Tip – 10 Things to Do the Morning of Your Big Presentation, Part 2

In part 1, I provided 10 tips for you to do before your presentation to minimize any potential technology and event-related glitches.

Below, you’ll find 10 tips for you to do the morning of/same day of your big presentation, to ensure your presentation goes smoothly.

MORNING/DAY OF PREPARATION LIST

1. Arrival.  Arrive at least one-hour early
2. Test Everything.  Meet up with the audio/visual team (after greeting your hosts). Either verify your laptop works for both visual and sound or provide the team your flash drive and then test visual and audio. Ensure your lavalier microphone is working properly and is fully charged
3. Review Everything.  Personally, go through EVERY slide with the presentation clicker device, ensuring a) transitions are what they should be; b) video/audio files load properly; c) fonts appear properly; d) animations appear as designed; and e) all slides load and visuals/text display properly
4. International.  Greet personally the translators. Walk them through any complex words/phrase/ideas in advance. You’ll be amazed how appreciative the translators will be when you do this. Consider providing them a printed version of your presentation
5. Walk Through.  Walk through the room, testing your audio and video files if you are using them, from all angles and spots in the room–up close, in the middle, and in the back. Get a feel for the seating layout and how that may influence any of your exercises and interactions. How about the lighting? Will it be directly in your face if you look out into the crowd, preventing you from seeing the crowd? If yes, what will you have to change as your engage and interact with your audience?
6. Verify Schedule.  Verify the schedule for the day, especially the activities before your event. Ask if any of the timing has changed, especially if you are in the afternoon. Some events could get behind in time and then they ask you to reduce your presentation length just minutes before you speak. Be prepared by asking early.
7. Hydrate.  Only drink water. Ensure you have your own bottle on stage. If you must drink coffee or caffeine, consider reducing your quantity and avoiding it 30 minutes prior to your start. Caffeine has been shown to a) increase your heart rate, b) dry out your mouth, and c) cause you to go to the restroom more frequently (especially tea)
8. Restroom.  Go to the restroom as close to your start time as possible (remember to turn off your microphone!)
9. Everything Off.  Turn your mobile telephone to airplane mode. Close all apps except those you need for your presentation
10. Smile.  Put a permanent smile on your mouth for the day. As the speaker with that big speaker label on your name badge, people look at you differently and look at you frequently
11. Bonus 1.  Mingle with the audience, introduce yourself, create some fast friends — who knows, you may get some great stories, experiences, and insights to share during your presentation
12. Bonus 2.  Nervous?  Perform physical exercises with your voice and body to relax (I’ll post some ideas in the future)
13. Bonus 3.  Women–wear pants/skirt/dress with a strong belt. The lavalier microphone is heavy and will likely cause your pants to slip down some (I’ve seen this on a few occasions)
14. Bonus 4.  Remove EVERYTHING from your pockets, especially noise-makers — keys, key chains, etc. Plus, some items make your pockets look bulky (e.g., mobile phones and wallets). You want to avoid any unnecessary distractions for your audience

USE YOUR CHECKLIST EVERY TIME.

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