Quick Practical, Tactical Tips for Presentations

Today's post is subtle and focuses on how to present yourself in a presentation. It could be a VC meeting, but it also could be a sales meeting or biz development meeting. This is any meeting in which you are asked to give an overhead slide presentation.

1. Sit near the projector screen -- I often have entrepreneurs present for me, and sometimes I'm there with all or some of my colleagues. From watching all these presentations, I know there is a right and wrong place.

Diagram A shows that presenters are seated at the opposite end to the screen. This is not the best place to be sitting. However, I think it will be obvious to most presenters. Problem is, the people you are presenting to have to choose between looking at your screen or looking at you. They are completely tuned out of what you're saying if they choose to look at the screen.

Diagram B will show you that people can look at you and look up at you. Their attention will be held much longer if you do this. You won't be tempted to look away from your laptop as it will sync with the screen. You want to engage the audience, work in the room, and look at them. If you continue looking at the screen, it will not help.

2. If you are not in Japan, avoid a home and away team. It's easier to secure the right seats if you arrive early for set-up (Diagram B). First, it puts you in the best position for the screen. Second, it creates a more informal environment so that your colleagues can interact and build trust.

It doesn't matter to me if the team that comes to your presentation is a little surprised by it and says, "oh...we normally all sit on one side." You can smile and say, "Oh sorry." You can do it if you feel comfortable. The best excuse is to sit in front of the computer screen.

Recently, I have been attending meetings with our shareholders (called LPs/limited partners). I learned that LPs don’t expect presentations to be done on a computer screen, so I have to carry around paper. This is not me, but I will stick to the convention. It's been more difficult for me to leave the away/home team this way.

One warning: In Japan, it is culturally expected that you will sit in the away or home team format. You need to adhere to this convention. The away team, that's you, sits with their backs towards the door. This is a tradition that dates back to ancient times, when people wanted to see the door so they could tell if an enemy was coming. If you were hosting, you always chose the side closest to the door.

3. Don't be a slave to one person or group. There are often several people in a meeting. I have found that many people give them all the eye contact. Some presenters will give all the eye contact to the senior members of the team.

These scenarios make me really uncomfortable in the room, because I notice them all the time. I cannot stop thinking in my head: "What is the person thinking that they aren't getting any attention?" Is this offending? Do not do it. Respect everyone you meet.

4. Handouts are not allowed -- If you are giving a printed presentation, as I was recently, you will have no other choice. For all other presentations, don't give out printed materials. The goal of the meeting is to establish rapport and command the full attention of those to whom you are presenting. Even the most well-behaved recipients will flip forward to see what's next. You will never see the worst behavior on the slide you are presenting. It's rude. You allowed them to do so. You can hand out notes at the end of the meeting if you want.

5. Never present "eye charts". This is one of my favorite lines. Slides are almost always less. You should use smaller fonts and more visuals to guide you. A "build" is required for any situation that involves a complicated diagram. This means you can only show one part of the screen at once and then click the mouse to reveal the rest. There are no fancy builds (e.g. No complex fade ins or spinning -- if you have to use it, keep it subtle.

6. You can give detailed slides in real-time if you have them. There are times when teams need to review detailed information during meetings. Financial statements are one example. For this reason, I suggest that you bring printed copies of these pages and keep them in your folder so that they are available for you to hand out during the meeting. This is a great idea that I have seen from some of the most successful CEOs.

There you have it. Here's some tactical advice for meetings. It won't make a company bad, but it will make them better. Trust me when I tell you that if the tactical meeting dynamics are right, the rest of the meeting will run more smoothly.