Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Gifts Presentation

"As fate would have it, my presentation is the only thing keeping you from the casino and the cocktails and we've started 15 minutes late due to technical difficulties. Like the airlines, I will try to make up some of the time in the air so I can get you out on time."

Thus started my presentation.

Interestingly enough, I wasn't nervous at all once it started. In fact, I wasn't too nervous before hand, either. I knew I knew the material and I had done a couple of walk-throughs prior, so I felt pretty confident.

Not that the deck couldn't have used some sprucing up, or perhaps my delivery could have been more rehearsed...but I was confident that I was mostly ready.

My boss, another colleague and Angie made up three of the perhaps 30 people in my session. This wasn't one of those 1000 attendee conferences - instead there were perhaps 50-60 people attending the two separate tracks. Ultimately, this meant that it was a real good situation to get my feet wet in presenting.

My boss asked Angie if I have presented like this before - apparently I came across as being very comfortable as I presented. Other than many training sessions I used to give, I really have never done anything like this. I used to present updates and performance at quarterly and annual off-sites, but nothing like this.

Angie and my boss both said it went well. She gave me some constructive criticism about several things I could have improved upon, but for my first in a long time, I'll take it. Her most important critique is that I need to work on letting my charm and personality come across. Perhaps add a little more humor and connect more with the audience. She's right, and I appreciate her honest feedback.

I'm already looking forward to the next one. Anything to get me back to Vegas.

SL

3 comments:

Robin said...

You go boy! That had to feel good. Always listen to your wife...good advice!

Over rehearsing is never a good idea, spontaneity and feeling your audience and tailoring your points to that mood ususally works well, bet ya bucks that's what Angie was saying!

I read in the Amarillo Globe News that they were building a Mob Musuem in Vegas! And the t-shirts said "I've never heard of a Mob Museum, it doesn't exist, and I have no idea where I got this T-shirt!" If nothing else...I gotta have the shirt! Hook me up!

UT kicked OU's butt today (well, they won anyway!) did you bet in Vegas?!\

And are you guys going to come pheasant hunt while angie and I create new cocktails?

Gregory Anderson said...

Congratulations, Scott.

P.S. great photo of you and (I presume) your wife.

Robin said...

Okay, getting serious now. We have the "little house (980 sq. feet, two bath, two bedrooms...unfinished at the moment!) We completely rehabbed it! We gutted the entire thing inside...including the ceiling. It's going to be adorable! And complete with washer/dryer, complete kitchen, full size fridge, chest freezer in mud room, two Bathrooms with showers, shitters and sinks! Satellite TV, phone and possible internet link up.

This will be our hired hand house from April-Nov. (south africans...though one will NOT be returning!) And we've given serious though to renting it out for hunting during pheasant season. A lot of birds here, usually. We don't own a lot of land but we could get permission to hunt on some really good land. Our neighbor hosts hunters every season, he takes them out though and walks them through it. We could rent our house and hook them up with him...or hook up with some permission...or something. I just don't know how it all works (we could even house dogs I suppose!) You're the hunter guru/expert! Just looking to make my cute bunkhouse functional in December...whaddayathink? Told Dan (SE!) this morning my idea and that I had pitched in to my "blogger" buddies (he's not into that!) Which was you and Angie..and after a bit of thought he said, "Yeah, that's an idea, hmmmm.!"

We're in like flynn! Pheasant season opens here about the second week in December I think...interested (you guys are the freebies!)