The day after the Internet Developers Forum, I attended Communication Wednesday and saw presentations about mobile maps. The three main presenters were Jaroslav Bengl (Google), Ivan Mikula (Seznam) and Igor Smerda (Nokia). Their performances can teach us some lessons about promotional presentations and how they can be delivered in an informal setting.
The lessons:
Being first is an advantage
If you find yourself in a similar situation, always ask to be the first presenter. Google had a clear advantage because of this. Bengl had the chance to set the tone, introduce topics and not be afraid that they were already mentioned and to be the one that the others are compared to.
Never be defensive
If you're not lucky enough to be the first, don't make the mistake of comparing yourself to the first presenter. Bengl gave a great presentation of Google maps. He was relaxed and had a friendly style. He also had the confidence that he had a really good product to present. Both Mikula and Smerda appeared to be defensive about their products and how they compared with Google. There is no reason for this and it leaves a bad impression. I'm sure there are great advantages to both Seznam and Nokia's mobile maps. Focus on those and forget about putting the competition down. It never looks good.
Focus on the benefits
There's a big difference between telling your audience what your product can do and showing them what the benefits are. Facts are nothing without telling your audience why those facts are important to them and why we should care about them. For example, Mikula told us a lot about the sms marketing campaign for Seznam's mobile maps. Why? I can't imagine why this information was important to the audience that was there. Smerda also gave us a lot of information that seemed unnecessary because he didn't explain how it was connected to his message.
Know your audience
Communication Wednesday events are great for speakers because it's possible to find out in advance who will be attending. It's an opportunity to create your presentation with this specific audience in mind. When you have this possibility, ask yourself why people are coming to the event. What do they want to learn from you? What are they worried about? What kind of information will excite them?
Don't reuse your slides
It's always easy to recognize when a speaker uses the same set of slides for different events and it gives a bad impression. It's especially easy to spot when the presentation language is Czech and the slides are in English. Don't do this. The message it conveys is laziness and a lack of concern about the impression you want to give your audience. Every audience is different. Take the time to create new slides that will mean something to each one.
Recognize that every presentation is an opportunity
Communication Wednesdays are pretty informal and friendly events. It's not the place for a hard sell presentation. But, that doesn't mean that there isn't an opportunity to impress potential clients, create excitement about your products and expand your tribe. Make sure that each presentation you make aims to do these things. Bengl clearly recognized this. Mikula and Smerda could have focused much more on these goals in their presentations.
I have to wonder if Google is more aware of how important presentations are to their bottom line. I attended two events in two days and Google was clearly the winner both times. I'm looking forward to seeing other companies becoming more aware of the impression they make when they present and starting to make the kinds of presentations that this requires.
© 2011 Jeanne Trojan. All rights reserved
The lessons:
Being first is an advantage
If you find yourself in a similar situation, always ask to be the first presenter. Google had a clear advantage because of this. Bengl had the chance to set the tone, introduce topics and not be afraid that they were already mentioned and to be the one that the others are compared to.
Never be defensive
If you're not lucky enough to be the first, don't make the mistake of comparing yourself to the first presenter. Bengl gave a great presentation of Google maps. He was relaxed and had a friendly style. He also had the confidence that he had a really good product to present. Both Mikula and Smerda appeared to be defensive about their products and how they compared with Google. There is no reason for this and it leaves a bad impression. I'm sure there are great advantages to both Seznam and Nokia's mobile maps. Focus on those and forget about putting the competition down. It never looks good.
Focus on the benefits
There's a big difference between telling your audience what your product can do and showing them what the benefits are. Facts are nothing without telling your audience why those facts are important to them and why we should care about them. For example, Mikula told us a lot about the sms marketing campaign for Seznam's mobile maps. Why? I can't imagine why this information was important to the audience that was there. Smerda also gave us a lot of information that seemed unnecessary because he didn't explain how it was connected to his message.
Know your audience
Communication Wednesday events are great for speakers because it's possible to find out in advance who will be attending. It's an opportunity to create your presentation with this specific audience in mind. When you have this possibility, ask yourself why people are coming to the event. What do they want to learn from you? What are they worried about? What kind of information will excite them?
Don't reuse your slides
It's always easy to recognize when a speaker uses the same set of slides for different events and it gives a bad impression. It's especially easy to spot when the presentation language is Czech and the slides are in English. Don't do this. The message it conveys is laziness and a lack of concern about the impression you want to give your audience. Every audience is different. Take the time to create new slides that will mean something to each one.
Recognize that every presentation is an opportunity
Communication Wednesdays are pretty informal and friendly events. It's not the place for a hard sell presentation. But, that doesn't mean that there isn't an opportunity to impress potential clients, create excitement about your products and expand your tribe. Make sure that each presentation you make aims to do these things. Bengl clearly recognized this. Mikula and Smerda could have focused much more on these goals in their presentations.
I have to wonder if Google is more aware of how important presentations are to their bottom line. I attended two events in two days and Google was clearly the winner both times. I'm looking forward to seeing other companies becoming more aware of the impression they make when they present and starting to make the kinds of presentations that this requires.
© 2011 Jeanne Trojan. All rights reserved
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