Gardening, not architecture

This is a quote from a card in the Oblique Strategies deck created by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt. The deck was created with a variety of prompts and constraints to help artists and musicians break through creative blocks.

This is also a great tip for anyone creating a presentation, and especially as I delivered my micro-presentations training four times on Monday and Tuesday - in a micro-presentations format - I'm going to be sharing this concept further in my trainings and coaching!

Architecture implies that you first design a structure, and then you build the structure as designed.

Gardening, however, is a process. You may design the garden in a particular way, but the garden will not always grow as you envision it.

You'll have weeds. You'll have some plants that take over and kill other plants. You'll have some plants that just don't thrive. You'll have others that thrive during part of the year, but are dormant at other times of the year. And you'll have plants that only thrive when they're pruned and trimmed.

All of these things are true of your presentation.

You can design the "perfect" presentation, down to the last detail of every slide and the exact perfect wording.

But you'll get in front of your participants and guess what: Your technology will fail. Your story will go too long. You'll lose your place. Your humor will fall flat. You'll mess up your transitions. Your participants will interrupt or take too long with their questions. You'll run out of time, leaving your best example on the cutting room floor.

Your presentation is a LIVING THING. It only comes to life when you bring it to an audience, and every time you deliver it, you're facing a new set of circumstances.

Every audience is different. Every situation is different. Sometimes you'll present hours after a school shooting. Sometimes you'll present the day after a national election. Sometimes you'll present on two hours of sleep.

This week, I delivered my micro-presentations training on one day to Canadian professional speakers and on one day to an LGBTQIA audience. And then I went back to scripting the same workshop into micro-segments for a professionally filmed course that will likely go out to corporate audiences.

Your presentation is not architecture. It's a garden, and it continues to grow, shrink, die back and thrive again with the constraints/pruning required of each new situation and audience. 

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Thomas Fire recovery sale

Happy holidays, friends!

I hope you've been enjoying the season. I was out of it for a couple of weeks dealing with the Thomas Fire, but I finally got myself back into work and life mode in the past week, and I've been wanting to do more for the recovery efforts in my community.

I donated to the Humane Society, which managed the bulk of animal rescue and care during the fire. Over 400 people came from all over the state to help care for the animals, even bringing their own supplies!

I've got bags of food and toys (and cat toys!) ready to go to HELP of Ojai, the organization that's managing much of the human recovery in the Ojai Valley.

And instead of driving to Ventura or Santa Barbara our nearby "big cities," or ordering gifts on Amazon, I kept my Christmas shopping local, to help our local businesses recover from lengthy closures and cutbacks.

But I want to be able to give more, so I decided to hold a quick flash sale to offer two popular items that aren't always available to my online peeps.

1) My "Take Your PowerPoint From Mess to Success" training is typically "Your Webinar Success: Speak to Engage Virtually!"
provided only to my corporate training clients, and I offer it online maybe once a year. You'll find it here, along with worksheets, downloads, and a replay of my recent virtual training

Your investment for this webinar/PowerPoint training package is only $97—and 20% of each sale will be donated to Ojai Thomas Fire relief programs through HELP of Ojai.

View the webinar offer here.

2) And my Speaker Survival Kits are not available online at all! I only bring
them to my live speaking engagements and book signings. I know a lot of people have been disappointed not to be able to make it to my events because they wanted one of my sassy beach bags full of essential items that speakers often overlook!

I sell the kits at speaking events for $67, but my special offer to you takes 30% off, for a grand total of $47—and again, 20% of each sale will be donated to Ojai Thomas Fire relief programs through HELP of Ojai. There is a limited supply of bags available, so you'll want to snag one of those first.

View the Speaker Survival Kits here.

Kick off your 2018 with a business boost and grab one of these two goodies before the offer expires at midnight PST on December 28. That's right, this offer is good for just 48 hours! Get it while you can, and while you're at it, help support Thomas Fire recovery in the Ojai Valley!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

A presentation tool you don't want to be without!

A quick video tip for you today: A presentation tool you don't want to be without!



Here's where to find the GigaWare 4-port travel hub.

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

21 tips to improve your presentations right now

Adding to one's public speaking "bag of tricks" is a constant effort. In order to continually improve, we are always trying new techniques, practicing new skills, adding or subtracting technology and tools, watching other speakers to see what's working for them, and of course, watching our audiences to see how they're responding.

Here are some things you can try this year to improve your skills, your timing, your confidence, your connection, and your overall effectiveness.

Take a lesson from my colleague Del Heglund, who has decided to start singing his 30-second introductions (aka commercials) at our networking meetings: He is not afraid to try new things, especially if it will make him more memorable than the next guy!

1. Videotape or audio record yourself. Then watch and critique with sound on and sound off.

2. Smile more.

3. Use a countdown timer.

4. Give yourself an extra week to practice.

5. Come early and leave late.

6. Check your venue in advance.

7. Ask yourself: "What would I like to see and hear if I were an audience member?"

8. Embrace your uniqueness.

9. Focus on connection, not perfection. (And here are 9 ways to do it.)

10. Bring props.

11. Lose the jargon, clichés and overused business lingo. (Here are the most overused buzzwords in LinkedIn members' profiles.)

12. Find more ways to practice your speaking. Make opportunities if they are not falling into your lap.

13. Tell more stories.

14. Try adding humor.

15. Stop wasting the audience's time with grandiose thanks and intros at the beginning of your presentation.

16. Anticipate questions the audience will ask and prepare for them.

17. Adopt the practice of One idea per slide. Not ten tiny bullet points. One idea per slide.

18. And while you're at it, here are five ways to stop reading from your slides.

19. Make your ideas more sticky.

20. Punch up your openings and closings.

21. Encourage audience involvement. Give opportunities for participation, activities, movement and questions.

Pick one or a couple of these to focus on over the next couple of months to freshen up and add some shine to your old routine.

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Holiday shopping list for your favorite speaker

I've updated my annual shopping list again this year to help you find the best gifts for your favorite speaker -- who might just be you! Updates are marked with two asterisks (**) for readers who want to jump right to the new stuff.

Technology

Record and analyze your presentation with a digital voice recorder.

** Or, you can turn your smart phone into a voice recorder by purchasing a cool adapter that turns the headset jack into a microphone jack! All you need is one of these handy adapters and a wired lapel microphone. Then download the appropriate recording application for your phone (mine was free), and there's no need to buy a voice recorder at all!

Videotape yourself (and -- why not? -- your audience) with this tiny Flip Mino camcorder.

Unhitch yourself from the laptop with a wireless presentation remote.

If you don't want to leave your technology to chance, invest in your own portable Super-Slim Data Projector.

** I take a portable 4-port USB hub like this one to every presentation. I never know when I will need more ports (for example, ports on the host's computer are too close together for more than one of my USB drives to fit).

** The best investment I made all year was on this tiny, lightweight netbook to replace my monolithic laptop computer for travel. Now the laptop stays on my desk and the netbook goes with me to presentations. Save your back - get a netbook!

Visuals

Make your audience notes portable when you carry a lightweight table top easel pad.

Or if you're in the market for a reusable flip chart, try this table top dry erase easel pad (I've never tried this one but I love the idea!).

I like these scented colored markers, but if you prefer unscented bullet tip markers, try these instead.

Fun and Useful Tools

Document stand for your speaker notes.

To keep your audience engaged and stimulated, bring toys, toys, and more toys.

Use this hand pointer to poke some fun at the audience.

** Need a way to haul all your tools and materials around? I've got a rolling craft cart similar to this one. Holds everything I need!

Reading Recommendations

Still my favorite book out there: Learn how to make your message memorable with Chip and Dan Heath's Made to Stick.

Dump the boring templates and bullets and create engaging support materials with Beyond Bullet Points.

** Titles a bore? Not any more! Get Sam Horn's POP! Create the Perfect Pitch, Title, and Tagline For Anything, and give your presentation and blog titles that extra WOW factor.

Get the inside scoop on handling media like a pro with Media Training A-Z.

An interesting sneak peek behind the scenes of the motivational speaking industry Yes You Can! Behind the Hype and Hustle of the Motivation Biz.

If you'd like an alternative to the usual Martin Luther King/Lincoln/Churchill "famous speeches" books, how about one that shines the spotlight on historical speeches by women? Women at the Podium : Memorable Speeches in History.

Packed full of useful tips based on real professional speakers' experiences, National Speakers Association "Speaker Magazine" is a must-have to build your skills.

** And if you don't like lugging books around with you, maybe it's time to invest in a Kindle. Once you buy your Kindle, then you can download this blog and my 101 Tips to Improve Your Public Speaking to take with you!

Whew! The list grows every year, and I hope you find something here to make your presentations smoother and more effective, or a gift for that special speaker in your life. Happy Holidays!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

10 posts on sticking to your time

This story by Jeff Foxworthy perfectly illustrates the responsibility of a perfomer (or speaker) to have practiced and prepared well enough to be able to stick to the time allotted -- no matter what happens.

"In my finest moment as a standup...it was the first time I did Johnny. And they told me you had six minutes. We don't want you doing six minutes 20 seconds and we don't want you doing five minutes and 40 seconds. We want you to do six minutes.

I tell my first two jokes. I tell joke #3 and not only do they laugh, it gets an applause break, which never happens in a comedy club. Now I'm smiling, because they're applauding, I'm happy they're applauding, but in my mind this has messed up my six minutes. I had not timed for an applause break.

So even though I'm smiling and I'm starting to go into joke #4, my mind is three minutes ahead of myself, going 'Okay, three minutes from now you have four jokes about your dad; out of the four, the second one is probably the weakest. Cut that joke.'"

~ Comedian Jeff Foxworthy, I Am Comic documentary

Whether you're performing on Johnny Carson or reporting the latest sales numbers to your management team, it's never okay to go long. Your audience will appreciate finishing a few minutes early, but a few minutes late might throw off their whole afternoon.

Here are some of my favorite posts on timing. My fellow bloggers and I wouldn't write about this so often if it weren't such a problem! Please read some (or all) of these and learn how to incorporate timing into your preparation so you never go long again.

Timing your presentation when incorporating activities How do you practice when you don't know how long your activities will take?

You never have as much time as you want Presentations always start late... how will you handle it?

Run out of time? Never again! The most valuable tool in my speaker kit

Time vs. information How to break down your presentation for the time allotted

The rewards of ending on time Great story from someone who did the right thing when there was no time for her to speak

Is there enough white space in your presentation? What to do if you're verbose!

A 90-minute show in 2 minutes A whole episode of Saturday Night Live delivered in two minutes!

And a few favorites from my fellow public speaking bloggers:

How to keep time during your presentation by Olivia Mitchell

What do I do if my presentation is running short or long? by TJ Walker

We're out of time, and it's your fault by Alan Hoffler

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Holiday shopping for the speakers on your list

Download audio here.



Once again, Andrew Dlugan at Six Minutes has posted an excellent list of gifts for speakers. And once again, I will follow suit with my own list. You should find excellent gifts in all price ranges on both our lists, whether for the seasoned pro or for the busy speaker-around-the-office.

(My favorite previously mentioned countdown timer has been discontinued... I'll be on the lookout for a suitable replacement and report back!)

Technology

Listen to your presentation after the fact with a digital voice recorder

Videotape yourself (and -- why not? -- your audience) with this tiny Flip Mino camcorder

Unhitch yourself from the laptop with a wireless presentation remote

If you don't want to leave your technology to chance, invest in your own portable Super-Slim Data Projector

Visuals

Make your audience notes portable when you carry a lightweight
table top easel pad

Or if you're in the market for a reusable flip chart, try this table top dry erase easel pad (I've never tried this one but I love the idea!)

I like these scented colored markers, but if you prefer unscented bullet tip markers, try these instead.

Fun and Useful Tools

Document stand for your speaker notes

To keep your audience engaged and stimulated, bring toys, toys, and more toys (I also like to give my tiny "No Hecklers" buttons to audience members...)

Use this hand pointer to poke some fun at the audience

Carry your speaking gear in a "No Hecklers" tote bag!

Or how about a t-shirt, mug, or magnet for your favorite speaker? Sayings include, "Speakers do it in front of an audience," "Old speakers never die, they just go on and on," and "I could talk 'til you're blue in the face."

Reading Recommendations

Learn how to make your message memorable with Chip and Dan Heath's
Made to Stick

Dump the boring templates and bullets and create engaging support materials with Beyond Bullet Points

Get the inside scoop on handling media like a pro with Media Training A-Z

An interesting sneak peek behind the scenes of the motivational speaking industry Yes You Can! Behind the Hype and Hustle of the Motivation Biz

And if you'd like an alternative to the usual Martin Luther King/Lincoln/Churchill "famous speeches" books, how about one that shines the spotlight on historical speeches by women? Women at the Podium : Memorable Speeches in History

Packed full of useful tips based on real professional speakers' experiences, National Speakers Association "Speaker Magazine" is a must-have to build your skills

Happy shopping and while you're at it, why not pick up a little something for yourself? If you're really stumped, there's always an Amazon gift card!



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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

A tool I can't live without

I mentioned this briefly in another post, but I thought I would give more time to a recently discovered lifesaving tool that I now realize I can't live without.

It's my 4-port retractable USB hub, and let me tell you how it came into my life.

In February, I scoped out a venue the day before a speaking engagement and discovered that their computer only had two USB ports, while I needed three. Furthermore, the software I was testing out (see my post on Papershow) came with a fat USB key that wouldn't fit next to another flash drive.

On my way home, I stopped at Radio Shack to find a way to remedy the situation, and there I found the 4-port retractable hub. It's tiny, so it's easy to pop into my supplies box or purse, and it's got three ports on one side and one on the other side. The cord retracts into the tiny case. It cost just over $20, and it's going to make my life ten times easier when I have to use someone else's laptop to present.

For more of my lifesaving (or just fun) tools, click here.

What tools can you not live without when you present?

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Add fun to your presentation with toys

In this post, I talked about why I like to give toys to my workshop participants to play with.

Today, I'm going to talk about how I use toys and props myself to make workshops more fun and engaging.

Example: Since I frequently have my groups do timed activities like mini-presentations or speed networking, I need to be able to let them know when time is up, or call them back when finished. Here are some toys I use to accomplish this:

1. Cow moo toy. Flip the can over and it makes a mooing sound. A little surprising at first.

2. Tiny maracas. Shake shake shake! Gets their attention every time!

3. Stuffed toy American Goldfinch. This birdy makes an authentic American Goldfinch bird call to get the audience back on track.

When I bought these two-foot-long hand pointers (thanks to Andrew Dlugan for first *pointing* them out), I wasn't even sure what I would do with them.

The first time I took one to a training, the group was sitting around a large table and people couldn't reach some of the materials in the middle. So it was fun to pull out my hand pointer and use it to push papers to the people who couldn't reach them.

I also have a giant pen that I keep tucked away until someone needs to borrow a pen, or until I pass around my newsletter signup sheet.

What's the point of the toys and props? Fun! Just because we're talking about serious or important matters doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves a little... or a lot. Laughter is the best way to warm up an audience.

Toys that make sounds, are extra large or extra tiny, or are colorful and playful in some way, will all work to wake up and engage your audience. And remember: keep your prop hidden until you're ready to use it. It's much funnier when the audience is surprised.

You don't have to go crazy with tons of toys. Just bring one or two and see how it goes. Be subtle or be silly. Try it!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Can you be prepared and still be spontaneous?

I've heard many speakers say that they create their presentation at the last minute, don't practice, and basically wing it, all because they don't want to lose spontaneity. They're afraid that if they practice, they will sound rehearsed or worse, memorized.

Is it possible to be prepared and still be spontaneous? Of course it is!

I'll share my method of preparation just as an example. Each of us has our own method for preparing and practicing, so I'm not saying you should do what I do. I'm just saying that this is what I do and how I remain spontaneous.

Most of my presentations are workshops or seminars, so I'll discuss this presentation style instead of a speech/keynote.

If I'm lucky, I get to research my audience in advance and can start my preparations already knowing something about what their needs are.

I start with a basic outline: an opening, a body with three main points (to begin with), and a closing. I flesh out my main points with sub-points, supporting stories and data.

If I'm creating a PowerPoint, I will often use the story template from Cliff Atkinson's book "Beyond Bullet Points." The story template is similar to a regular outline, but also builds a series of opening and closing slides to set the scene for the presentation.

I usually start this process about two months before the event, if I have that much time. I like to walk away from it several times during planning and not think about it for a few days while it settles into my subconscious.

When I come back to the outline, I start looking at activities and audience interactions I can add to help illustrate my points. I look for the best places to ask questions, to record audience reactions on my flip chart, to break into pairs or groups, and to add any games or fun activities.

I prepare my opening and closing last, after the body feels mostly complete. If I'm unable to research my audience in advance, I use part of my opening to ask questions and learn about the audience. If I'm creating a PowerPoint, this is when I start looking for images.

About two weeks before the event, I start practicing and editing. I make notes about timing, stories, examples, and other triggers that will help me remember what I want to say. During this time, I also collect any props, toys or visual aids I'll need. I cut anything that's too long or extraneous to my main message.

I practice from the outline or bullet points, but I never write out exactly what I'm going to say or memorize exact paragraphs or wording. I know the material inside out, but the outline is what triggers my thoughts. I also don't practice every day. I like to leave a day or two in between practices, so that my brain gets a chance to absorb the content during my sleep and when I'm not actually thinking about it, and I feel fresh when I look at it again.

In the last couple of days, I will practice the presentation three or four times total, making sure I have a time cushion for the inevitable questions and activities that go longer than expected. I don't practice gestures or movements. I feel that those will come naturally in the moment, especially in a workshop or seminar setting where theatrics would be out of place.

I prepare the opening and closing carefully and practice those sections for maximum impact. The last thing I want is a weak opening or a forgettable closing, so these sections are the only memorized part of the presentation.

The rest of the presentation doesn't fully come together until I'm with my audience. After all, a presentation is a living thing. It's a conversation that requires both parties to give it life.

I bring my notes to the workshop and refer to them as necessary, using a document stand off to the side. My notes are never more than one page, sometimes double-sided. With notes, I'm assured that if I lose my place I can always find it again! My notes also remind me to mention things like my newsletter signup or upcoming events.

That's it, in a nutshell. I find that practicing and presenting from a simple outline and giving myself plenty of time to absorb the material allows spontaneity, but the presentation is still well-structured and prepared.

What are your tricks for being prepared but still being spontaneous?

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Free networking tips handout now available!

I've put together 20 of my favorite networking tips into a new free handout, "Helpful Hints for Networking Newbies!"

The handout includes tips to use before, during and after a networking event, and a special list of networking "don'ts".

Grab it here!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Step away from the laptop

Since we've been talking about coming out from behind the lectern, let's talk about coming out from behind the computer.

PowerPoint users are frequently seen standing in one place, pushing a button on their computer to advance their slides. This is almost as restrictive as standing behind a lectern, although sometimes people walk around in between slides. But then they have to return once again to "the button."

Like standing behind a lectern, being tied to your computer:

• freezes you in position
• inhibits gestures
• reduces eye contact with your audience (every two minutes you're looking down for that key)
• and keeps you from moving freely around the stage.

So let me share another of my favorite tools, the wireless presentation remote.

The remote allows me to move around the stage or speaking area unhindered by my equipment. It fits comfortably into the palm of my hand with buttons that are easy to access without looking, so I'm able to advance slides, gesture and use my arms without feeling like I'm holding onto a huge electronic device or interrupting the flow of the presentation.

Some remotes are tiny and invisible in your hand. Some are as big as a TV remote control and have a ton of buttons and features, like laser pointers, countdown timers with vibrating alarms, built-in mouse, audio controls, buttons for blacking out the screen or going to the end of the slideshow and more.

Some have a short range of 30 feet or less, while some have a range of up to 150 feet (in some conference rooms or auditoriums, the speaker is nowhere near the computer). Radio frequency (RF) remotes can receive a signal from any direction, so you don't have to face the computer while you talk, while infrared frequency (IR) remotes have to be pointed directly at the receiver. There are now Bluetooth remotes as well, but with limited range. (Google "presentation remote" to see what's out there.)

My RF remote fits comfortably in my hand, has an omni-directional range of 100 feet, and only a few buttons -- one for slides to go forward, one for slides to go backward, and one to black out the screen. It has a laser pointer and a tiny clock, but I prefer to use my countdown timer.

Now that you've stepped away from the lectern, step away from the computer! You gain freedom of movement, freedom to interact with the audience and maintain your connection with them instead of having to retreat back to the keyboard whenever you want to change a slide.

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Run out of time? Never again!

A common presenter mistake is to run out of time. Even when you've practiced, you sometimes find yourself rushing the last five or ten minutes of your presentation, wondering where the time went.

Well, here's an easy solution. Get yourself a countdown timer!

Sure, there may be a clock in the room or you're wearing a watch. But a clock doesn't do the math for you: What you really need to know is how much time you have left, not what time it is.

I use a countdown timer with a flashing light, a vibration or a sound alarm. I can use any of them alone or together, or turn them all off. Generally, I don't use the alarm, but it could come in handy for timed exercises, like the three-minute presentations I sometimes have my audience members prepare.

It stands up unobtrusively on the table near me (it also has a clip and a magnet) and has big enough numbers so I can see my time remaining with a quick glance. I start it at the beginning of the presentation and as it counts down to zero, I always know how much time I have left. If I'm giving a longer workshop that includes breaks, I set the timer for each segment.

If you practice your timing before the presentation and use a timer during the presentation, you will no longer have an excuse to aggravate your audience by keeping them late or failing to finish your talk.

For more suggestions on staying organized, download my Presentation Tools Checklist and Presentation Readiness Checklist!

(I also have this timer in white. They look exactly the same and have the same functions, so the only real difference is in the color and the brand.)

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Where do you put your notes?

Although some disagree, I've mentioned here before that there's nothing wrong with using notes during your presentation. The trick is not to use them as a crutch, but to have them close by for reference, and to write them in a bulleted or outline format that is easy to skim.

But where exactly do you put your notes? This, in itself, seems to be a panic-inducing question for some. Holding notes is awkward and restricts body movements, so having a place to put them if you need them takes some consideration. Let's talk about some solutions, and one of my favorite tools.

1. If you've been provided a lectern, it's a super handy place to keep your notes. In fact, I'll keep my water there, my notes, my props, and anything else I might need to access during a presentation. But I move it off to the side and never stand behind it (this is another post entirely, and I can't believe I haven't written about it yet. . .).

2. If there's no lectern, but you have access to a table, then I recommend using a document stand like this one. It's slim and fits in a briefcase or tote bag, or in my case, the file box I use to carry my materials. The clip and line guide are removable, and the page can stand right on the narrow shelf. It's unobtrusive and doesn't block the audience's view like a lectern. Again, have the table off to the side with your notes within viewing range.

3. What if there's no lectern or table? Ideally, you will make these arrangements with the organizer of your talk well before the day of the presentation. This is a critical part of your preparation, making sure that all the equipment you need is available.

However, if something happens and you have no table or lectern, use a chair. I've had to put my document stand on a chair several times, and it actually works fine. This is a good reason to make sure your notes are in a large enough font so that you can see the words from a bit of a distance. A chair is a little lower than what's comfortable for me to read, but it works in a pinch.

Get yourself a document stand and you'll again never have to worry about where to put your notes!

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!

Presentation tools - what do you take with you?

Here's what's in my "bag of tricks":

Scented markers: smell good, strong colors, never dry out!

Table top easel pad: Hangs on an easel or folds out to stand alone on a table. Sheets are sticky on the back so you can hang them on the wall with no tape. Staples now has their own (less-expensive) version of this.

Presentation remote for PowerPoint (and extra batteries): Keeps me from having to stand next to the computer. Some presentation remotes can be programmed to vibrate when you're close to the end of your talk. . .

Digital voice recorder: Record while speaking, save on computer, listen to evaluate - if it's a good talk, upload the audio to my site! Sometimes I bring my camcorder and videotape myself, if the presentation isn't already being taped.

Travel clock Countdown timer: I don't wear a watch, but even if I did, it would seem rude to keep looking at my watch to check the time. The travel clock stands up unobtrusively to the side and I always know how much time I have left.

Toys and/or candy, depending on the venue

Presentation notes

Backup copy of my PowerPoint (if using) on CD or thumb drive

Handouts, mailing list signup sheet, business cards, extra pens

What's in your bag of tricks?

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On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!