how to improve technical difficulties in presentation

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Presentation tips for handling interruptions or technical difficulties

Presentations are a tool you can use to share your ideas, win new business, and build rapport with your audience. However, interruptions and technical difficulties can occur when you use technology. If you’re not prepared, these disruptions can throw you off your course as a presenter and distract your audience.

While it’s great to be optimistic and hope that your presentation runs smoothly, issues can arise even if you tried practicing and preparing your presentation ahead of time. Anticipate potential interruptions and technical difficulties as you plan your presentation. Some disruptions that can happen during your presentation are a soundless microphone or a projector that won’t turn on. To combat these possible issues, you can go to your presentation’s location ahead of time. Test out the sound system, computer, projector, and other equipment you’ll be using to lessen the likelihood that you’ll have issues during your presentation.

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Don’t panic

You may still have interruptions or technical difficulties during your presentation even if you checked your equipment ahead of time. Don’t panic. While it’s natural to feel stressed when you have a disruption, try to remember to stay calm and confident. Take a deep breath, pause to evaluate what’s happening, and figure out what’s causing the interruption. Is it the microphone or the speaker? Is it the projector or the computer that it’s connected to? Pinpointing where the issue is occurring can help you efficiently resolve the matter.

Communicate with your audience

Your audience more than likely understands that technology can have glitches. Communicate with them by acknowledging the issue that’s occurring and letting them know that you’re working to resolve it. If you need to step aside to contact another person for assistance, let them know what you’re going to do before you do it. Before your presentation begins, ask the host who you should reach out to if you need assistance. Someone might remain in the room during your presentation, but in case they’re not there, you should have another way to contact them if you need help.

Keep your audience engaged

One of the most frustrating parts of interruptions and technical difficulties is how these disruptions can distract your audience. It’s important to keep your audience engaged and focused on the topic if an interruption happens. While you’re working to fix the issue, you can use the time to curate an FAQ segment with your audience. Answer questions they have about your presentation’s topic. Get their thoughts on talking points that you may have about the topic as well.

Have a backup plan

Sometimes, you and other people may not be able to resolve the issue in a fair amount of time. Always have a backup plan for instances like this. If you’re going to be using a microphone, make sure there’s an additional one in the room that you can use if the batteries die in the first one. The computer or projector might not have ports available for you to upload your presentation. Save your presentation in Microsoft OneDrive so you can access it from the cloud as well. Print out a copy of your presentation slides to follow along your talking points in case the screen doesn’t work at all. Having back-up plans will help you move quickly when it comes to resolving an interruption or technical difficulty during your presentation.

Remember what to do in the future

Experience is a great teacher. Celebrate what went well in your presentation so you can remember to implement those tactics again. Learn from any interruptions or technical difficulties you have while giving a presentation. Make a mental note of what occurred during your presentation. Afterward, find time to sit down and research solutions. there are support articles to help you make the most of using Microsoft 365 apps like PowerPoint and OneNote.

These presentation tips and tools can help you conquer any difficulties that arise while you’re presenting. Plan and practice ahead of time. Be flexible during your presentation in case things don’t go according to your original plan. And most importantly, have fun! Your audience will be able to pick up on your mood. If you’re nervous or frustrated, they can tell. Have fun while presenting so that your audience has fun while listening and engaging.

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Dealing With Technical Difficulties During A Presentation

Dealing with technical difficulties during a presentation can be challenging. We will discuss effective strategies to overcome these issues and ensure a seamless presentation experience.

Whether it’s a malfunctioning projector, audio problems, or software glitches, technical difficulties can throw off your flow and distract your audience. By following these tips, you’ll be better equipped to handle unexpected hiccups and keep your presentation on track. From preparation and troubleshooting techniques to alternative solutions, we will explore practical steps you can take to minimize the impact of technical issues and deliver a successful presentation.

Table of Contents

Connection And Network Issues

Slow or unstable internet connection.

One of the most frustrating technical difficulties that can occur during a presentation is a slow or unstable internet connection. When you rely on a strong and fast internet connection to deliver your content, it can be incredibly stressful when things start to lag or freeze up.

Here are a few things you can try if you find yourself dealing with a slow or unstable internet connection:

• Check your Wi-Fi signal strength and move closer to the router if necessary.
• Restart your router or modem to refresh the connection.
• Close any unnecessary apps or programs that may be using up bandwidth.
• Consider using a wired internet connection instead of relying on Wi-Fi.
• If all else fails, have a backup plan in place such as having your slides saved locally on your computer to ensure you can still present even without an internet connection.

Network interruptions or outages

Another common issue when dealing with connection and network issues during a presentation is network interruptions or outages. This can happen due to a variety of reasons, such as a power outage or a problem with the network infrastructure.

Here are a few steps you can take to overcome network interruptions or outages:

• Stay calm and composed, as panicking won’t solve the issue.
• Check if the problem is isolated to your device or if others are experiencing the same issue.
• Communicate with the event organizers or technical support to find out if there is a temporary solution or if you need to reschedule your presentation.
• Prepare a backup plan in advance, such as having your presentation saved on a USB drive or having a printed copy of your slides to distribute to the audience.
• Take the opportunity to engage with the audience during the downtime, asking questions or encouraging discussion to keep them engaged until the issue is resolved.

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Presentation Software Problems

Presentations are an essential part of effective communication, allowing individuals and businesses to convey their messages with clarity and impact. However, it’s not uncommon to encounter technical difficulties that can throw a spanner in the works. One of the main culprits behind these issues is presentation software problems. In this section, we’ll explore two common presentation software problems: software crashing or freezing, and compatibility issues with different devices and operating systems.

Software crashing or freezing

Nothing disrupts a presentation quite like when your software crashes or freezes unexpectedly. This not only affects your flow but also undermines your credibility as a presenter. There are a few steps you can take to minimize the likelihood of encountering this issue:

• Keep your software updated: Regularly check for updates and ensure that you have the latest version installed. Software updates often include bug fixes and performance improvements that can help prevent crashes or freezing.
• Limit resource-heavy content: Graphics, videos, and animations can put a strain on your presentation software. Optimize your media files for size and resolution to reduce the chances of software crashes or freeze-ups.
• Save frequently: Regardless of how reliable your software may be, it’s always a good idea to save your work at regular intervals. This way, if a crash does occur, you’ll have a recent backup to fall back on.

Compatibility issues with different devices and operating systems

With the wide range of devices and operating systems available today, compatibility issues can easily arise when delivering a presentation. To ensure smooth compatibility, consider the following:

• Test your presentation: Before your actual presentation, test it on different devices and operating systems to ensure compatibility. This will allow you to identify and resolve any compatibility issues in advance.
• Use universal file formats: Save your presentation in a file format that is universally compatible, such as PDF or PPT. This reduces the risk of formatting errors when opening it on different devices or operating systems.
• Prepare alternative methods: In case of compatibility issues, have a backup plan ready. This could involve carrying a USB drive with your presentation saved in multiple formats or having access to cloud storage to retrieve your presentation on different devices.

By being proactive and taking these precautions, you can significantly minimize the likelihood of encountering presentation software problems. Remember, preparation is key to delivering a smooth and successful presentation.

Equipment Malfunctions

Dealing with technical difficulties during a presentation can be a nightmare for any presenter. But equipment malfunctions can be particularly frustrating, as they have the potential to disrupt the flow of the presentation and leave you feeling unprepared. In this section, we’ll discuss two common equipment malfunctions that can occur during a presentation: projector or screen issues, and audio or microphone problems. We’ll also provide you with some quick and easy solutions to help you get back on track and deliver a successful presentation.

Projector or Screen Issues

Projector or screen issues are one of the most common technical difficulties that presenters encounter. Imagine this: You’re all set to begin your presentation, but when you turn on the projector, the screen remains blank. Panic sets in, and you’re left wondering what went wrong and how to fix it.

Fortunately, resolving projector or screen issues can be easier than you think. Here are some quick troubleshooting tips:

• Make sure that all cables are securely connected to both the projector and the computer. Sometimes, a loose cable is all it takes to cause a screen malfunction.
• Check the input source on the projector to ensure it’s set correctly. It’s possible that the wrong input source is selected, causing the screen to stay blank.
• Restart both the computer and the projector. Often, a simple restart can resolve the issue and bring the screen back to life.
• If none of the above steps work, it may be a hardware issue. Consider contacting technical support or having a backup plan such as having your presentation saved on a USB drive so that you can easily switch to a different computer or projector if needed.

Audio or Microphone Problems

Having audio or microphone problems during a presentation can be equally frustrating. It’s difficult to engage with your audience if they can’t hear you, or if there are distracting audio glitches. To address audio or microphone problems, try these troubleshooting tips:

• Check that the volume on your computer and speakers is turned up. Sometimes, a simple adjustment of the volume can fix the issue.
• Ensure that the microphone is securely attached to your computer or sound system. Loose connections can lead to poor audio quality or no sound at all.
• Test the microphone before your presentation to ensure it’s working properly. You can do this by recording a short audio clip or using a testing tool.
• Consider using a backup microphone if available. If your microphone fails completely, having a backup can save your presentation.
• If all else fails, speak loudly and clearly to ensure your audience can hear you, and apologize for the technical difficulties. Most audiences are understanding and will appreciate your efforts to continue despite the challenges.

Remember, technical difficulties can happen to anyone, so don’t be too hard on yourself if they occur during your presentation. By following these troubleshooting tips and staying calm, you can overcome equipment malfunctions and deliver a successful presentation.

Testing Equipment And Software

Technical difficulties during a presentation can be a major source of stress and frustration. However, proper preparation and testing of equipment and software can help mitigate any potential issues that may arise. In this section, we will explore some important steps to take when it comes to testing your equipment and software before a presentation.

Checking internet connection and speed

One of the common reasons for technical difficulties during a presentation is a weak or unreliable internet connection. To ensure a smooth and uninterrupted presentation, it is crucial to check the internet connection and speed beforehand.

Follow these steps to test your internet connection:

• Connect to the network you will be using for your presentation.
• Visit a website or perform a speed test to check the internet speed. There are many online tools available for this purpose.
• If the speed is not sufficient, try moving closer to the Wi-Fi router or consider using an ethernet cable for a more stable connection.

Running tests with presentation software and devices

In addition to internet connectivity, testing your presentation software and devices is equally important to ensure a seamless delivery. Here are some steps to follow:

• Open your presentation software and load the presentation file to make sure it opens without any errors or compatibility issues.
• Check if all the multimedia elements such as videos, audio files, and images are working correctly within the presentation.
• If you are using any additional devices such as a remote clicker, test its functionality to ensure smooth slide transitions.

By thoroughly testing your equipment and software, you can prepare yourself to handle any technical difficulties that may arise during your presentation. This will not only help you feel more confident but also ensure a professional and engaging experience for your audience.

Backup Options

Preparing alternate ways to access presentation materials.

One of the biggest nightmares for any presenter is encountering technical difficulties during a presentation. Despite careful preparation, there is always a possibility that something could go wrong. That’s why it’s crucial to have backup options in place to ensure a seamless and successful presentation. In this blog post, we will explore some effective strategies for dealing with technical glitches, focusing on the subheading: Backup Options.

Having a backup device or laptop

Having a backup device or laptop can be a lifesaver when you encounter technical difficulties. Imagine you’re in the middle of a critical presentation, and suddenly your laptop freezes or crashes. It’s every presenter’s worst nightmare! That’s why it’s essential to have a backup device or laptop readily available. Whether it’s a tablet, another laptop, or even a smartphone, having an alternative device with your presentation materials can save you from the panic of not being able to continue.

Here are some tips on how to prepare a backup device:

• Bring an extra device: Make sure to have a spare device fully charged and loaded with your presentation. This way, if your primary device fails, you can easily switch to the backup device without skipping a beat.
• Test the backup device beforehand: Before your presentation, ensure that the backup device is functioning correctly. Test it by running through your slides, checking if videos play smoothly, and ensuring all necessary software and applications are installed.
• Sync your presentation materials: Make sure to synchronize your presentation materials, including slides, videos, and any other supporting documents, between your primary and backup devices. This way, you can seamlessly transition from one device to another without losing any vital information or wasting time searching for files.

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Stay calm and maintain composure.

Dealing with technical difficulties during a presentation can be a nerve-wracking experience. Whether it’s a malfunctioning projector, a glitchy microphone, or a sudden power outage, these unexpected challenges can throw off your rhythm and leave you feeling flustered. However, it’s crucial to stay calm and maintain your composure to ensure that your audience remains engaged and your message is effectively conveyed. Here are some tips on how to keep your cool during these stressful situations.

Keeping a positive attitude

One of the most important things to remember when facing technical difficulties is to maintain a positive attitude. Instead of panicking or getting frustrated, try to approach the situation with a proactive mindset. Remind yourself that setbacks happen, and that it’s how you handle them that truly matters. By maintaining a positive attitude, you not only project confidence to your audience but also increase your chances of finding a solution more quickly.

Taking deep breaths to stay focused

In moments of stress, taking deep breaths can do wonders for helping you stay focused and composed. Close your eyes, take a slow deep breath in through your nose, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat this process a few times to help calm your nerves and center yourself. Deep breathing can help to reduce anxiety, lower your heart rate, and clear your mind, allowing you to approach the situation with a clear and level-headed perspective.

In addition to deep breathing, it’s also helpful to pause for a moment and assess the situation. Take a step back, gather your thoughts, and identify possible solutions. By remaining composed and focused, you’ll be better equipped to troubleshoot the technical difficulty and find a resolution.

Above all, remember that technical difficulties are a normal part of presentations. It’s how you handle these challenges that define your ability to adapt and persevere. By staying calm, maintaining your composure, and keeping a positive attitude, you’ll not only overcome technical obstacles but also demonstrate your professionalism and ability to navigate any unexpected situation that may arise.

Quick Fixes For Common Problems

You’re all set to deliver an important presentation to your colleagues or clients, but suddenly technical difficulties arise. Don’t fret! These quick fixes can help you troubleshoot common problems and get your presentation back on track.

Restarting software or devices

One of the most effective quick fixes for technical difficulties during a presentation is to restart the software or devices you are using. This simple step can resolve various issues and refresh the connections.

If you’re experiencing a software glitch, close the application and relaunch it. This can often fix freezing screens, unresponsive buttons, or lagging animations. It’s also a good idea to check for any available updates for the software, as the latest version might have bug fixes that address your specific issue.

Similarly, if you’re encountering problems with your device, such as a slow performance or unresponsive touch screen, try restarting it. This can help clear temporary system files and free up memory, improving the overall functionality.

Checking cables and connections

Another common cause of technical difficulties during a presentation is faulty cables or connections. Ensuring everything is properly connected can save you from unexpected disruptions.

Start by checking the cables connecting your device to the projector or display. Make sure they are securely plugged in and not damaged. A loose connection or a damaged cable can result in poor display quality, distorted images, or the complete inability to project your presentation.

In addition to cables, examine any other external devices, such as speakers or microphones, that you may be using. Ensure they are properly connected and powered on. Sometimes, a loose connection or a dead battery can cause audio problems, affecting the overall presentation experience.

During your presentation, it’s also a good practice to avoid unnecessarily moving or adjusting cables. Any accidental disruption can lead to interference or a complete loss of connection.

By following these quick fixes, you can overcome technical difficulties during your presentation with ease. Remember to stay calm, assess the situation, and apply the appropriate solution. With these troubleshooting techniques, you’ll be able to deliver your presentation seamlessly, impressing your audience every time.

Engaging The Audience During Technical Difficulties

Technical difficulties during a presentation can be frustrating and nerve-wracking, not just for the presenter but also for the audience. However, it’s crucial to stay calm, composed, and keep the audience engaged even when faced with technical glitches. In this section, we will explore some effective strategies to encourage audience participation and maintain their interest despite the technical challenges.

Encouraging audience participation or questions

One of the best ways to engage the audience during technical difficulties is by encouraging their participation and inviting questions. This not only helps divert their attention from the technical issues but also creates a more interactive environment. Here’s how you can achieve this:

• Ask open-ended questions: Instead of simply presenting information, encourage the audience to share their thoughts, personal experiences, or opinions on the topic. This will trigger their engagement and make them feel involved in the presentation.
• Implement live polls: If you have access to a polling tool or a Q&A platform, take advantage of it during technical difficulties. Pose questions related to the topic and allow the audience to actively participate by voting or submitting their responses. This not only keeps them engaged but also provides valuable insights for further discussion.
• Allocate time for questions: Dedicate specific intervals throughout your presentation to address questions or concerns from the audience. By doing so, you demonstrate that their input is valued and create an opportunity for meaningful discussion.

Using visual aids or handouts

Visual aids can be a powerful tool to engage the audience during technical difficulties. While the focus might temporarily shift from the presentation slides or any other technological aspect, visual aids can maintain the connection and enhance the overall experience. Consider the following methods:

• Utilize engaging visuals: Incorporate visually appealing images, infographics, or videos related to the topic. This not only reinforces the information you are presenting but also helps retain the audience’s attention even when faced with technical disruptions.
• Prepare handouts or supplementary materials: If technical difficulties persist or for situations where the audience’s attention might wane, having physical handouts can be advantageous. Distribute relevant materials prior to the presentation or provide links for digital access. This way, the audience can continue following along and refer to the materials during technical pauses.

By implementing these strategies, you can turn technical difficulties into opportunities for engaging the audience. Remember, maintaining their interest and involvement throughout the presentation is crucial, regardless of any technological setbacks that arise.

Adapting And Improvising

Dealing with technical difficulties during a presentation can be a nerve-wracking experience. However, by adapting and improvising on the spot, you can save the day and deliver a successful presentation. In this section, we will explore two key strategies for handling technical difficulties: making adjustments on the spot and being flexible with presentation format.

Making Adjustments on the Spot

When faced with technical difficulties, it is important to think quickly and make adjustments on the spot. Here are some effective strategies to help you handle unexpected situations:

• Stay calm: Take a deep breath and stay composed. Panicking will only hinder your ability to find a solution.
• Diagnose the problem: Identify the specific issue causing the technical difficulty. Is it a connectivity problem, a software glitch, or a hardware malfunction?
• Try basic troubleshooting: Restarting the device, checking cables and connections, or adjusting settings can often resolve minor technical issues.
• Have a backup plan: Always prepare a backup option in case of technical failures. This could be having a printed copy of your presentation or having a backup device ready to use.
• Engage the audience: While you work on resolving the technical difficulties, keep the audience engaged by asking questions or sharing relevant stories. This will help maintain their attention and distract them from the technical issues.

By being proactive and making adjustments on the spot, you can overcome technical difficulties and deliver a seamless presentation experience.

Being Flexible with Presentation Format

Another way to adapt in the face of technical difficulties is by being flexible with your presentation format. Here are some ideas to consider:

• Switch to a different device: If your primary device is experiencing technical issues, consider switching to a backup device, such as a smartphone or tablet.
• Use alternative presentation tools: If your preferred presentation software is not working, explore alternative tools like Google Slides or Prezi.
• Embrace a more interactive approach: If you are unable to show slides or videos, consider engaging the audience through activities, group discussions, or live demonstrations.
• Adapt content on the go: If you are unable to access specific slides or multimedia, be prepared to adapt your content and improvise. Share anecdotes or visual aids that can convey your message effectively.

Being flexible with your presentation format allows you to navigate technical difficulties without compromising the quality and impact of your presentation.

Remember, technical difficulties can happen to anyone, and it’s how you handle them that truly matters. By making adjustments on the spot and being flexible, you can ensure that your presentation remains engaging and impactful, regardless of any unexpected challenges that arise.

Seeking Technical Support

Dealing with technical difficulties during a presentation can be incredibly frustrating and stressful. However, seeking technical support can help resolve these issues and ensure a smooth and successful presentation. In this section, we will discuss two important steps in seeking technical support: informing technical staff or hosts and asking for assistance or troubleshooting.

Informing technical staff or hosts

When encountering technical difficulties, it is crucial to inform the technical staff or hosts promptly. They are the ones responsible for the equipment and technical setup, and they have the expertise to address and resolve any issues that may arise. Notifying them as soon as possible allows them the opportunity to assess the situation and provide appropriate assistance.

Asking for assistance or troubleshooting

Once you have informed the technical staff or hosts about the technical difficulties, it’s time to ask for their assistance or troubleshooting. Clearly and concisely explain the problem you are facing, including any error messages or symptoms you have observed.

Provide them with any relevant information such as the equipment being used, the software or applications involved, and any recent changes or updates that might have triggered the issue.

The more details you can provide, the better equipped they will be to diagnose and resolve the problem efficiently. Additionally, if you have already attempted any troubleshooting steps on your own, share those with the technical staff as well. This will help them understand what has been done so far and prevent redundant efforts.

Remember to be patient and cooperative when seeking assistance. Let the technical staff guide you through the troubleshooting process, and follow their instructions carefully. They may ask you to perform specific actions or provide additional information to help them identify the root cause of the issue.

If the problem cannot be resolved immediately, the technical staff or hosts may suggest alternatives or workarounds to ensure your presentation can proceed smoothly. They might also offer to switch to a backup system or provide a temporary solution until the problem can be fully resolved. Be open to their suggestions and flexible in finding a suitable solution that meets your needs.

In conclusion, seeking technical support when encountering difficulties during a presentation is key to overcoming these challenges. By informing the technical staff or hosts and asking for their assistance, you give yourself the best chance of resolving the issue quickly and ensuring a successful presentation.

Backup Plans For Worst-Case Scenarios

Dealing with technical difficulties during a presentation can be a nerve-wracking experience. However, having backup plans for worst-case scenarios can help you stay calm and handle any unexpected issues that may arise. In this blog post, we will discuss two effective backup strategies that can save your presentation: having written notes or printed materials and preparing alternative presentation methods.

Having Written Notes or Printed Materials

One of the simplest yet most effective backup plans for dealing with technical difficulties is to have written notes or printed materials readily available. This ensures that even if your presentation slides or digital media fail, you can still deliver your key message to the audience.

Here are some tips on how to utilize written notes or printed materials as a backup:

• Prepare a script: Write down a detailed script of your presentation in case you need to refer to it. Having a script will help you remember important points and maintain a smooth flow of information.
• Create handouts: Consider creating handouts or printed copies of your presentation slides. This allows the audience to follow along with the main points even if there are technical difficulties that prevent you from displaying the slides.
• Highlight key information: Use markers or bold text to highlight key information in your written notes or printed materials. This will help you quickly locate and emphasize important points, even in the midst of a technical glitch.
• Practice with your backup materials: Familiarize yourself with your written notes or printed materials ahead of time. Practice referring to them smoothly so that if you need to rely on them during your presentation, it appears seamless to the audience.

Preparing Alternative Presentation Methods

In addition to having written notes or printed materials as a backup, it’s crucial to prepare alternative presentation methods to ensure a smooth presentation even during technical difficulties. Here are some alternative methods to consider:

• Use physical props: Incorporate physical props that visually represent your main ideas or concepts. These props can help you deliver your message even if your presentation slides fail.
• Perform live demonstrations: If your presentation involves software or technology, consider performing live demonstrations instead of solely relying on slides or videos. This way, even if the technology fails, you can still showcase the key features or benefits by physically interacting with the tools or devices.
• Engage in Q&A sessions: In case of a technical glitch, engage your audience in a question-and-answer session. This allows you to continue providing valuable insights and information, ensuring that the presentation continues to be interactive and engaging.
• Encourage audience participation: Another alternative method is to encourage the audience to actively participate by sharing personal experiences or discussing related topics. This not only creates a more interactive presentation but also keeps the momentum going even if technical difficulties occur.

By having backup plans such as written notes or printed materials and preparing alternative presentation methods, you can ensure a smooth delivery even in the face of technical difficulties. These strategies will help you stay confident, engage your audience, and deliver your message effectively, regardless of any unforeseen circumstances that may arise.

Frequently Asked Questions For Dealing With Technical Difficulties During A Presentation

What should a presenter do if they have technical problems during a presentation.

If a presenter experiences technical problems during a presentation, they should follow these steps: 1. Pause momentarily to assess the issue. 2. Try to troubleshoot and resolve the problem quickly. 3. Inform the audience about the technical difficulty and ask for their patience.

4. If the problem persists, consider switching to a backup plan or rescheduling the presentation.

What Is The Best Way To Avoid Technical Errors During Your Presentation?

To avoid technical errors in your presentation, follow these tips: 1. Prepare beforehand to minimize technical glitches. 2. Conduct a thorough equipment check before starting your presentation. 3. Practice your presentation multiple times to ensure smooth delivery. 4. Have a backup plan in case of any technical issues during your presentation.

How Do You Present A Technical Problem?

To present a technical problem, follow these guidelines: 1. Clearly state the issue using concise sentences. 2. Use simple language that is easy for readers to understand. 3. Provide specific details and examples to support your problem description. 4. Use an active voice and avoid starting sentences with certain words or phrases.

Example (AI-generated): “Describe the technical problem in a concise and clear manner, using simple language and providing specific details. “

How Do You Apologize With Technical Difficulties During Webinar?

Apologize for technical difficulties during the webinar briefly and clearly.

To conclude, dealing with technical difficulties during a presentation can be a daunting experience, but with proper preparation and a calm mindset, it is possible to overcome them and deliver a successful presentation. Remember to check all your equipment beforehand, have a backup plan in case of malfunctions, and familiarize yourself with troubleshooting techniques.

During the presentation, maintain a confident demeanor and address any technical issues confidently and professionally. Don’t forget to engage with your audience and keep them informed about the situation. Additionally, remember that technical difficulties can happen to anyone, so try not to let them shake your confidence.

With practice and experience, you will become better equipped to handle any unforeseen challenges that may arise during your presentations. So embrace the opportunity to learn and grow, and don’t let technical difficulties hinder your ability to share your knowledge and ideas effectively.

Happy presenting!

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We’ve all been there. Racing pulse, rapid heartbeat, dry mouth and trembling hands. These are all symptoms of stage fright or performance anxiety . When you have a presentation, you naturally want to give your best, and the thought that you may not be able to do that can make you anxious.

But speech anxiety is only half the story. Have you ever finished a presentation and felt so bad because you just knew you didn't do so well? I have. I would spend hours after the performance beating myself up and pointing out what I could have done better. That’s the other half.

Here’s one thing you should note about presentation anxiety : everyone has it. Yes, no matter how skilled they are, every speaker has performance anxiety before a presentation. The degree differs, but it’s there.  

So, you see, you’re not alone. What you can do, though, is to master useful tips that would equip you to deliver more compelling and effective presentations . And that’s what this article is about. Let’s dig in. 

Why you have difficulties with presentation

A wise man once told me that to solve a problem, you have to get to the root. Attempting to solve a problem without dealing with the cause is like cutting off branches from a tree in an attempt to cut the tree. It’s a futile exercise. As long as the root is there, the tree will keep growing. 

Here are common reasons why people struggle with making presentations. Check if yours is there. 

Fear of failure

We’ve all seen great speakers. We saw how their audience applauded after their presentations. This image of the ideal speaker or presenter is finely tucked somewhere in our subconscious and whenever we have a presentation, it sneaks out to remind us that we can’t be as good. We look at ourselves and we just know we don't measure up. 

This fear of failure is a major reason people flop at creating presentations. They feel nothing they do can be good enough. So, there’s nothing they do afterwards that will make much difference because before they started, they’d already failed. 

Fear of public speaking

Not everyone is Martin Luther King. Some people find it extremely difficult to speak in public. They can speak all they want if they’re with family or friends, but they melt when they’re before any large gathering of people they’re not familiar with. 

Many introverts fall into this category. Speaking in public or presenting is stepping out of their comfort zone. Surprisingly, many extroverts also belong to this group. They’re the life of the party and are usually chatty and lively. But when it's time for a presentation, they’re tongue-tied and short of words. 

Inexperience 

If you’re not used to making presentations and you’re called to do it, you may suffer from performance anxiety . It’s like telling the office nerd to make a presentation to the whole staff. This guy is buried in his computer eight hours a day, barely taking a break to eat or chat. 

You can’t compare him with the marketing guy whose main job is to persuade prospects to buy the company’s products. Therefore, we can't rule out lack of experience as an important reason people struggle with presentations. 

Bad experience 

Past experience trauma is real. If you’ve flopped at a presentation in high school, chances are you'll be traumatized by that experience for a long time unless you do something about it. You’ll dread any situation requiring you to speak to a crowd. 

Many years down the line, if you have to pitch a product or service to a client or present a report of a training to colleagues, the memory of that failed outing will come rushing back, giving you presentation anxiety. 

Lack of technical skills

You’ve probably seen picture-perfect presentations with brilliant slides and animations that have left you intimidated. If you don't know the first thing about creating slides, designing powerpoint presentations or even controlling a projector, you will struggle with presenting. Your lack of technical skills will always stand in your way. 

7 tips for more compelling and effective presentations 

Kindly note that the tips here are not only for those struggling with making presentations. If you’re a pro at presentations and you’re not getting the right results, you need to take a front seat too. The whole point of creating engaging presentations is to get results. If you’re making pitches and they’re not yielding results, you need to restrategize with these tips.

• Work on your psyche

Most limitations people have with public speaking or presenting start in their minds. You can tackle the fear of failure, fear of public speaking, inexperience and bad experience by working on your mind. Yes, deal with those demons first. Tell yourself you have all it takes to make a great presentation. 

Also, your presentation doesn't have to be perfect. While it‘s good to aim for the ideal, you must know that no presentation is perfect. Just prepare well and give it your best shot. And even if you don't perform up to expectations, it means there’s room for improvement, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. The best speakers didn't get there in a day.  

• Understand your audience

How do you even communicate with an audience you don't understand? If you do, you’ll end up with an ineffective presentation. Research your audience to gain valuable insights that will enable you to tailor your message to their needs. 

Analyze their motivations and expectations for attending your presentation. Ask yourself what their challenges are and what solutions they’re seeking. When you align your presentation with your audience’s goals and desires, you grab their attention and build a connection with them.

• Put in the work

The easiest way to have a presentation disaster is by a lack of preparation. People are gathered to listen to you because they believe you’re an authority on the subject. They want to see depth, skills and expertise. Now, imagine giving them a shallow presentation with surface-level information. Their disappointment will be evident. 

On the other hand, when you aim to impress your audience with well-put-together daunting facts and figures, you’ll see the awed looks on their faces. Preparation gives you the needed confidence to make a successful presentation. Don't underestimate it. 

• Master the use of presentation software

This isn't the 1920s. There’s no excuse for making presentations with sheets of paper anymore. Now that remote work is the in-thing, you can use video presentation software to record your presentations and send them to your audience or even upload them online. Read more to learn about video presentation software and how you can use them to improve your presentations. 

• Practice before your presentation

No matter how skilled you are in presenting, it’s always good to rehearse before an outing. This practice builds your confidence and helps you have a smooth delivery. Work on your timing, transitions and delivery styles. Also, pay attention to your body language and voice tone. When you rehearse, you see areas that need improvement and quickly fix up.

• Use storytelling and emotional appeal

Everyone loves a good story, including that stern-looking investor. Storytelling is a tool used by expert speakers because it helps connect with people on an emotional level. When you infuse stories into your presentation, you tap into emotions that create a lasting impact and memorable experience for your audience. 

The use of personal stories and experiences is very effective in engaging your audience. Research shows that 63% of attendees remember stories after a presentation, while only 5% remember statistics. That’s not at all surprising. Stories and anecdotes resonate with your audience and make your presentation relatable. Likewise, sharing your stories projects authenticity and builds trust with your audience .

• Engage and interact with your audience during your presentation 

A good presentation is not a one-sided monologue. You must interact with your audience. Create opportunities for them to contribute to the conversation. Pause from time to time for them to ask questions and give you useful feedback. Try fun activities with your audience. Also, ask open-ended questions that will stimulate thoughtful responses. 

Be more deliberate about your presentations and get remarkable results

There are presentations and there are result-oriented presentations. And you need a certain level of intentionality to make compelling and effective presentations. When making pitches, what you give is what you get. If you put in shoddy work, you’ll get crappy results. But if you put to use time-tested tips like the ones here, you’ll get excellent outcomes.

To make exceptional presentations, deal with your demons, understand your audience, put in the work and master presentation software. Don't forget to rehearse before your presentation, employ storytelling and engage your audience. All the best. 

Moyofade Ipadeola is a Content Strategist, UX Writer and Editor. Witty, she loves personal development and helping people grow. Mo, as she’s fondly called, is fascinated by all things tech. She can be reached on Linkedin .

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5 Virtual Presentation Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Virtual events and webinars have exploded in popularity. It makes sense that these kinds of get-togethers have obvious advantages. For example, virtual events allow presenters to reach hundreds, if not thousands, of people around the world at the same time. They’re also much more affordable to produce.

But it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. There are certain virtual presentation challenges you’ll need to overcome to succeed with this communication channel.

In this article, we’ll outline a few of these challenges and give you proven ways to eliminate them. By the end, you’ll have the tools you need to host highly effective virtual events .

Table of Contents

Common Virtual Presentation Challenges

Webinar marketing can take your business to new heights. But you have to overcome the five virtual presentation challenges listed below before you can experience the benefits.

1. Technical Difficulties

The first virtual presentation challenge we’ll tackle today is technical difficulties .

What if your computer crashes? Or your external microphone won’t pick up the audio? Or your internet connection drops out at random intervals and your video feed is grainy? These issues can completely derail an otherwise successful live virtual event.

Even worse, they can make you and/or your company look unprofessional in the eyes of your audience. So, you must do what you can to minimize technical difficulties. Here’s how:

Test, Test, Test!

Take time before your virtual event starts to test your equipment. You may be able to catch potential issues this way and remedy them before you go live. At the very least, you’ll have confidence knowing you did everything you could to prevent technical difficulties.

Better Equipment

If you have faulty equipment, replace it immediately—especially if you plan to host virtual presentations regularly. Now, you don’t need to drop thousands of dollars on the latest gadgets. But you should be using reliable gear to help avoid malfunctions.

More Experience

Sometimes technical difficulties are caused by a lack of experience. Overcome this challenge by regularly hosting webinars . That way, you can get comfortable with both your software and hardware and learn how to quickly fix issues when they come up.

2. Distracted Attendees

One of the biggest virtual presentation challenges you’ll have to overcome during your webinar is distracted attendees. It can be difficult to keep your audience’s attention when Google, Instagram, and their email inboxes are just a click away.

Another common distraction is multitasking. Many attendees believe they can get work done—respond to an email, research a report, etc.—while they view a presentation. Unfortunately, this just leads to a misunderstanding of the information shared.

We’ll be honest, there aren’t a ton of things you can do to eliminate distractions. Your attendees are responsible for themselves. But here are a few tips that might help:

Ask for Attention

There’s nothing wrong with asking your audience to give you their undivided attention for the duration of your webinar. Let them know that you have valuable information to share and you want everyone who attends to get the most out of your presentation .

Shorten Your Webinar

Most people’s attention spans are short. If you drone on for two hours, your audience will get bored and seek a distraction. Or they’ll just leave your event altogether. Combat this by crafting to-the-point content that’s easy to understand and remember.

Give Key Takeaways

One of the ways to make sure your content is easy to understand is to share key takeaways throughout your presentation . What do you want your audience to know? Deliver this information to them in the form of periodic bullet points.

3. Impersonal Experience

Webinars are amazing tools because they allow you to interact with attendees in a face-to-face manner. But let’s be honest, it’s still not the same as having an in-person conversation. Because of this, virtual presentations can feel less personal.

If you’re not able to connect with your audience on a real, human level, you’ll experience visual presentation challenges like distracted attendees (mentioned above) and a lack of attendee engagement (mentioned below.) Neither is ideal.

Make your events feel more personal by:

Presenting with Passion

A little passion goes a long way. If you’re excited about the material you’re sharing, your attendees will naturally feel closer to you. Your exuberance will rub off on them. Passion can help with audience engagement too which we’ll talk more about below.

Limit Attendance

It’s easy to feel like just another face in the crowd when you attend a virtual event with 1,000 other people. Try hosting smaller gatherings to make your presentations seem more personal. If this isn’t feasible for you, take advantage of your webinar software’s breakout rooms feature.

4. Lack of Engagement

A lack of audience engagement is one of the toughest virtual presentation challenges to overcome. Why? Because all of the other challenges we’ve already talked about affect it.

A rush of technical difficulties will leave attendees feeling disengaged. Constant distractions lead to poor engagement as well. And impersonal experiences? You guessed it: a major breeding ground for disengaged audiences who couldn’t care less about your content.

Fortunately, we have a few proven tips to help:

Involve Your Audience

The best presenters don’t speak at their audience, they speak to them. It’s a dialogue . Sure, the presenter does most of the talking but they’re constantly checking in with their attendees to make sure they’re understanding and enjoying the content.

You can do this too by choosing a webinar software that includes polls, surveys, and chat features . That way, you can get real-time feedback from your audience.

Use Visual Elements

You know what’s not engaging? Your face on your attendees’ screens. It doesn’t matter how good-looking you are or how interesting your topic is, if you are all your audience sees for an hour straight, they won’t be able to engage. That’s why you need to use visual elements.

By visual elements, we mean slideshows, screen shares , videos, graphs, charts, etc. Include these in your presentation and you’ll connect with attendees on a deeper level.

5. Flying Blind

If you sell 100 tickets to an in-person presentation, you can be confident that roughly 100 people will show up on the day of the event. This isn’t always true in the virtual world.

Many people register for webinars but don’t take the time to watch them.

Your self-esteem might plummet if you expect to host a webinar for 50 people and only 15 attend—especially if you have marketed your event as a large gathering. Low self-esteem often leads to passionless, forgettable, and subpar presentations.

“Flying blind” isn’t fun but there are things you can do to minimize these feelings:

Cancel Recordings

Webinar recordings will allow you to connect with people who can’t attend your live event. They can also be edited and turned into additional pieces of content.

But if your audience knows they can access your content at any time, they’ll be less inclined to view it live. Tell your webinar registrants that you will NOT be recording your next webinar and see if attendance improves.

Offer Incentives

If you hate the idea of canceling recordings (we don’t blame you!) try offering incentives to people who attend your virtual presentation live instead.

Your incentive can be anything that will interest your audience. A few ideas include gated pieces of content, bonus material that won’t be included in the webinar recording , and even one-time discounts on your products and services.

Better Presentations

If your webinars are really good , people will rearrange their schedules to attend them live.

Make sure you speak on topics that excite your target audience, present with passion, work to engage your attendees with polls, surveys, and more, and use visual elements during your virtual presentation. These things will help draw a crowd to your online events.

Professional Presentations with ClickMeeting

ClickMeeting is an easy-to-use webinar platform that packs a serious punch. With our platform, you’ll be able to overcome each of the virtual presentation challenges outlined above. You’ll also benefit from a few industry-leading features like:

Custom Branding. Make sure your event looks like YOU . ClickMeeting allows users to add logos, images, and custom color schemes to their event rooms.

Engagement Tools. Audience engagement will make or break your event. Captivate attendees with virtual whiteboards , screen sharing , and polls and surveys .

Social Streaming. When you host an online event, you want to connect with as many people as you can. Steam your webinars on Facebook or YouTube to reach them.

Webinar Recording. ClickMeeting webinars are easily recorded and distributed. More than that, recorded events can be turned into automated webinars that run on autopilot.

Analytics Dashboard. Want to know who attended your virtual event, where they attended from, and which device they used to watch? ClickMeeting will tell you .

Does ClickMeeting sound like a tool you’d like to use? Give it a try for free for 30 days and get access to all of our platform’s features—no strings attached!

Wrapping Up

There you have it, the five most common virtual presentation challenges and how to overcome them. If you host virtual events, implement the tips above.

When you do, you’ll experience fewer technical difficulties, eliminate distractions, and be able to engage your audience in a much more authentic way.

Posted by Jacob Thomas

Content writer @ ClickMeeting

Time to move your events online. Do it with ClickMeeting

One Comment

Thanks for those ideas! As you have said, webinar is the latest trend which allows people around the world and you can also see their facial expression and body language of conference participants.

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Craft Effective Technical Presentations: 5 Success Strategies

Dominik Sumer

August 30, 2023 · 8 min read

Technical presentations can be tricky to execute. You know your subject inside out, but is that enough?

How do you ensure your audience stays engaged throughout the presentation, and how do you answer their questions effectively?

This blog post provides modern strategies for crafting effective technical presentations, covering all aspects, from understanding your audience to handling questions and feedback.

You will also learn about the practical parts of technical presentations, including proper tools and examples.

These tips will help you deliver a successful presentation that makes a lasting impact on your audience.

Anyone can use this guide as a checklist , but the following can get huge benefits:

• Software Engineers or Developers
• Tech YouTubers
• Candidates who are presenting in tech interviews
• Social Media Influences like tech on LinkedIn
• Students, Tech Teachers, and much more.

Identify your Audience:

In our previous guide about technical writing , we shared 19 expert tips you should know.

Let me quickly highlight the five most important tips:

• Understand Audience
• Define Purpose
• Always do your research
• Organize thoughts
• Avoid Jargon and Acronyms

Understanding your audience is not a first step but why?

Because first, you need to identify WHO is your target audience.

Question it by yourself, and write down the three closest audiences like:

• JavaScript Developers: Those who want to learn about JavaScript technologies. You can help them learn the tech faster by sharing beautiful code snippets .
• SaaS Owners: Those tech founders who want to learn about the ongoing development progress of their software. Give them tips on how to tackle obstacles in software development by using technical presentation slides .
• Tech Talks: Those interested in code screencasts within the video content like YouTube or TED Talks. You can use rich animated content, like videos created with snappify.

So, identify your audience first and use the smart tools to simplify things for you and the audience.

Use Smart Tools:

So, what are smart tools in the digital world?

Smart Tools are intelligent software applications that help users perform complex tasks more efficiently and effectively.

They simplify processes, improve productivity, and help achieve goals quickly and easily online.

You can learn about our curated list of technical writing tools , which comes with Artificial Intelligence.

Before using your tool for technical presentations, make sure to check these features first:

• Can you create a fully animated slide?
• Is there any feature for Video Export?
• The tool must be user-friendly to avoid presentation disruptions.
• Clear and visually appealing infographics are important for tools with graphs, diagrams, or slides.

Now that you know enough about the features, here is another list of modern tools to help you become a good presenter.

• Snappify: It can help you present code beautifully and has all the features I have mentioned above. It also has pre-made templates to help you create and share snippets faster.
• PowerPoint: A user-friendly software for creating dynamic presentations with text, images, charts, and multimedia elements.
• Google Slides: A web based presentation tool that lets users create basic presentations and save them online.

Let's take a closer look at the Slides and Video Export features of snappify and how it can become your new companion for your technical presentations.

It comes with a Present button at the top of the bar, which can help you show your code snippets in the presentation mode.

In slides, there are several options for animations:

Besides showing your presentation, you can download all slides or export videos to share on social media.

You can follow this tutorial on creating code presentations with snappify .

Video Export : TypeWriter Example

Video showcasing the TypeWriter transition

Structure Your Presentation

To craft an effective technical presentation, it is crucial to structure your content in a clear and logical flow .

Begin with an attention-grabbing introduction that captivates your audience and sets the tone for the presentation.

Organize your content into sections or chapters, making it easier for your audience to comprehend and follow along.

• Divide your presentation into key sections or points.
• Each section should have a clear focus and contribute to your main message.
• Use bullet points and concise text to support each point.
• Transition smoothly between sections to maintain a logical flow.
• Include visuals such as images, charts, graphs, animations , and videos to enhance understanding and engagement.
• Share real-life examples or case studies that illustrate your points.
• Use relevant data and statistics to back up your points and add credibility.

Finally, remember to summarize key points and provide a memorable conclusion to leave a lasting impact.

Create your next presentation

snappify will help you to create stunning presentations and videos.

This video was created using snappify 🤩

Choose a good Font and Color for the Slides

Font and color choices in slides play a key role in shaping the impact and effectiveness of your presentation.

These choices go beyond aesthetics; they influence how your content is perceived, understood, and remembered.

Here are quick tips to make effective font and color choices:

• Readability: Use simple, easy-to-read fonts that can be seen from far away. Avoid fancy or complex fonts that can make reading difficult.
• Consistency: For a professional look, limit your presentation to two font styles: headings and body text.
• Contrast: Use contrasting fonts for headings and body text for better readability. Headings should be in bold or larger font, while body text should be in regular font.
• Hierarchy: Establish hierarchy with color by using bold or contrasting hues for headings and more subdued tones for body text.
• Limit Bright Colors: While bright colors can add visual interest, avoid using too many as they can be distracting and make your presentation look unprofessional.

Remember that your font and color choices should support your technical content and help convey your message effectively.

Test your chosen fonts and colors on different screens to ensure they appear as intended.

Consistency in font and color usage contributes to a polished and visually appealing presentation.

Also take a look at our handcrafted templates to get started with your technical presentations.

Engage with Stories

People remember stories better than facts alone.

Include relatable case studies to illustrate your points and make your presentation more relatable.

Storytelling is a powerful technique that can elevate your technical presentation from informative to captivating.

Humans have been using stories to communicate and connect for centuries, and integrating this approach into your presentation can help you create a deeper and more lasting impact on your audience.

Here's how you can effectively use storytelling to engage your audience during your technical presentation:

Quick Story Example:

Meet Maya, a talented developer on a mission to make her technical presentations truly captivating.

One day, she discovered snappify, a tool rumored to bring code snippets to life .

Maya decided to give it a shot.

With snappify, Maya's code snippets transformed into dynamic visuals that got animated smoothly across the screen.

During her presentation, she used it to break down complex algorithms step by step.

The audience was captivated, effortlessly following along as the code was visually displayed.

Impressed by Maya's presentation, fellow developers asked about snappify.

Maya shared how the tool had elevated her delivery, making code accessible to all.

Afterward, snappify was known for its captivating technical demonstrations.

Developers worldwide used it to transform complex code into interesting visuals, captivating audiences and enhancing code comprehension.

Now, turn your boring code into fancy and beautiful snippets before sharing it on social media or inside your technical presentation.

In conclusion, delivering a successful technical presentation requires technical skills, engaging visuals, and audience interaction.

A compelling story and utilizing effective visuals are crucial for delivering a memorable and impactful presentation.

Following the tips in this comprehensive guide, you can always deliver successful technical presentations for interviews, YouTube videos, tech talks, social media posts, and much more.

How can I adjust my technical presentation to different levels of expertise among the audience?

Adjust technical depth and terminology based on audience familiarity. Provide real-world examples for beginners and deeper insights for experts.

What is the difference between presentation and technical presentation?

Presentations can be either general or technical. General presentations inform or persuade, while technical presentations explain complex concepts to an audience with relevant expertise like engineering, coding, or more.

How do I overcome nervousness before a technical presentation?

Practice is key. Familiarity with your content and great rehearsal can help reduce anxiety during the presentation.

What is most important in technical presentation?

Effectively convey complex concepts with clear explanations, visuals, and relevance to the audience's needs and expertise - that's clarity.

What are the four essential components of a technical presentation?

A technical presentation has four parts: intro, content, conclusion, and Q&A. Introduce, present, summarize, and impress.

How do you engage your audience during a technical presentation?

To keep your audience engaged during a technical presentation, use relatable examples, break down complex information, and include interactive elements like polls or Q&A sessions. Personal stories can also make it more interesting.

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Presentation Guru

5 most common tech problems for presenters… and how to avoid them.

Every speaker has had something go wrong with the equipment as they speak. The hard truth is that most technical problems are preventable with better preparation. In this post, Jim Harvey outlines the 5 most common technical glitches he’s encountered and gives a little hard-won advice on how to avoid it happening to you.

I was speaking at a world famous business school the other day, and for the first time in years, I had some technical problems with my laptop (Top of the range MacBook Pro retailing at over £2200.00). I’m a professional speaker, very well paid for this gig, and it’s really all my fault when things go wrong. I’ve either failed to prepare properly or failed to have a ‘back-up plan’ that I can leap into seamlessly. In this case I was working near the edge of the limits of a) the software, b) the hardware and c) the presenter, in that I had great visuals with embedded video clips, sound, animations and hyperlinks. I’ll tell you what happened at the end, but for now, here’s my own list of the 5 things that I see presenters do, that get them into the kind of ‘danger’ I encountered in the hi-tech lecture hall on campus.

1 – THE PRESENTER CAN’T CONNECT TO THE PROJECTOR OR OTHER TECHNOLOGY AND ENDS UP LOOKING FOOLISH

TAKING A MAC TO A GIG AND EXPECTING IT TO WORK

The most common problem for Mac users who want to use their own computer to do a presentation is that ‘Oh no, I forgot that Steve Jobs was a one-eyed maniac and Macs don’t have a VGA /HDMI connector’ problem. As I’m sure you know, the 16-pin cable (called a VGA cable), or an HDMI cable, that comes out of the projector or widescreen TV will not fit your Mac. There is no VGA port on your (or any) Mac. If you want to connect your mac (without using their wireless system ‘AirPlay’,) you will need to buy or borrow a “ VGA Adapter ”. This little device will link to the mini-display port on your Mac and allow your Mac and the projector/TV to talk to each other.

The latest versions of Mac also have the option of HDMI connectors too, but you’ll still need a cable for it because you’ll often find that conference rooms have had all the cables ‘borrowed’ even when the IT guy has said everything will be OK.

The easiest thing to do, of course is to buy a dual Mini Display Port to HDMI/DVI/VGA Adapter (Converter) so you are covered for all occasions.

Whatever the connection option, as a Mac user, the burden is on YOU to anticipate compatibility issues, and not on the organizers to accommodate you without any forewarning. This goes double if you want to use an iPad, AirPlay, Chromecast or whatever the latest tech toy might be.

A PC Might Be Just As Disastrous!

If you think using a PC instead of a Mac will save you from the horrors of a presenter’s ‘Twilight Zone’; you might be headed to face an episode of ‘Tales from The Crypt’. Microsoft eagerly updates Microsoft Office editions for Windows based operating systems far more frequently than its Mac variants. This unfortunately also means that you are likely to run into a number of issues as a presenter, ranging from device compatibility problems to legibility issues. For example, if you have created a presentation in say, PowerPoint 2016 and require using the system at the venue which has a slightly older version (e.g. Office 2013), your content might get messed up. Not to mention PPTX files from newer versions sometimes simply fail to open with older versions. The remedy for that can be to save the file as a PPT to run it in compatibility mode. And we all know how smooth the compatibility mode works! Not only can your presentation lag because of conversion from PPTX to PPT but some animations and transitions available for newer versions aren’t even available for PPT files.

Hence, it’s best to learn beforehand about the availability of software and hardware available at the venue; should you need to use the system provided by your hosts. Needless to say, using your own computer might be a safer bet. Having said that; make sure you have the necessary connectivity kinks ironed out. If the equipment at the venue is old, you might have to rely on a VGA cable alone and as you know, latest PC laptops usually don’t have a VGA port. Furthermore, additional cables sometimes can be in short supply or the HDMI provided by the organisers might be faulty, leading to frequent disruptions in display such as blank screens or you might end up with a rainbow colored screen.

Other than the aforementioned potential issues, any incompatibility with a connected device might result in a crashed driver. It isn’t all that uncommon for PC users to end up facing driver crashes when connecting to new device. And let’s not forget the worst case scenario such a crash may lead to; a “Blue Screen of Death”.

Bill Gates, Windows 98 Demo Results in Blue Screen of Death

If you think your presentation skills are bad, here is a video of the Windows 8 demo when plugging in a USB resulted in a BSOD.  [Video Courtesy: MsGeek703]

To Bring Or Not To Bring Your Own Device!

You might have heard of BOYD, which is an initiative which encourages people to Bring Their Own Device. While BOYD is encouraged at startups, educational institutes and even presentations, it is worth weighing in whether it’s worth going BOYD for your next presentation.

When we think of BOYD, usually laptops aren’t really considered as a part of the BOYD initiative as much as hybrid devices like phablets or high-end tablets. Both of which can have a plethora of options tied to connectivity with projectors. Moreover, presenting your slides using a tablet or phhablet can result in hangs and compatibility issues.

It is however, worth mentioning here that in light of the above mentioned presentation related hassles that one might encounter, it is best to use at least your own laptop and account for connectivity cables, drivers and perform a test run for your slides before the presentation. On the contrary, if you’re going to use something like phablet, make sure you at least run remove the sim. The last thing you want is a caller ID replacing your on-screen slides when you get phone call in the middle of a presentation because your mom called!

Connecting a Mac or PC to a Projector using VGA or HDMI

If you need to know about how to connect your Mac or PC to a projector using VGa or HDMI, here are  two video tutorials that can help you out with the basics.

JUST TURNING UP AND EXPECTING THERE TO BE VGA CABLES, SOUND CABLES AND EXTENSION LEADS

Whether you’re a Mac person or a PC user, don’t risk turning up and finding out that stuff works, or is even there.  I arrived to do a pitch, in the brand-new, global headquarters of an international fashion brand in Paris to find that everything was perfect apart from the fact that they had no technology installed in the amazing conference rooms yet. Luckily we’d prepared to pitch without visuals, and it was perfect on that particular day, but we were lucky. There were other times when we might not have been.

2 – THE VIDEO FILES AND OTHER MULTIMEDIA WON’T PLAY – AND THE PRESENTER LOOKS BAD

MEDIA FILES IN GENERAL

As a sometime Mac user myself, I must warn my fellow Mac users that you live in a PC world. Never assume, without testing, that anything you do or use will work with PCs.  Or vice-versa. Test all PowerPoint files on the PC in question. If you use Keynote, convert to PowerPoint before you try to show it on a PC. There is no “Keynote for PC”. You should also not assume that just because the presentation computer is a Mac, it has Keynote loaded. Always check beforehand.

Most of the serious problems we see at presentations and conferences, happen when presenters succumb to the temptation to include audio and video content in their presentations. As I did here. Simple slide shows are usually fairly trouble free, but multimedia, especially done by presenters who have never done a multi-media presentation before, is fraught with technical and non-technical trouble.

Presenters often fail to take into account the amount of time it will take to actually use video or audio in their talks.  It may be a 30 second clip, but setting it up, talking about it, and explaining it, throws their timetable into disarray. A five-minute video clip takes at least 8 minutes to use (more if it’s not embedded and you need to go searching for it). Whenever possible, pre-cue your non-embedded media and at the very least, put it where you can find it instantly and not scroll up and down and click around looking for it.

Again, all of this is made more difficult if you have set up your PC to have a 2 display option so you can see you slide notes, if you want to display video for example, make sure that when you press play, the video shows on the presentation screen and not the second (presenter) screen so only you can see it.

If you are a PC user, the chances are you will be using PowerPoint for your presentations. However, even if you’re using a different presentation app or simply intend to play a video using a media player, there are some formats that are safe to use with a Windows OS. These include WMV, AVI and MP4 for videos and MP3, WAV and WMA for audio files. While PowerPoint also supports MOV, provided you have the QuickTime Player installed, using the aforementioned formats can be a safer bet, as you should be able to run these formats without the need for installing any additional codecs. Furthermore, both legacy and recent editions of PowerPoint (PowerPoint 2010 and later editions) seamlessly support these media formats.

MEDIA FILES (LINKS TO MEDIA & CONNECTIONS)

If you have incorporated media files into your presentation, be aware that while PowerPoint (And Keynote) embeds images into the PowerPoint presentation file, it frequently only ‘links’ to audio and video files, it doesn’t embed them. What this means is that when you move a copy of your PowerPoint presentation on another computer, but do not move the media files as well, then the video, sounds and other multimedia content will not be there when you try to show them.

The best solution to this is to put all the relevant media files and the PowerPoint master file in the same folder (do this while building your presentation, so that you add the media files into the shared folder, then insert them into the presentation, not as an afterthought). Then when you want to show a presentation on a different computer you just copy the whole folder to take with you or send to the host with clear instructions as to what you want them to do when moving the show to another computer.

Of course there are exceptions to the link/embed model, and the latest versions of PowerPoint and Keynote have ways that you can embed the multimedia content inside the presentation file, but it’s always best to assume the worst and provide your media files along with your presentation if you are moving it off your ‘home’ computer.

MEDIA FILES (COMPATIBILITY)

Then in a further complication, let’s remember that not all computers can play all media formats. This is particularly true if you are moving files from Macs to PCs or vice versa. Please don’t assume that any computer can play any given media format, even when the video is embedded in a PowerPoint video and you’re playing it on PowerPoint for Mac. Test all audio, sound and other files before the show, and even that doesn’t guarantee success, because I have also found out, the hard way, that many PCs and laptops have unexpected ‘gaps’ in what they can and can’t play, and sometimes it is a hardware (processor/media card limitation problem,) rather than a software issue that gets in the way.

Inserting Online Videos to Presentations

To circumvent issues tied to media file compatibility and connectivity, you can opt for adding videos from online sources. Many presentation apps like PowerPoint, Prezi, Google Slides, etc; allow embedding online videos. Furthermore, there are a number of add-ins that can be used to enable this feature for your presentation app. Presenters using legacy editions of PowerPoint can use the iSpring Presenter for this purpose. Similarly, Keynote users can use the LiveSlides add-in to add videos from various video streaming websites to Keynote. This add-in also has versions for Windows and Mac editions of PowerPoint.

3 – THE SOUND DOESN’T WORK – AND GUESS WHAT?

Media Files (Particularly Audio)

If you are playing media that includes audio – have you warned your hosts of this so that they know to connect the computer to the sound system? Never assume that this will be done as a matter of course. Connecting the computer to the sound system is frequently not the default, and will probably not happen if you fail to ask for it beforehand. Fail to do this and you may end up with the built-in weak, tiny speakers on the laptop projecting the sound to a room of 100 people and you’ll look amateur and unprepared.

Is the sound card on the presentation computer even working? Fail to confirm this and you might not even have weak and tiny. Moral of this story: always do a sound check of your microphone AND your computer.

Macs tend to be pretty robust and reliable bits of hardware, and because there are very few models in each range, they are predictable in what they can and cannot do. It’s not the same for PCs. Seemingly identical PCs from the same brand, often have vastly different power and capability. They can range between amazing and so terrible they can barely start up.

Because this inconsistency exists, and that corporations often buy large numbers of laptops barely able to do anything more than connect to the LAN in the office, it is essential that any PC to be used in presentations be run through its paces prior to showtime and asked to do everything it will be called upon to do for the show. If not, it may surprise you at exactly the wrong moment.

The Internet

The first rule of the Internet for presentations: if you can possibly avoid connecting to the internet to do your presentation, then avoid connecting to the internet to do your presentation.

Sometimes, however, there is no substitute for the Internet. Perhaps you are demonstrating a web-based application or website. That’s fine, but be aware that you have introduced an unpredictable variable and significantly increased your probability of technical failure. Have a backup plan if you lose connectivity or something doesn’t seem to work properly, and of course, test it before hand on the presentation computer in the location you plan to use connected to the network you plan to use.

For a demonstration of what to do and not to do when the internet (or any other technology) fails, see Steve Jobs vs Steve Sinofsky .  Jobs and the Apple team had obviously rehearsed the potential problem so he didn’t panic, told a lovely story from his past, and let the tech support fix the problem for him to move on without a pause. Sinofsky, on the other hand, panicked, froze, ran off the stage and made us all cringe. Steve Jobs emerged looking even cooler, Steve S was diminished.

If you are showing a YouTube video (almost never a good idea), open the video in a browser window and cue it to the right bit before the show. This will allow you to quickly move to the video, rather than pull it up and wait for the commercials to finish and stuff to load. If you have multiple videos, open multiple tabs in your browser.

But if you really want to show a YouTube video, it’s much better to control the uncertainty and download the YouTube video onto your computer beforehand, embed it in your PowerPoint presentation and play if from your computer.

Finally, if the hosts have not specifically said that you will have internet connectivity, don’t assume it will be there. If it is important to you, ask. Even when you do have such connectivity, test it out in the actual location of your presentation.

The bandwidth may not be up to your requirements or the hotel broadband access you paid for might work in your hotel room, but not in the conference rooms (different plan, different fee).  The further you travel from major urban centres, and anywhere in France, the worse this will get.

4 – THE FORMATTING HAS CHANGED AND THE SLIDES SUDDENLY LOOK RUBBISH – AND…

The fonts have all changed

If your presentation is to be given on a computer other than the one used to prepare it (a common state of affairs), remember that if your favourite font is not on the computer used for the presentation it will not display. It will default to something like Arial. If your presentation design will be spoiled if all your titles aren’t in 24 point ‘PigPen’, then you will need to ensure that ‘PigPen’ is loaded on the presentation computer or you need to make arrangements to use your own computer at the event by plugging it into the projector directly. This in itself has huge dangers unless you check and test the projector in the room, on the day, with the actual projector, cable length, etc.

Your Formatting Gets Wrecked

When you plug a digital projector into your computer, the aspect ratio of the display changes. If your formatting is simple, and follows the ‘layouts’ of the PowerPoint or ‘Keynote’ slide templates then that shouldn’t be a problem. But, if you have carefully arranged things in a very particular manner, on top of the slide layouts and used lots of tabs, spaces, text boxes and lines, it may not translate so well to the big screen when connected to a strange TV or projector. This is even more dangerous should you send that presentation in advance to the host, because they’ll open it up on their PC, and load it to the conference PC and all kinds of weird stuff can happen then.

5 – THE SCREENSAVER COMES ON FOUR TIMES AND IS PASSWORD PROTECTED – AND THE PRESENTER GOES HOME…

Just make sure that you’ve checked that your screen saver is switched off – via ‘Control Panel’ in windows and ‘System Preferences’ in Mac. It’s a real shame if you’re just finished warming the audience up with your opening gambit, and you press the button to display your killer first slide, and they see that ‘screen locked, password needed’ dialogue box. It happens to even the most experienced presenters. So just make sure that you’ve switched yours off, or if you’re using a borrowed laptop or PC, that they’ve done the same.

Watch Out For Disruptive Apps

Screensavers aren’t your only enemy! There are a number of apps which can cause a major disruption during your presentation. This is especially true if you’re using a PC. This can include anything from an antivirus software to an app demanding an update. Such a disruption can not only be embarrassing but it can also take a bit of time to close the app and get back to where you are, break your momentum and ruin your presentation. Not to mention, by the time you restart your slideshow, you might turn around to find an empty hall!

BACKUPS FOR WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS

Whatever option you choose, make sure that you have a backup of your whole presentation, with media files, on a CD/DVD or a portable drive, at hand. If the presentation, sound, video or computer suddenly fails, or you run into a hopeless compatibility issue, switching to another machine without fuss or embarrassment makes you look like a real pro, rather than a fumbling amateur.

The Cloud is Your Friend!

It is always wise to backup your presentation to the cloud, using a service like OneDrive, iCloud or Google Drive. This can not only provide you an instant backup for your presentation in the case of any eventuality but also give you a PowerPoint alternative, should you need one! Let’s say your presentation file somehow ends up getting corrupt or won’t play with the installed version of PowerPoint or Keynote on the computer available at the presentation venue. In such a case you can quickly download your presentation or even present it directly via PowerPoint Online (using OneDrive), Google Slides or in the case of Keynote presentations, using iCloud.

There are also a number of other cloud services which have their pros and cons and support different file formats. Even if you run into internet connectivity issues at the host computer or in case there is no connectivity at the venue, you can fall back to your 3G/4G connection to download your presentation file on your smartphone or make a Wi-Fi hotspot to bring connectivity to a laptop or desktop computer. Since presentation files are usually lightweight, you should be able to get your backup up and running in no time. The point is; the cloud is your friend!

PS – What happened to me?

Remember I was presenting there at this MBA school and the technology went wrong? What did I do? I followed Steve Jobs’ example from earlier in this post. I told a true story about a technology mishap earlier in my career, to keep the crowd busy and entertained, and allowed a very helpful audience member to help me in the background. He fixed the connection problem for me, I told my story, he sat down proud of his achievement, I thanked him profusely and allowed the audience to blame the Business School’s technology, while all along I knew it was my fault anyway.

IN CONCLUSION

We’ve all had days and times when the equipment that we’ve rehearsed with fails. Most of us can deal with that. But the unforgivable glitches are those that we allow to happen to us when we really should know better. I was at a conference in the US last year and after 3 days, speakers were still walking onto the stage to find that their slides didn’t fit the screen or their video didn’t work, or the remote control was not one that they’d used before. As an audience member I had no sympathy, and in every case I felt that the lack of readiness reflected more on the speaker than the hotel, or the conference organiser.

After the first day, I started finding speakers that I liked just to warn them that the sound was rubbish and the system didn’t work with Macs. Even then most of them turned up with 5 minutes to spare and expected everything to work. Can you guess the subject of the conference? That’d be right. Presentation skills. I decided then that I’d never allow myself to do that again.

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+Jim Harvey

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John Zimmer

25th August 2016 at 2:29 pm

Great post Jim. Comprehensive with lots of concrete tips to avoid technical mishaps on your next presentation.

Clif Patrick

1st August 2017 at 9:38 pm

Thanks for your excellent piece! I see “Murphy” has attended some of your presentations as he has attended many of mine. I always bring my ‘kit’ when presenting at a new venue, no matter what I was promised. If I encounter no issues, the bag can stay zipped up. Thanks to “Murphy,” my kit has grown over the years to include my laptop, projector, screen, extensions, flashlight, a few tools, batteries, cables & adapters, a clamp-on lectern light, gaffers tape, etc. All that and Murphy” still finds things to teach me.

Bruna Martinuzzi

3rd September 2018 at 3:32 pm

An excellent article in every respect!

john nicholas

21st January 2021 at 5:30 am

This blog really provides a positive reply, as I have a printer and it shows Epson wf-7620 error code 0x97 while I try to connect with devices, so what is the crucial measure to follow, looking for steps. Really a great watch!

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How to Handle Technical Difficulties During Presentations

Giving a presentation can be nerve-wracking, and when technical difficulties arise, it can make the experience even more stressful. Technical issues such as sound problems, video issues, or projector failures can cause interruptions and distract both you and your audience from the topic of the presentation. Therefore, it’s essential to be prepared for such issues and have a plan in place to handle them.

Here are some valuable and practical tips on how to handle technical difficulties during presentations:

Test Equipment Ahead of Time

One of the best ways to avoid technical difficulties is to test all the equipment you plan to use beforehand. Check that the projector, microphone, and sound system are working properly. Bring extra batteries, cords, and chargers to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Arrive Early

Arriving early allows you to set up your equipment and test it again before the presentation begins. This also gives you time to troubleshoot any issues that may arise before the audience arrives.

Have Backup Plans to Handle Technical Difficulties

Having backup plans for technical difficulties is critical. For instance, if the projector fails to work, have handouts ready to distribute, or you can rely on the whiteboard or flip chart. In case the microphone stops working, be ready to raise your voice and speak louder.

Keep Calm While Handling Technical Difficulties

It’s easy to panic when technical difficulties occur during a presentation. However, it’s essential to keep calm and composed. Panicking may worsen the situation and cause the audience to lose confidence in you. Instead, take a deep breath, and think of a solution.

Stay Focused

It’s crucial to stay focused on the goal of the presentation, even if there are technical issues. Keep the audience engaged and ensure the presentation still conveys the intended message.

Stay Positive

A positive attitude might help you deal with technical difficulties more effectively and efficiently. Just keep in mind that the audience is there to listen to your message, and they are likely to understand technical issues. Having a positive attitude can also help to calm your nerves and keep you composed.

Engage the Audience

While you are fixing technical difficulties, engage the audience in conversation. This will keep them from losing interest in the presentation. For example, you can ask them questions related to the presentation, or you can tell a related story to keep them entertained.

Seek Assistance to Handle Technical Difficulties

If you can’t resolve the technical issue on your own, seek assistance. Ask someone from the technical team or the venue staff for help. They may be able to troubleshoot the problem or provide a backup solution.

Keep the Presentation Short

If technical difficulties occur and you are unable to resolve them, it’s important to keep the presentation short. Your audience may lose interest, and the longer you keep talking, the more you risk embarrassing yourself. Finish the presentation as soon as possible, and apologize for any inconvenience caused by the technical difficulties.

Don’t Apologize Too Much

While it’s important to acknowledge technical difficulties and apologize for any inconvenience caused, it’s also essential not to over-apologize. Apologizing too much can make you appear insecure and distract the audience from the presentation’s content.

Keep the Audience Informed

If there are technical difficulties, keep the audience informed about what’s happening. This will help them understand that you’re aware of and working to resolve the issue. It will also prevent them from becoming confused or frustrated.

Be Flexible

Be prepared to be flexible if technical difficulties occur. This may mean changing the order of slides, adjusting the presentation to work without audio or video, or cutting some content from the presentation. Being flexible will help you to adapt to the situation and deliver a successful presentation despite the technical difficulties.

Technical difficulties are common during presentations, and being prepared to handle them can make all the difference. Remember that technical problems don’t have to ruin the presentation, and with the right approach, you can maintain the audience’s attention and convey your intended message.

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Communication, facilitation, ​powerspeaking blog: tips and strategies for crafting presentations, deliver more powerful technical presentations: 8 techniques.

by Ralf Wolter     Aug 4, 2022 1:36:00 PM

Before moving into training and coaching, I was an IT Consulting Engineer for 25-plus years.  To this day, I have a left-brain bent.  But I remember the experience that changed my perspective on what makes a powerful technical communicator (hint: it involves both hemispheres).

I was watching a very senior engineer at Cisco give a technical presentation.  This engineer was so senior and well-regarded, he held a prestigious Fellow position at the high-tech company.  

What struck me was that he was so good at illustrating his points and keeping the audience rapt.  I approached him after his talk and asked him, ‘What’s your secret sauce?’  He said, ‘Whenever I give a technical talk, I start by explaining in a way that my mum would understand it.’

I really liked the way he dove into deep technical detail only after he introduced the concepts with brief, compelling stories and vivid analogies.  To me, that was a perfect way to make sure everyone understands what you’re talking about, without dumbing down the content.

What I’ve learned since then is that this kind of approach to technical presenting doesn’t take away from the content expert’s credibility; as a matter of fact, it adds to it, especially if they’re addressing a mixed audience.

Delivering clear, complex data in a meaningful way to the people and businesses impacted is more important than ever—at work and in our communities.  

To do it well, you might need to rethink some of the hallmark left-brain preconceptions about how to craft and deliver your talk.  But trust me, it’s well worth the journey.

Here are our top pointers . . .

1. Start With Your Audience in Mind

Who are you presenting to, and how is your main message or proposal relevant to them?  How much detail do they really want or need? Your technical peers might be happy to dive into lots of detailed data.  But how about a mixed audience of engineers, salespeople, and potential customers?  Or maybe senior executives , who just want the bottom line?

For example, let’s say you’re presenting to a mixed audience. The best strategy would be to organize your presentation so you begin with a big-picture overview and main message/proposal for the non-technical people; then a strategic level of detail for technical managers and technical specialists outside your area; and last, a deep dive for content experts who are familiar with your work.  

Senior-level executives prefer content focused on the overall impact of your data or proposal: the cost, ROI, and benefits. They want the high-level view, with executive summaries, solutions, and future business implications. (Check out our downloadable PDF, “ How to Present to Executives: 23 Proven Tips ”)

Non-technical audiences and technical people in different disciplines also appreciate higher-level content.  In addition, they typically want to know how what you’re presenting will affect them directly.  Will it impact their workload or priorities?  Will it delay other projects they’re working on?  Will it shift roles or responsibilities?

Technical audiences want content rich in detailed data analysis, design specifications, theory, and statistics. They expect you to know the jargon and to use technical terms. They want to know about the research behind your data, and they appreciate information such as algorithms, process-flow diagrams, feature lists, and coding examples.

One presenter we worked with noted that with mixed audiences, he starts by announcing, "Today, I'll be doing a split-level presentation. The first 10 minutes will be a big-picture, market-focused summary. In the next 10 minutes, I will provide an overview of the technology involved. In the last 10 minutes I will go into the detail and present the results of our code review. Feel free to leave before the next level of detail if that is not what you want."

So remember, consider your audience before you get too far in crafting your presentation.  By doing so, you will be more . . .

Engaging By directing your presentation to the audience’s needs, you’ll increase attention and retention.

Efficient By creating an audience-centric presentation from the start, you’ll find it easier to plan and deliver a relevant and memorable talk.

Effective By communicating an action the audience can take as a result of the presentation, you’ll have a greater impact (we go into this in “Identify an Action Step,” below).

Here’s a helpful Audience Analysis checklist we developed for workshop participants.

Next, what do you want the audience to do with the data you’re presenting? 

2. Identify an Action Step

Once you’ve analyzed your audience, the next best step is to ask yourself, "What do I want the audience to do, think, or feel as a result of hearing this presentation?" 

One common mistake many presenters make is to assume the audience understands what they’re being asked to do.  Unless your request is clear and concrete, you risk creating confusion and losing their support.

Here are some quick examples of effective vs. ineffective action steps . . .

Now it’s time to dive into the core content of your presentation . . .

3. Develop a Clear Main Message

Even if you have complex ideas or data to discuss, your presentation should have a clearly stated central purpose or key message.  Why are you presenting the data?  What do you want your audience to remember?  

A short, clear, and compelling main message accomplishes several important things . . .

Here are some best practices for developing your main message so it’s clear and memorable . . .

As PowerSpeaking, Inc. Master Facilitator Rita Williams emphasized in the video, repetition of your main message—word for word—is key.  Research has shown that people are much more likely to retain your clear, concise main message if you repeat it at least three times throughout your presentation, at the beginning, middle, and end.

Once you’ve analyzed your audience, identified an action step, and crafted your main message, it’s time to turn to the substance of your presentation . . .

4. Make Your Content Relatable and Memorable

Maybe you want to get a group of teams fired up about the next phase of product development.  Perhaps you need to enlist support from other departments to make a system change. Or maybe your team needs budget approval from senior management to launch a new project.

No matter your purpose, you’re far more likely to succeed if you help your audience relate to your content and remember (and maybe act on) it after the presentation is over.

We’ve found that the best way to do that is to craft a technical presentation that balances analytical and anecdotal evidence— and connects with people on a human level.

Analytical Evidence: Facts and Figures

Analytical evidence is typically evidence drawn from statistical information—especially data collected by systematic methods. for example, the number of component failures reported in a quarter, the percentage of people who had adverse reactions to a new drug, or the roi on a new service offering over a specified period of time would all be considered analytical data. , anecdotal evidence: stories, analogies, case studies, examples.

Anecdotal evidence tells a story rather than drawing solely on numbers or percentages. Examples:  A story about how a seriously ill patient responded to a new drug, reading a letter from a satisfied customer, or talking about an experience you had when calling your own company for customer service. 

Some technical people in our workshops bristle at the idea of storytelling or, as they’ll say, “trying to be entertaining.”  But being an entertainer isn’t the point here.  The point is that we’re all human, and images, metaphors, and stories spark our interest and lodge in our memories more easily than facts and figures alone.

  “In fact, the thickness of the Earth's atmosphere, compared with the size of the Earth, is in about the same ratio as the thickness of a coat of shellac on a schoolroom globe is to the diameter of the globe. That's the air that nurtures us and almost all other life on Earth, that protects us from deadly ultraviolet light from the sun, that through the greenhouse effect brings the surface temperature above the freezing point.”   

In his book “Actual Minds, Possible Worlds,” psychologist Jerome Bruner estimated that facts are about 22 times more memorable when they are delivered via a story.  

When the brain sees or hears a story, it mimics the pattern of the writer’s or speaker's brain. This is known as neural coupling, where in effect,  the storyteller literally shares their sensory experience with another person.  (A much more memorable experience than looking at a spreadsheet in a slide presentation.)

“ You cannot reach a person's head without first touching their heart, and the path to the heart runs through the brain, starting with the amygdala . . . We now know which brain chemicals make us pay attention to a speaker (cortisol) and which make us feel empathy toward another person (oxytocin)." — Carmine Gallo, "Storyteller's Secret.”

  “ You can’t play tennis with a bowling ball.”  

So, remember that research proves you will increase the impact of your data and your message by reaching people through their hearts and minds .

Next, use the power of imagery to help people understand and remember key points . . .

5. Be Creative With Visual Aids

Whether you’re presenting in person or virtually, there are several ways you can hold people’s interest and drive home your message by getting creative with visuals.

Add Imagery to Explain Data

You already know not to clobber your audience with endless data-dense slides, right?  Good.  The more you can convey data/key messages via imagery, the more engaging and memorable your content will be.

Here are a few more examples of combining simple, powerful images with (few) words to deliver a message . . .

Don’t Limit Yourself to Slides

Think about introducing a variety of visual aids to make your presentation more interesting . . .

Whiteboards : A virtual whiteboard or an in-person flip-chart are still great ways to emphasize key points, capture audience feedback or questions, or explain a concept. 

Props: Use props to illustrate a key metaphor or idea from your presentation. A world globe could help illustrate the global marketplace, or an apple could evoke preventive health care (“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”) 

Handouts: A handout allows the audience to take something back to work that can be used as a reference or summary of your content.

Video Clips: These are a great way to break the monotony of still slides, and often introduce a more human factor to the topic. 

6. Use Pattern Disruption to Hold Attention

There’s nothing like breaking a pattern to snap people back to attention.  Think of a presenter who suddenly turns off the screen or introduces music.  Or how about a presenter who’s been talking for five minutes then suddenly . . . stops.  Silence, for like 30 seconds.  You’d look up, right?

Consider places in your presentation where people might need something fresh to keep them engaged.  Some examples . . .

• Stories and analogies
• Video clips or sound recordings
• Style changes (vocal, movement, gestures, pausing)
• Blanking the screen
• Visuals (graphics, illustrations, images)
• Audience participation (small group discussion, brainstorming)

Next, let’s look at one aspect of successful presenting that causes many techies to roll their eyes:  an engaging delivery style.  

Stay with me.  It’s relatively painless . . .

7. Don't Underestimate the Power of Style

A speaker who stands statue-still, stares at their slides or notes, and speaks in a monotone is enough to put anyone to sleep—no matter how interesting the content.  

Remember, even scientists, engineers, and system programmers are human.  And research has shown that we humans are moved by nonverbal communication.  We “read” a lot into its presence or absence, which means it can either obscure or make clear what we’re saying out loud.

“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you’re preparing to make a presentation or give a talk, it’s likely you do what most people do: focus solely on your content. While what you have to say is definitely key, how you say it—through nonverbal “language”—is a lot more important than you might think.

Research has shown repeatedly that your posture, gestures, facial expressions, and the tone and cadence of your voice play a huge role not only in getting your message across to an audience, but also, in engaging them, building trust, and increasing your credibility.

Your tone of voice, for example, has a big impact on how your content is received. 

Not being able to hear a speaker, either because of poor audio or a too-soft voice, isn’t just an annoyance. In a USC study that looked at the effects of poor audio in scientific presentations, they found that, “When the video was difficult to hear, viewers thought the talk was worse, the speaker less intelligent and less likable, and the research less important.”

Speaking in a dreary monotone is another way to lose your audience.  Watch how to avoid it and instead, create energy and interest . . .

source: Great Speech Writing, "How to Avoid Speaking in a Monotone," via YouTube

If you’d like more tips on making nonverbal communication work for you, check out our blog, “ Use the Power of Nonverbal Communication to Connect with Your Audience: 7 Tips .”

8. Bring Your Authentic Self to the Table

Speaking of the human factor when it comes to presentations, know that authenticity, openness, and passion go a long way in engaging your audience, building trust—and yes, even establishing your credibility. 

NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson once revealed her childhood passion for numbers in a very simple, relatable way . . .

“I counted everything. I counted the steps to the road, the steps up to church, the number of dishes and silverware I washed ... anything that could be counted, I did.” 

Now, if you had been in the audience when she led with that, she’d have your attention, right?  

No matter how complex the data or the message, an audience-centric, authentic, human approach is a good place to start.

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Topics: Effective Technical Presentations

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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7 Steps to Delivering a Technical Presentation

June 21, 2021 - Dom Barnard

So you want to share the fruits of your technical labor with a presentation? Perhaps, you’re an engineer, a maker, a coder, or a designer, and you’re looking to discuss a research study, explain a process, or demonstrate a product.

Regardless of the agenda,  speaking to a group  can be intimidating. However, there are steps you can take to deliver an effective technical presentation that gets your point across and appeals to the audience.

Whether you’re presenting in person or via  web conferencing software , the following tips and best practices will help you be prepared, feel more confident, and set up the tools you need to conduct your presentation without any issues.

Know your subject matter

A great presentation isn’t about reading a bunch of slides – your attendees are capable of reading much faster on their own.

If you are going to pack your slides with dozens of details and bullet points, you might as well ditch the slides and write an article instead. It’s difficult for the audience to listen to a presenter and read a lot of information at the same time.

Your job as a presenter is to be the expert that your attendees expect you to be. Keep your slides simple and minimal. In fact, 91% of people say that  well-designed slides  help  boost their confidence  when giving a presentation.

Remember that your slides are not the star of the show, you are. Help your audience understand and make sense of what they are reading in your slides. To do this, make sure you are using a  suitable structure  for your presentation.

You can do these things only when you’re well-versed in what you’re presenting. The slides are supposed to be your outline, or simply a table of contents to remind you what to cover during the presentation.

Know your audience

Knowing your audience  is crucial for any presentation, but it’s even more important for a technical one. If your audience is as experienced and comfortable with the topic of your presentation as you are, then you don’t want to dumb it down to the extent that it bores them.

On the other hand, you don’t want to give a complex presentation to an audience with no clue of what you’re talking about.

There may also be times when your attendees are people with different levels of technical skill, experience, and interests. Then your job is to make sure that the content of your presentation is relevant and doesn’t alienate any of those segments.

Image Source:  Digital Clarity Group

To understand how technical you need to be, consider what your audience might already know and how much is required for them to understand to meet your goal.

If your objective is to acquire funding, for instance, your audience will be more interested in financial benefits than the technical details of your product. The idea is to meet the needs of your audience, not to fuel your passion for engineering.

Configure your IDE

Since you’re delivering a technical presentation, there may be instances where you’ll want to walk your audience through your development environment, code scripts, software demos, or other technical components.

However, you may have adjusted how things look on the screen according to what’s the most convenient for your usual workflow. And what’s good for working in your day-to-day routine may not render well as you go full screen in presentation mode.

If the attendees can’t decipher what’s on the screen, they’ll get confused and will find it hard to focus on your talk. So it’s important that you customize whatever you’re going to show in your presentation such that it’s easily readable and viewable.

There are several steps you can take to make this happen. First of all, don’t use dark backgrounds. Light-colored backgrounds are easy on the eyes. Second, adjust your font styles and sizes to make sure they’re big enough.

And finally, learn to zoom in on specific areas as required, depending on whether you’re using a  Windows PC  or a  Mac system .

Practice Presentation Skills

Improve your public speaking and presentation skills by practicing them in realistic environments, with automated feedback on performance. Learn More

Minimize distractions

Nothing is more annoying than to keep getting disruptive notifications or popups from in the middle of your presentation. These can be from your operating system (Windows or Mac), or apps such as Slack, Email, Twitter, and more.

At times, these notifications can be personal, embarrassing, or contain confidential information that you don’t want your audience to see.

Therefore, it’s best to make sure in advance that there are no unpleasant surprises. Before you get up to give your presentation, turning off your notifications can go a long way.

This will also reduce the number of processes running on your machine and free up available resources. As a result, the resource-intensive programs that are part of your presentation will run a lot smoother. Here’s how to turn off  notifications for Windows ,  Google Chrome , and  Mac .

Get the right equipment

If you want to be a master presenter, you should have the proper tools for the job. The basics include a desktop or laptop machine with good configuration, a big display screen, presentation software (usually MS Powerpoint or Keynote), and a clicker/pointer device.

A clicking device, like the  Logitech Wireless Presenter , can help you switch slides from wherever you are in the room, point to a specific part of a slide, and add an overall professional touch to your presentation.

In addition, you should have any cables (HDMI, VGA, USD, etc) and adapters required to connect the devices you are going to use for the presentation.

Conrad Delock USB 3.0 Network adapter

If you have no idea about what will be available at your presentation venue, then carry one piece of each of the commonly used cables and adapters. You’ll thank us later.

Rehearse in advance

Practice your slides and your demo multiple times before the presentation, even if you have presented the exact same thing in the past. Do not make any assumptions about your actual presentation environment based on your practice environment.

Technologies and situations change, and you may find things that catch you off guard. Run through everything at least once the night before just to be sure.

Practice your presentations with  interactive exercises .

Even better if you can record yourself during these rehearsal presentations and watch the recordings later to find areas of improvement.

Also, if you’re relying on downloading or doing something in front of the audience that may require a high-speed internet connection, don’t assume you’ll have access to such a network during your presentation. Download and install whatever you need ahead of time.

Finally, enjoy the experience

You’re giving a technical presentation, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring, or that you have to be serious all the time as you talk.

It’s okay to have fun, crack some jokes,  tell a story ,  ask a rhetorical question  or invite participation from the audience when presenting. In fact, a study showed that presentations that don’t let the audience participate see a  drop of 14%  in engagement.

Don’t worry too much about things going wrong. See every presentation as a dialogue with your attendees and an opportunity to learn and be a better presenter. If you are enjoying yourself, so will your audience.

21 Ways To Improve Your Presentation Skills

Published: April 07, 2023

You know the feeling of sitting through a boring presentation. A text distracts you. A noise outside pulls your gaze. Your dog begs for attention. By the time the presentation ends, you question why you needed to sit and listen in the first place.

Effective presentation skills can stop you from boring an audience to oblivion. Delivering strong presentations can help you stand out as a leader, showcase your expertise, and build confidence.

Table of contents:

• Presentation skills definition
• Importance of presentation skills
• How to improve presentation skills
• Effective presentation skills
• Presentation skills for executives

Presentation Skills Definition

Presentation skills include anything you need to create and deliver clear, effective presentations to an audience. This includes creating a compelling set of slides , ensuring the information flows, and keeping your audience engaged.

Speakers with strong presentation skills can perform the following tasks:

• Bring together different sources of information to form a compelling narrative
• Hook audiences with a strong beginning and end
• Ensure audiences engage with their content through questions or surveys
• Understand what their audience wants and needs from their presentation

Importance of Presentation Skills

At some point in your career, you will present something. You might pitch a startup to a group of investors or show your research findings to your manager at work. Those in leading or executive roles often deliver presentations on a weekly or monthly basis.

Improving your presentation skills betters different aspects of your working life, including the following:

Communication: Improving your presentation skills can make you a better communicator with your co-workers and friends.

Confidence: 75% of people fear public speaking. By working on your presentation skills, you can gain confidence when speaking in front of a crowd.

Creativity: You learn to understand how to use imagery and examples to engage an audience.

Management: Presentations involve pulling together information to form a succinct summary, helping you build project and time management skills.

How To Improve Presentation Skills

1. create an outline.

Before designing slides and writing a script, outline your presentation. Start with your introduction, segue into key points you want to make, and finish with a conclusion.

2. Practice, Practice, Practice

Almost 8 in 10 professionals practice their presentations for at least an hour. So, practice your presentation in the mirror or to a close friend.

3. Start With a Hook

When presenting, grab your audience with a hook. Consider starting with a surprising statistic or a thoughtful question before diving into the core information.

4. Stay Focused on Your Topic

You might want to cover everything under the sun, but information overload can overwhelm your audience. Instead, stay focused on what you want to cover. Aim for key points and avoid including unnecessary details.

5. Remember To Introduce Yourself

At the beginning of the presentation, introduce yourself. Kill any tension in the room by mentioning your name, your role, and any other helpful details. You could even mention a fun fact about yourself, putting the audience at ease.

6. Work on Your Body Language

55% of people look to nonverbal communication when judging a presentation. Straighten your back, minimize unnecessary gestures, and keep your voice confident and calm. Remember to work on these aspects when practicing.

7. Memorize Structure, Not Words

You might feel better knowing exactly what you want to say. But skip the script and stick to memorizing the key points of your presentation. For example, consider picking three to four phrases or insights you want to mention for each part of your presentation rather than line-by-line memorization.

8. Learn Your Audience

Before crafting a killer outline and slide deck, research your audience. Find out what they likely already know, such as industry jargon, and where they might need additional information. Remember: You're presenting for them, not you.

9. Reframe Your Anxiety as Excitement

A study conducted by Harvard Business School demonstrates that reframing your anxiety as excitement can improve performance. For example, by saying simple phrases out loud, such as “I’m excited,” you then adopt an opportunity-oriented mentality.

10. Get Comfortable With the Setting

If you plan to present in person, explore the room. Find where you’re going to stand and deliver your presentation. Practice looking into the seats. By decreasing the number of unknowns, you can clear your head and focus on the job.

11. Get Familiar With Technology

Presenting online has unique challenges, such as microphone problems and background noise. Before a Zoom presentation, ensure your microphone works, clean up your background, test your slides, and consider any background noise.

12. Think Positively

Optimistic workers enjoy faster promotions and happier lives. By reminding yourself of the positives — for example, your manager found your last presentation impressive — you can shake off nerves and find joy in the process.

13. Tell a Story

To engage your audience, weave storytelling into your presentation — more than 5 in 10 people believe stories hold their focus during a presentation. Consider ways to connect different parts of your slides into a compelling narrative.

14. Prepare for Questions

At the end of your presentation, your audience will likely have questions. Brainstorm different questions and potential answers so you’re prepared.

15. Maintain Eye Contact

Eye contact signals honesty. When possible, maintain eye contact with your audience. For in-person presentations, pay attention to each audience member. For online ones, stare at your camera lens as you deliver.

16. Condense Your Presentation

After you finish the first draft of your outline, think about ways to condense it. Short and sweet often keeps people interested instead of checking their phones.

17. Use Videos

Keep your audience’s attention by incorporating video clips when relevant. For example, videos can help demonstrate examples or explain difficult concepts.

18. Engage With Your Audience

Almost 8 in 10 professionals view presentations as boring. Turn the tide by engaging with your audience. Encourage audience participation by asking questions or conducting a live survey.

19. Present Slowly and Pause Frequently

When you get nervous, you talk faster. To combat this, remember to slow yourself down when practicing. Place deep pauses throughout your presentation, especially when transitioning between slides, as it gives you time to breathe and your audience time to absorb.

20. Start and End With a Summary

A summary at the start of a presentation can pique your audience’s interest. One at the end brings everything together, highlighting key points your audience should take with them.

21. Ask for Feedback

You will never deliver the perfect presentation, so ask for feedback. Talk to your managers about where you could improve. Consider surveying your audience for an unbiased look into your presentation skills.

Effective Presentation Skills

Effective presentation skills include communicating clearly, presenting with structure, and engaging with the audience.

As an example, say a content manager is presenting a quarterly review to their team. They start off with a summary. Their introduction mentions an unprecedented 233% growth in organic traffic — numbers their team has not seen in years. Immediately, the presenter grabs their team’s attention. Now, everyone wants to know how they achieved that in one quarter.

Alternatively, think of an entrepreneur delivering their pitch to a group of investors. They start with a question: How many of you struggle to stay awake at work? They then segue into an exciting product designed to improve the sleep quality of working professionals. Their presentation includes videos demonstrating the science behind sleep and surprising statistics about the demand for their product.

Both examples demonstrate effective presentation skills. They incorporate strong attention grabbers, summaries, and attempts to engage the audience.

Think back to strong presentations you viewed as an audience member. Ask yourself: What made them so memorable, and how can I incorporate those elements into my presentations?

Presentation Skills for Executives

Presentations take up a significant portion of an executive’s workload. Executives regularly showcase key company initiatives, team changes, quarterly and annual reviews, and more. Improving your presentation skills as a leader can help with different parts of your job, such as:

Trust: Delivering great, effective presentations can build trust between you and your team.

Confidence: Most people dread presentations — so a strong presenter projects the confidence needed by a leader.

Emotional intelligence: A great presentation taps into the audience’s perspectives, helping executives improve their emotional intelligence .

Expertise: Presentations help executives display their subject-matter expertise, making employees safe in their hands.

Delegation: At times, executives might need to pull information from different sources for a presentation — improving their ability to delegate as managers.

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Technical Presentations: 3 Ways to Get Better at Technical Communication

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Technical Presentations

Here are three strategies that you can use to improve your skill at technical presentations and communication, especially when speaking to non-technical audiences.

This is a frequent challenge I see with data scientists, BI analysts, financial experts, and others from a variety of different technical fields.

Many of these individuals have to present to non-technical people among senior executives , clients, internal stakeholders or other colleagues.

So they have to explain concepts in a way that will be relatable and accessible to that audience.

1. Use Your Old Learning Material

Look at the reading material you used when you were learning these technical concepts for the first time.

How was the information presented?

What kinds of stories, metaphors, anecdotes, and motifs did the textbook use?

How did your professors or online courses explain these concepts?

Once you get 5-10 years into a field, it’s easy to forget how the info was presented originally.

But go back to the earlier material, at least to get a framework and a sense for how the information was delivered.

It’s also great for your empathy and humility as a presenter.

You will remind yourself that there was a time when you didn’t know anything about discounted cash flow, probability, statistics, or machine learning. At some point in the past you didn’t know how to write one line of code.

So going back to the early material helps you put yourself in the shoes of your target audience.

2. Practice Your Technical Presentations in Front of Non-Technical Audiences

There’s three types of audiences that you can experiment with, and get feedback from:

Colleagues that sit in other functional departments: These are people that have no context and no background in your technical field.

Simply ask them for feedback on your presentation and if there was anything they did not understand. You can even quiz them to see if they fully grasped the information.

Children: Believe it or not, practicing your messaging and your delivery in front of children is very informative.

Kids will be brutally honest, and if they’re not interested in what you’re saying, or you’re not entertaining or engaging, they’re gone.

It also forces you to simplify the info and make the technical presentations very accessible for them.

Non-native speakers of English: Look for anybody that is fluent in English but is not a technical expert in your field.

This will force you to speak in a simpler and more accessible way so they can understand what you’re saying.

3. Experiment with New Communication Techniques

We can think of this as “Continuous Improvement.”

If you’re in a very hot and fast-moving field (5G, Blockchain, Machine Learning, IOT, etc), there are constant new developments.

And this means new technical information.

You have to keep your messaging and communication style fresh. You never want to get stagnant.

So continuously test out new communication tactics.

This can happen in networking conversations , over social media , or when getting coffee with new connections.

Slip in some new messaging, new themes, new keywords or key phrases and see how people react.

On social media, you can do this in comment threads, DMs to colleagues and acquaintances, or forums and groups.

(Just make sure the population you’re speaking to are not technical professionals like yourself.)

Also observe and listen to how other technical experts in your field communicate those ideas to a lay audience, take notes, and use their techniques.

All of this is very low-stakes. They are not actual presentation situations where you have to perform. So it’s lower pressure.

But these scenarios provide opportunities to test out your technical messaging. It will be very helpful to continuously improve your storytelling and technical presentations over time.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO COURSE: PRESENTATION SKILLS: GIVE MORE POWERFUL, MEMORABLE TALKS

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Threshold Raccoon

Description.

Threshold signatures improve both availability and security of digital signatures by splitting the signing key into \(N\) shares handed out to different parties. Later on, any subset of at least \(T\) parties can cooperate to produce a signature on a given message. While threshold signatures have been extensively studied in the pre-quantum setting, they remain sparse from quantum-resilient assumptions.

In this work, we show that the Raccoon signature scheme can be easily thresholdized. More precisely, we present Threshold Raccoon, a threshold signature that is very close to Raccoon. Our scheme has signature size 13 KiB and communication cost 40 KiB per user, supporting a threshold size as large as 1024 signers.

All operations used during signing are due to symmetric primitives and simple lattice operations; in particular our scheme does not need heavy tools such as threshold fully homomorphic encryption or homomorphic trapdoor commitments as in prior constructions. Our key technical idea is to use one-time additive masks to mitigate the leakage of the partial signing keys through partial signatures.

Presented at

5th PQC Standardization Conference (2024) [in-person]

Event Details

Fifth PQC Standardization Conference

Related Topics

Security and Privacy: post-quantum cryptography