How to Use Your Computer in Presentations
Get 5 quick tips for eliminating technology mistakes and successfully using computers in presentations.
When technology in meetings fail, some audience members think, “Another silly technology gaffe.” That’s your mother; she was in the audience. Your boss, co-workers, and freshman physics professor are thinking, “Tsk tsk tsk. Someone didn’t prepare.” Don’t let that someone be you!
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How to Use Your Computer in a Presentation
Even if you’re a great presenter, your computer isn’t. Rehearse your presentation step by step, and make sure the technology is working.
Before your presentation, shut down all the applications on your machine, including your virus checkers, firewalls, alarms, to-do lists, calendars, and anything else that might delight and surprise you with a helpful little message at exactly the wrong time.
Tip #1: Prepare Your Computer for the Presentation
Turn off your screen saver. Turn off auto-sleep. Turn off auto-hibernation. If you’re on a laptop with different settings when it’s plugged in versus when it’s running on battery, change the settings for whichever mode you’ll use during the presentation live. Even better, change the settings for both modes.
Start up every application you’ll need before you start. Minimize them to the task bar or dock. When you need them, a single click gets you there. If you plan to visit websites, clear your browser history. That way, you won’t type a web address and have your browser take you to an unrelated site you visited with a similar name.
Tip #2: Have Websites Ready to Go
Even better, open every page you’ll use in a different tab, so you’re already up and running. Bookmarks are not enough; your audience doesn’t want to wait while the bookmark loads. Besides, you’ll accidentally bookmark the wrong page and end up with your audience wondering what your favorite Poodle grooming site has to do with your presentation.
Tip #3: Use Screen Shots Instead of Live Sites
If your presentation involves demonstrating anything on a network, resign yourself now to a life as the human equivalent of a hairless mole rat. You’ll download a virus, the website you’re accessing will be in maintenance mode, you’ll be using the wrong URL, or the machine will simply explode in a shower of sparks, just to spite you.
Instead, walk through the demonstration you intend to give, but take screen shots every step of the way. Put the screen shots in your presentation, and step through them during the presentation. You still run the risk of having your presentation software crash, but at least you don’t have to introduce the entire Internet as a possible distraction.
“I’m going to give a live demo,” you proudly proclaim. Great. Make the screen shots anyway. Then when the demo blows up and makes you look foolish, you can jump to your backup screen shots (you had them open and ready to go, just minimized) and finish the presentation. Instead of looking foolish, you’re a hero! You’ll get applause and accolades and a promotion and a new yacht and an indoor Olympic sized swimming pool. So screen shots are a good thing.
I presented on how technology detracts from presentations. I took screen shots of Powerpoint screwing up, and put them in my presentation. And then, halfway through, Powerpoint screwed up. But no one could tell, though, because the screen shot had been of Powerpoint screwing up anyway. Maybe next time I should give handouts.
Tip #4: Give People Handouts with Critical Elements
Handouts! I love handouts! That’s where you put reference material. Instead of cluttered slides people must squint to read, give handouts they must squint to read. Plus, you can include your name and contact information. That is called tasteful self-promotion.
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Tip #5: Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse
My last tip is to rehearse in the room you’ll be using, with the actual equipment you’ll be using, connected to the same network connection you’ll be using. If possible, rehearse within an hour of going live. If your computer is cranky, it will still find a way to sabotage you, but this will reduce the chances.
At the end of the day, people come to your presentations because they want you. Replace your technology with easy-to-control handouts, or if you must use a slide show, take every possible precaution so it won’t blow up. Your handouts and technology are just accessories that make you shine. Select them as carefully as you’d select a Prada elephant lambskin gathered bow detail clutch.
Work Less, Do More, and have a Great Life!
RESOURCES:
Download the PDF on giving good presentations Presentation including screen shots
Man Presenting with Computer image courtesy of Shutterstock
About the Author
Stever Robbins was the host of the podcast Get-it-Done Guy from 2007 to 2019. He is a graduate of W. Edward Deming’s Total Quality Management training program and a Certified Master Trainer Elite of NLP. He holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BS in Computer Sciences from MIT.
