DevBlog

This post is the first in a series of how to be a better tech conference speaker.

I have presented at lots of geek events since my first conference presentation in 2000 and picked up several tips along the way. I have also done a presentation on speaking at a couple of Code Camps. At the last couple of events I saw presentations where the speaker clearly didn't understand how to use PowerPoint. Granted, PowerPoint should not be the focus for most tech conference sessions as the attendees want to see the code, but some concepts are just better addressed through PowerPoint. My Domain Driven Design session is one such example. It takes nearly 75 minutes just to explain the concepts. That leaves no time for code. PowerPoint is also very good for explaining complex concepts because you can explain a little bit at a time, then put it all together at the end so the attendee grasps the concept better. If you are a keynote presenter, then you will probably use all PowerPoint and no or little code. But the same PowerPoint rules will apply.

• There are two basic reveal styles. You can show the entire slide at once. This is good to use as a prompt for you to know what to present next. However, the audience often reads ahead. In the second method you reveal one item at a time as you present it to the audience. I use both techniques, depending on what I'm talking about.
• People on the back row can't see the bottom of the slides. This rule is commonly broken. I try to use only the top 75% of the slide. The longer the room, the worse the problem becomes.
• We've all come to hate bullet points. Use a maximum of three levels of bullets. Better yet, keep it to one level. Only use keywords.
• Limit the total amount of text on a slide. If you have to go to a third row of text on a bullet, you have too much text. If you have a long quote from someone, highlight the key points in a different color so the audience can pick that out quickly.
• Slides should be simple and relevant. Don't include information that isn't needed. Use the minimum amount of text needed. Remember that bullets don't need to be complete sentences. The audience is there to hear you speak, not read your slides.
• If you have text on a slide, you need to talk about it. Don't leave the audience wondering why you didn't mention something that seemed important enough to put on a slide, but not address in the speech.
• Avoid animation and sounds. They are distracting to the audience. One version of PowerPoint had a standard template that included animation of a light swooshing across the screen with every slide change. It looked cool, but distracted the audience.
• If you need to use complex diagrams, build them one portion at a time. Explain each part as you display it. This makes it easier for the audience to understand the diagram. If you show the whole thing at one time, the audience will try to figure out what you're showing and won't hear what you're saying.
• Think about the fonts you are using. Don't use anything smaller than 20 point. Also, sans-serif fonts are easier to see on a screen while serif fonts are easier for printed material.
• Be careful of the slide background. Most of the templates that ship with PowerPoint are unusable for conference presentations. You should use something plain. That means no pictures and no swirling geometric figure. Dark color backgrounds work best in most conference venues. Blue, black, dark green are good choices. Light backgrounds work better in small conference rooms like you see in most offices.
• The text color should have good contrast with the background color. Yellow text on a blue background or white text on a black background work well.
• Don't put your logo or company name on every slide. Your introduction slide should say who you work for, so it isn't needed again later.
• Arrive at the venue early and check your slide deck on the projector in the room you are speaking in. Walk to the back of the room. Sit on the last row. Make sure everyone in the room can see your slides. Make adjustments as needed.
• Add supporting information into the Notes section of each slide. Most of the time, attendees will only get slides and sample code from events. They won't remember all the information from just a few bullet points. If a conference requires whitepapers from the speakers, you can ignore this rule.
• Don't use laser pointers. They are more distracting than helpful. Have you ever played with a laser pointer and a cat? Guess what humans look like when the presenter starts using a laser pointer.  Almost every time I see someone use them, they press the laser pointer button, then move the pointer around trying to find the exact place on the slide they want to emphasize. Your mind starts to follow the red light and you stop listening.
• I can't tell you the number of times I've seen a presenter launch PowerPoint, click the Show button so the slides are full screen, show some slides, then hit Escape to turn off the Show before switching to Visual Studio to show code. Stop doing that!!!! It's distracting to the audience because when you switch back to PowerPoint you have to find the Show button again to get the slides to full screen. It really shows a lack of preparation and professionalism. I think the reason people do this is because if you Alt+Tab from PowerPoint to Visual Studio, then back, that you'll find two instances of PowerPoint in the programs list and it isn't easy to tell which one you want. It's easy to avoid that. The solution?don't launch PowerPoint. Instead, launch Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder that contains your slide deck. Right-click on your slides file and select Show. You'll get one instance of PowerPoint running. Just remember to not hit Escape during your presentation because it will kill PowerPoint.
• Get a clicker. One of those things that will advance to the next slide. This way you can use the entire stage and not have to cross it to advance to the next slide. Practice using the clicker. Change the batteries often so that it won't die in the middle of the presentation.
• Always include an introductory slide that lists the topics you will present. This gives the audience an idea of where you will go. If the topic is complex, include slides along the way to transition from one idea to another. Include a summary slide at the end that talks about what you presented.
• Most presenters have a slide at the beginning that includes contact information. That's good, but most people won't get the information then. I show a slide at the end with contact information and leave it up while taking questions. This gives attendees a chance to write down the information so they know where to download slides or how to get hold of you.

You may want to get a good book on using PowerPoint. I recently picked up Slideology and Presentation Zen and found them very useful to tweak my presentations.

// posted by Craig Berntson @ 2:22:00 PM