Words of Wisdom

 

 

I asked some of our past Ignite presenters to offer up their best advice for the presenters of 2012! Here is what they had to say:

 

Barry Ezell Practice, practice, practice and have some "banter" ready in case there's a technical problem with the slides. 

 

Lauren Capo I would say they should practice their presentation in front of others over and over again. Specifically, knowing their presentation in parts. You only get 5 minutes so if you end up dawdling and want to catch up to the slide you are on—you will need to know how and what you can skip over and what information is important. If you practice your presentation in pieces than you can add or remove sections as time permits, without leaving the audience feeling as though they missed something important.

 

Nikita Polyakov  Remember to have your main message or final point well practiced in-case you see yourself runing out of time. Gotta finish with a take-away no matter what!

 

Christina Durbin Wear a fun costume! Everybody loves a person in costume and it'll make you feel "super."

 

Coleman McCormick  Keep it simple and rehearse! Five minutes flies by! 

Noel McCormick Be careful to select a topic about which you're personally passionate.  With that foundation, the rest will come easy.

 

Karlton Meadows I would advise the prospective presenter to rehearse timed presentation until it is committed to memory. Be creative with your slides, pictures say more than words.  This is where rehearsal pays off because the pictures will cue the presenter and engage the audience.  Leave time for laughter and try to relax, that 5 minutes will be gone very quickly.  Oh, and talk into the mic, smile.  

 

Antony Francis Be prepared to speak without your slides, that way they are there for the audience, not you, and you'll be fine, even if they are blank!

 

Peter Radizeski ENGAGE your audience. Do you watch Big Bang Theory on CBS? Sheldon learns that spouting off info to a classroom will end badly. Why? Teaching requires entertainment. It is the responsibility of the presenter to garner the attention of the audience members. I'm not the best speaker, but I try hard each time to give the audience a take-away. I aim to improve with each session.

 

And finally from me, no advice just words of encouragement: You'll be great! Can't wait!