats, a large, low stage at the
front, and a raised podium on one side of the stage.
Behind the stage was a huge screen. The screen went from
ceiling to floor, and was as wide as the stage.
This configuration had major
implications for me. I was using PowerPoint slides in
this particular presentation, and my slides were
critical to the message. This particular government
department keeps heavy security; therefore, I was
required to send them my presentation ahead of time.
They loaded it up on their own system, so I was at the
mercy of their stage configuration. The challenge for me
was my lack of ability to travel across the stage, as is
my regular rhythm, because I had to remain behind the
podium, otherwise I’d obstruct the screen.
In addition, the podium was
equipped with a wired microphone, and a mouse for
advancing the slides. Both the microphone and mouse
cable were only long enough the reach the podium; there
was no room for wandering.
Having taken a good look at the
stage area well ahead of my presentation, I was able to
foresee the restrictions, and to adjust my delivery
accordingly. Had I not taken the time to become familiar
with the stage area, I might have inadvertently tried to
pull the microphone onto the stage, or disconnected the
mouse from the presentation computer, or walked right
out in front of the presentation screen, any of which
could have presented an awkward moment. I would’ve been
able to easily recover from any of these little
distractions had they occurred, but avoiding them by
being aware just made me appear that much more
professional and prepared.
So, what’s the lesson? Look for
anything on the stage or platform that might restrict
your normal delivery, so you can make any required
adjustments, in order to avoid awkward mishaps. |