Learning Public Speaking

 

If are a tech-type person, you know that most of the tech world is in Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show.

It is a trade show/convention that shows an industry audience the future in consumer tech (TVs, cell phones, cameras, etc).

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (pictured) presented the keynote address late Wednesday night. Because it was a presentation that were video was not “allowed” we do not have the complete speech. But I did find a a 3 minute clip from the speech that I embedded at the end of this post.

According to a number of sources, the speech has some technical issues. Also, it seems the speech started late (whether it was related to the tech issues, we do not know). So the Microsoft keynote got off to a rough start to say the least.

But what can you take from Ballmer’s mistakes? Well, there are 3 things (because Microsoft always presents its ideas in threes) you can learn from the speech.

1. Don’t be afraid to eject from the plane

Technological issues happen if you use a cheap PC computer and a old projector. Even if you are Microsoft, you can not anticipate the worst.

So if you use tech and the power goes out, you need to do two things:

1. Check to see if everything in your presentation is working. Your computer, the link from your computer to your projector, the links to movies inside your presentation, the internet connection. Everything. The worst place to find out something is not working is on stage in front of your audience.

2. If something is not working, take it out of the presentation. Do not be afraid to skip it and talk about it later. No matter how cool it is. No one will know how cool it is if it does not work.

CNET reported that one of the PCs froze during the demo.

2. Do not leave an audience waiting

Audiences become, um, restless when they are kept waiting. They are not waiting with anticipation. They have other things to do and can not wait for you to get your stuff together.

What should have happened: someone should have told the audience what was happening and said that there will be a slight delay because of the power outage.

Finally, give the audience an ETA for when things will get started. The report was that the presentation was 30 minutes late with very little explanation.

Audiences are more receptive when they are informed.

3. Use jokes sparingly

Unless you are Chris Rock.

If you become known for bad, unfunny jokes, you become the punch line.

That is never good.

If you are going to try it and you are worth millions, hire some good comedy writers. And the folks at Saturday Night Live do not count as funny. Gizmodo has a link to pictures of the “funny” slides.

Here is the link to a clip of his 2010 Keynote at CES:

 

 

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