I’ve attended iOSDevUK last week (amazing conference BTW, do not miss it next year) and whilst speakers were mostly great, there were lots of “silly” things that made me giggle and/or mad.
So here is my humble list of tips for when speaking at a conference. Hope you find them useful:
General appearance
- look tidy: yes, the “dirty chic” look might work but can backfire; “casual office” will never dissapoint; definitely no “gangsta style”
- no flip flops, unless you’re in Hawaii (and even that is questionable)
- at least, please wear something - bare feet on stage is disrespectful - remember, it’s not about you but the audience (who paid to attend)
- get rid of your conference badge as it serves no purpose on stage; all it does is provide a distraction point for both you and your audience
- same for the contents of your pockets - but please don’t replace them with your hands - it’s impolite
Know your stuff
- your slides should not be your presenter notes and, under no circumstances, you should simply read them (unless it’s a quote)
- equally, you should not just lecture your written notes whilst advancing the slides - makes the audience sleepy
- spontaneity always wins - yes, you should practice your presentation but talking freely allows you to engage the audience and adjust your narrative based on non-verbal live feedback
- move around the stage: you are the entertainer and you need to feel the audience
- tell a story - even the most boring subjects can be turned into a story
- your vocal tone should fluctuate as you tell your tale - again, you’re the entertainer
Slides
- think of your audience: get a big screen, position your eyes 30cm from it and play your slides - how does it feel?
- 3D transitions make some people feel sick, especially on a giant screen
- check the projector resolution and make sure that your slides are readable even at that resolution
- do not complain about the resolution on stage: it’s disrespecful to the organisers; express your grievances in a private conversation
- check if the machine connected to the projector has the resources that you require; fonts are a prime candidate
- last slide should always include a “thank you” message and your contact details; always ask for feedback
- do not put your Twitter handle or contact info on each slide - distracts and annoys
- remember: wabbits don’t kill slides, bullets do
Live coding
- most importantly, check the projector resolution and make sure your editor works; most IDEs (eg Xcode) are almost unusable at 800 x 600
- have a complete backup project that you can use if things go bad
- have backup slides for your code if Plan B also fails
- interact with your audience - make it a 2-way street - but don’t turn it into a test
It’s all about timing
- having lots of slides and material is fine but make sure you don’t overrun your allocated time; skip slides if necessary
- set aside at least 20% of your time for questions; be prepared for the “no questions” scenario - use extra slides, live coding, etc.
- make sure you take time to understand the questions and answer them propertly
- always ask for feedback - make sure you’re also getting something from the talk
Be a good citizen
- make time to chat to other attendees after your talk is delivered; they have paid to see you and are often afraid to ask questions during the talk
- go and talk to people that are sitting by themselves - happens a lot with first-time attendees
- attend other talks - you’ll be amazed by how much you learn
- and don’t play the rockstar card - the line between rockstar and schmuck is pretty fine