If you are like most business people, technology has become an integral part of your presentations. Although these audio and visual advances certainly add value for audiences, there is also a downside to relying on technology. We have all experienced a technical mishap at some point in our career and this and can be frustrating and embarrassing. After all, it can be a long and tedious process to schedule a meeting with a prospect or a panel of administrators and all of that hard work can go out the window in an instant when technology fails you. Nonetheless, technology is here to stay and will undoubtedly be a critical part of many presentations so here are a few tips that can help you avoid technical mishaps in future presentations.
Over-Prepare
Whenever you are planning to utilize technology in a presentation it is best to over prepare. Make a checklist of everything you are going to need to present including sound equipment, projector, laptop, remote, and slideshows. Check all of this equipment a day or two in advance and then arrive early on the day of the presentation to check it again. It is also a good idea to pack your own remote and laptop just in case the one that is provided stops working. It’s always good to have a backup.
Know Your Presentation Backwards and Forwards
It can’t be emphasized enough how important it is to know your material. That way, even if the presentation technology is a total nightmare, you can always go on without it. You don’t have time to stop and wait for technology mishaps to be fixed so you need to be prepared to present with or without it. Besides, you will look like a polished professional when you are able to rise above these technical disasters.
Make Your Slide Deck Accessible in Multiple Ways
When your presentation is largely dependent upon technology, you better make sure there are multiple ways to access it. It might be that the computer you have been provided with won’t support the software you used to create your slide deck. Or perhaps the laptop you brought won’t seem to start up. Whatever the issue, it is important to save your slide deck on a number of different devices including your phone, a flash drive, your laptop, etc. You should even email it directly to the host in advance just in case all else fails.
Never Rely on an Internet Connection During a Presentation
If you are one of those people who likes to stream videos during your presentation or pull up Dropbox files during a presentation to a client, it might be time to come up with an alternative. The internet is a fantastic tool….when it works. But, what happens when the connection is lost or running slow? You can never rely on internet speed so it is best to avoid technology that requires internet connection during a live presentation.
Don’t Get Too Fancy
Sure, everyone likes to look at fancy fonts. But, what happens when the computer you are using doesn’t have the same font that you used for your presentation? It will automatically replace your creative lettering with something else. Fonts don’t travel well so it’s a good rule of thumb to keep them simple.