| I recently gave a presentation that involved the | | | | 7. I was expecting people to follow a certain |
| use of a handout at an Advanced Toastmasters | | | | pattern, based on my previous efforts. When |
| club. It was a precursor to making a presentation | | | | they did not I regarded it as a form of |
| to service clubs and non-profit organizations.The | | | | harassment, but it wasn't. |
| presentation did not go over as well as I | | | | 8. Participants were frustrated because they |
| anticipated, but I learned quite a bit, and I made | | | | regarded my response as not respecting their |
| my mistakes in a "sandbox" environment where it | | | | opinion. My attitude needed to be adjusted. I had |
| did not cost me anything to make a mistake. | | | | to make sure to give credence to what each |
| Hear are some of the things that I learned: | | | | person said. |
| | | | 9. To preclude the problems with the perceived |
| 1. People really liked when I moved about the | | | | harassment, present sample data instead of |
| room and made eye contact with each person. | | | | making all input interactive. This speeds the |
| 2. Don't do a speech-in-a-speech. It steals valuable | | | | presentation, and assures that I will not get input |
| time, and reduces clarity, and reduces the | | | | that may require me to contradict someone. |
| opportunity for humor. I was trying to achieve | | | | 10. I used a whiteboard, which worked well, but if |
| two purposes. | | | | I had an assistant write down numbers on the |
| 3. There was huge amount of audience | | | | board, it would have been easier for people to |
| participation, which was appreciated. | | | | follow, and more polite, as I would not have to |
| 4. Make a stronger call to action at the end. | | | | show my back to some of the room. |
| 5. It might have helped to have given out little | | | | I'm pleased that I was able to learn, or alas |
| token gifts when people responded to a question. | | | | relearn, these lessons in a safe environment. For |
| 6. Make it more of a pep talk. Good feelings = | | | | the cost of a dinner, I was able to obtain valuable, |
| excitement and $$$$. (Per my evaluator - Tim | | | | candid feedback. |
| Mullen)Change the format of the handout that I | | | | One other idea came out of the presentation: |
| used to be easier to follow - vertical instead of | | | | Create customized webinars for service clubs and |
| horizontal in a pretty 3-fold flyer. | | | | non-profits. |