The conference presentation was due to start in seven minutes.
The speaker had a golden opportunity.
But he missed it.
What was the golden opportunity?
Let me explain.
I was attending a conference in London, waiting for a breakout session to begin.
As the audience entered the room, the speaker failed to acknowledge them.
As people sat down, waiting patiently, he made no effort to engage.
Instead, he did two things.
Firstly, he had a conversation with his three colleagues – with his back turned to the audience.
Secondly, he stood at the laptop, typing away.
Before a presentation begins, this is a valuable window to connect with your audience – but in this case, it was completely missed.
There were around 35-40 people in the room.
In those seven minutes, the speaker could have connected with a significant number of them.
He could have turned strangers into familiar faces.
He might even have picked up some useful insights to weave into his presentation.
Instead, the opportunity passed.
Before a Presentation Begins: Your Opportunity to Connect
There is a simple lesson here.
The time before a presentation begins is not dead time.
It is an opportunity.
- Arrive early
- Complete your set up before your audience enters
- Then focus entirely on them
If you have colleagues with you, involve them too.
A few short conversations can make a big difference.
Use the time before a presentation begins to create connection, not distance.
You don’t start connecting when you begin speaking.
You start connecting before that.
Connection doesn’t start when you speak – it starts before you begin.
Looking for more helpful presentation tips, why not check out the following article on why following a stronger speaker is an opportunity, not a problem.
